I get several questions on networking so I am just sharing a guide here on how I navigated this.
My approach to networking has changed depending on where I am in life. When I was completing my master's program, my approach was first to hear about careers in the public health field and how people navigated to their current roles. This helped me better understand what I need to grow and make it to the next step in my journey.
Below are my networking phases and how my approach changed.
Getting to know the field: During this phase, I spent time speaking to people with whom I thought their current roles were interesting. I had an interest in health systems and health policy, recognizing that these are large fields. Thus, I spoke to people asking about their career paths, and the kind of work they do in their roles.
Almost Done Graduate School: During this phase, it can be a bit stressful as you are trying to finalize your assignments and everyone keeps asking what are you going to do next. I spoke to people in companies I was interested in. This gave me a better understanding of navigating the application process, what specific roles to look for, and when job openings are released.
Done Graduate School Still Job Searching: During this phase, I connected with many people over LinkedIn. By connecting with individuals my goal, was to hear about career paths and also gain insights into any career openings that individuals were aware of. I want to point out that everyone's path is different so if you completed graduate school and you have not found a job yet, that's okay. Take time to relax as school can be stressful!
In terms of reaching out to people, here's my advice.
Finding People to Contact: Look at the website of organizations you are interested in and find the name and/or contact of individuals. If you can't find their contact see if you can find them on LinkedIn. When contacting people on LinkedIn, send them a connection request and make sure to add a note so you can provide a short introduction.
Create a spreadsheet to keep track of people: I am big on creating spreadsheets to help me keep track of who I contact and when I contacted the individual. On this spreadsheet, I also write down people I think would be good to connect with as I am reading articles or I am on LinkedIn. You can indicate when you last reached out to the individual so if you do not hear a reply you can follow up. I would recommend following up at most 3 times, spacing out the follow-ups by a week or two.
Sending an email: Make sure to spell the individual's name correctly and also include their name in the greeting. Send a very concise email explaining who you are and if they are available to connect virtually. Let them know your time zone as well so they can consider this when suggesting times.
Know your time zones: When scheduling a call, as we are in different time zones and we do a lot virtually, make sure you ask the individual which time zone they are in. Keep the different timezones in mind when scheduling a call. Also, be flexible with scheduling a time to connect time zones as people are busy and you are asking for their time.
Sending meeting links: If the person you reach out to requests a calendar invite, do not reply to the email with the link and time but actually use your Outlook/Google (or another email) calendar to send them an invite so this invitation will appear in their calendar. This will make it easy for them to join the meeting when it is time.
Now let's get to the actual call.
During the call, be clear: Start by thanking the individual for their time and giving a brief introduction to yourself, highlighting your education and work experiences. Be clear and specific with why you reached out to them and be specific with your questions.
Post Call: Send a thank you email and maintain connections as best you can. Try to maintain connections as with the global/public health space you never know who you will meet with at a conference or an event.
While networking, recognize that you are in a different environment in terms of opportunities, politics, economy, etc. which will impact your job search. Your path will not be the same as those you speak to, but it is an excellent way to meet people and get an idea of what you need to do to make it to the next step.
Wishing everyone successful virtual networking!