Networking During COVID-19

By Rehana Paul
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While most of us have been able to smoothly transition our lives from the office to our homes with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, one aspect of the workplace that is more difficult to translate into our new WFH lives is networking. Meetings can be shifted to video calls, presentations can be done by simply sharing your screen, and the daily grind of emails and Excel can be done from any computer - but what about networking? The old, pre-COVID model of many people crammed into a conference hall, meeting up at a restaurant, or even going to an after-hours cocktail hour is much harder to shift online. The lure of these events were their spontaneous, serendipitous nature, the appeal of spending an hour mixing with colleagues having the potential to yield a mentor, new job offer, or even just closer relationships with your coworkers making it impossible to turn down.
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(Image via Product School on Unsplash)

While, like most things in our COVID-stricken world, it’s not the same as before, it is definitely still possible to network. The first place I’d advise you to go is the old classic - LinkedIn. Take this time to update your profile with any new certificates, volunteer positions, or skills, and definitely check that you’re connected with all your contacts! Apart from that, webinars are another great resource to utilize for networking - you can use them to firstly learn more about subjects you’re interested in, and secondly, connect with both the experts on these topics and people with similar interests. Even if you can’t talk during the webinar, there’ll likely be a Q&A portion, or at the very least, an opening for you to send an introductory email.

(Image via antenna on Unsplash)

With all the chaos of WFH, it is entirely understandable that networking has gone on the backburner for many of us. Personally, I’m just trying to keep up with school and work while managing spending every second of my day under the same roof as my entire family - it’s hard enough to let a week go by without emails piling up in my inbox, networking is the least of my worries! However, the way I keep myself sane is reminding myself that there WILL be life after quarantine - and I want to keep advancing my career and looking ahead there. Besides, networking is inherently social - it’s great to still get the experience of meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends and coworkers, even if it’s from my childhood bedroom!
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While many of us are still stuck at home, take a look at Inkwhy's recommended Networks to join online networking groups and virtual events that are currently happening.