As a veteran or a future retiree of the Indian Armed Forces, you have served your country with Honour and dedication. You may also have acquired valuable Skills, Experience, and Knowledge that can help you in your civilian career. However, you may also face some challenges and uncertainties in finding and securing a suitable job or career after retirement. One of the ways to overcome these challenges is Networking effectively and efficiently with people who can help you with your career goals, especially when you are changing careers or looking for new opportunities.
Networking is the process of creating, building, and maintaining connections with people who can help you, learn more about your target industry, field, or role, get referrals, recommendations, or introductions to potential employers, mentors, or collaborators, find out about hidden or upcoming job openings, showcase your skills, experience, and personality, and gain feedback, advice, and support. In this article, we will share some tips to network effectively and efficiently after retirement and help you achieve your professional success.
Networking is a way of making and keeping contact with people who can help you with your career goals, especially when you want to change your career or find a new job.
How Networking can Help:
- Talk to people who do the work that you want to do and learn from them.
- Ask them to help you find employers, teachers, or friends who can help you with your work.
- Find out about jobs that are not on the internet or are coming soon.
- Show people what you can do, what you have done, and who you are.
- Get help, tips, and support from people who have gone through the same changes or problems.
If you are looking for a job or a career change, networking is one of the best ways to find opportunities and get noticed by potential employers. Networking means making and keeping relationships with people who can help you achieve your professional goals.
How to do Networking Effectively:
Approach them directly with your Resume: One of the ways to network is to communicate directly with relevant people through your resume. You can call them, email them effectively and follow up with them regularly. You can also stay updated by subscribing to newsletters from your target organizations or industry associations.
Use existing contacts: Another way to network is to use your existing contacts, such as your friends, family, colleagues, classmates, and alumni in the same field. You can contact them and tell them your career goals and interests. You can also ask them for referrals, introductions, or recommendations to potential contacts in your target industry or field.
Go to events and workshops related to your work: You can also meet new people by going to events related to your work, such as events, workshops, webinars, or conferences and even Job Fairs. These events can help you learn new things, get knowledge, and meet people who like the same things. You can join these events and talk to the people who are speaking, organizing, or attending online. You can also make more contacts by giving your business cards or contact details for future talks.
Join Platforms: Another good way to network is to join online platforms, groups, forums, or communities related to your industry or field. These online spaces can help you connect with professionals, experts, and influencers in your desired industry or field. You can join the online discussions, ask questions, and help others. This can help you build a strong online presence and reputation.
Update online presence: You can also network by improving your online profiles on professional platforms like LinkedIn, or other websites. These platforms can help you show your skills, achievements, and personality. You can update and improve your profiles with relevant information, such as your education, work experience, projects, awards, or publications. You can also connect with industry professionals, join their content, and show your enthusiasm and interest.
Informational Interviews: Another helpful way to network is to do informational interviews with professionals in your desired industry or field. Informational interviews are casual conversations that can help you learn more about the career paths, challenges, and opportunities in your target industry or field. You can do informational interviews with people who have the job or role that you want to have. You can also get valuable advice and tips for effective networking and job search.
Volunteering: You can also meet new people by helping or working for free with groups that do the work that you want to do. Helping or working for free can help you use your skills and help the groups and learn new things. You can also talk to the people who work or manage the groups and the people who use their services and show them how good you are.
Networking is a way of staying connected with people who can help you with your work after retirement. It can help you find chances, jobs, skills, knowledge, and support for your career. To network well, you should talk to people directly, use your old contacts, go to events related to your work, join online groups, make your online profiles better, ask people for information and advice, and try volunteering or internships. You should also be nice, thankful, and helpful to your contacts and keep in touch with them. Networking is a long and regular process that can help you earn money after retirement.
Also read 17 Essential Skills Every Veteran Should Master
