How To Network to Land a Job in Education

By Erica Haims

There is value in networking for a career in education whether you are a teacher, professor, or work in administration. Networking is actually one of the best ways to land a new job. That’s because a referral is more likely to land you a job at an educational institution than a cold application where you are an unknown entity, defined entirely by your resume or professional profile.

Networking provides an opportunity to build a personal rapport with people and enables them to get to know you and your background in a more casual environment. They also get insight into your soft skills, which don’t come through on a job application. 

Despite its value, the mere mention of networking causes most people to break into a sweat and run for the door. Networking is a skill that everyone, no matter what industry they are in, can benefit from once they learn to do it. Here are 9 tips for adding networking to your job search toolbox. 

1. Abolish Stage Fright 

Meeting people for the first time can sometimes be intimidating and scary. Especially in a professional setting where we want to make a great impression. It is natural to be nervous in a room full of people you don’t know. Remember that the people you are meeting may feel the same way.

The best way to get over your fears is to start doing it and keep doing it. The first few times will be hard and that’s okay. When you’re planning to attend an event where networking might be appropriate, let yourself be nervous for a period of time before it starts. But set a timer and tell yourself that when that timer goes off, it’s time to shed the anxiety and start interacting. Look at the strangers in attendance as potential new friends, connections, and gain industry insights. Even if you’re in the market for a new job, try to avoid looking at it that way. You’ll only create unnecessary pressure on yourself. It’s better to stay focused on developing connections without any expectation.

 

2. Get Out There

 

Finding events where you can interact with other professionals is easier than you think. Signing up on meeting platforms such as Meetup and Eventbrite is simple to do and free. You can search your area of expertise and career events in the education sector. Seek out events and follow organizations so that you are notified when a new event pops up. These platforms will also suggest meetings and events that may be of interest to you. The best part is that once you start signing up for notifications, the process is automatic. Your mailbox will be full of ideas of great places to meet your next co-worker, mentor, or employer. Most of these events are free or have a small fee. Don’t forget that if you do wind up purchasing a ticket to a networking event, you can declare it as a deduction on your taxes. 

 

3. Volunteer 

 

Getting involved with a non-profit organization in your field is another great avenue for networking. There are associations for most professions and some of them have regional chapters as well. They’re generally understaffed and underfunded, so they’re always looking for additional help to further their mission. 

 

Besides showing prospective hiring managers that you are passionate about your craft by including the experience on your resume, it’s an opportunity to meet other people in your field. Many of them are already gainfully employed and are just volunteering on the side. They essentially become your coworkers (and sometimes even your friends) when you’re volunteering together and once they’ve seen your work ethic, they may refer you to a full-time paid role down the road. There are also online volunteer boards that promote great opportunities such as VolunteerMatch and Volunteer World. 

 

4. Making Connections 

 

Building a strong professional network is one of the key elements to building a great career, so start making connections. Look back at your last few jobs and reach out to some of the people that you had a good relationship with when you were there. Think about other people whose paths you’ve crossed whether professionally or personally. From college friends to the parents of kids that attend the same school as yours, you probably have more contacts than you realize. Among the people you know and the people they know, there may be great opportunities that you would be perfect for, that perhaps you would not have heard about otherwise. 

 

So, reach out to those in your network and let them know that you are looking for a role or want to make a change. It is important to stay visible. Keep in mind that there are jobs out there that haven’t even been created yet. You want to be the person who pops up in someone’s head when a job that suits your needs becomes available. You may even hear about a job before it is posted online. 

 

LinkedIn is an ideal channel for managing your connections and tapping into them. Once you’ve started to build your network, you may find that you have connections already working for an institution that you are interviewing for or for a job posting that’s right in your wheelhouse. Your connections can also serve as personal or professional references when you get to that point. You might even find your next mentor among them. 

 

5. Make the Right Impression

 

Obviously breaking out into a dance routine or showing up in a pair of tight leather pants would make an impression on future employers, but it probably isn’t going to get you your next job. Always dress tastefully and present yourself as if you’re speaking with a future employer regardless of who the person is or the level they are at. This means dressing business casual but not overdoing it either. Suits are mostly passe these days, so wear jeans (a darker shade) and a blouse or a button down shirt. And project positivity so people see the best of you. This is your chance to allow people to see how you’d show up to work so they feel comfortable referring you to people within their network. 

 

6. Marketing Yourself 

 

You are your brand. It may be strange to think of yourself that way, but like any brand, people have a perception of who you are and social media amplifies that. Channels like LinkedIn and Twitter are great ways to showcase your knowledge about your field of expertise and special interests that relate to the career you want. By posting informative articles about current topics that impact the world of education, you invite the opportunity to engage with others that have the same perspectives and passions. When others leave comments, respond to them. Make sure you also interact with their posts as well. There are industry thought leaders on social media you may not know, but you can get their attention by regularly adding your thoughts on their posts.

 

It is important to keep your profiles professional and positive. You may decide that you want to share things privately with your friends and that is where the privacy settings fit in. For the purposes of the job hunt, your public persona should display how you would show up to work. Avoid politics and negative rhetoric. 

 

7. Always Be Learning 

 

You never lose when attending a networking event. There is usually an informative topic related to your industry that is presented, and there are opportunities to learn from simply speaking with the other attendees even if you don’t walk away with a job lead. Having informal chats with your peers gives you opportunities to share your elevator pitch, hear where others are in their professional journey and of course, get advice and make lasting connections. There are no downsides to attending every event available to you, especially if you’re not currently employed. Any opportunity you have to meet people gets you one step closer to finding your next role. 

 

8. Zoom or in the Room 

 

As a result of the pandemic, there are more resources that have been made available online including virtual networking events. The upside to that is that you can attend an event that is out of state that normally you would not have been able to attend. You now have the advantage of meeting people and learning things from more people and expanding your network further. Even educational institutions are more open to considering remote workers, which expands the geographic areas you can explore for job opportunities. 

 

9. Make Conversation

 

Starting a conversation with new people can be daunting. It is important to remember that people are there because they want to engage, and people want to help others (even though they are probably looking to advance their careers as well). You can start the conversation off with some questions. Ask how they heard about the event or what their area of focus is. You can also reference an interesting article, current event, or ask someone about their career journey. It may help to read some industry blogs that day so that you have some conversational content that’s top of mind. Depending on whether there is a guest speaker at the event, you can also ask what they thought of the speaker. 

Networking is a great way to gather information, expand your sphere of influence, and introduce yourself to prospective employers. It may even be fun. Simply being open to learning new things and expanding your network will allow you to reap many rewards. It doesn’t matter whether you’re still in school or a seasoned professional, the earlier you start networking, the more likely you are to find success.