Building your network

Building your network is the term for increasing the number of contacts you have, which in turn widens your network. It is always difficult thinking of whom to ask. You never know who knows who, or who will be able to help, so we suggest you ask everyone you know. Even if you don't know people too well most are willing to help and link with you if you ask. However, we strongly recommend that you do not ask people who don't know you.

Here are some pointers to help you think of people to contact:

• Family - immediate and distant
• Friends - current, university, school, childhood
• Work - colleagues and managers in current and previous jobs' current and previous business contacts, current and previous customers
• Other areas - children's friends' parents, groups and associations and organisations you belong to, health clubs, teachers from school and university, holiday friends, professionals, (e.g. dentists, solicitors etc)

Quick ways to increase contacts:

• Import contacts - here you can export contacts from your Outlook, Google mail, Yahoo mail etc. It is best though to invite contacts individually with a more personal approach.
• Connections - Here you can see who is on LinkedIn from your previous companies and universities/schools. Get here by going to contacts > connections > add connections colleagues > or classmates (or both)
• Trawling - when you invite someone to connect with you and they accept you will receive an email letting you know of their acceptance. It is then a great idea to go onto their Profile and go through their connections to see if there is anyone you know and then invite them. This way, connections help you beget connections!