Jenna Berkowitz ⋅ New York , NY American Corporate Partners ⋅ 1 years experience

Hi Karen,

Thank you for your question and for your service!

Networking is certainly a huge part of career searching. There are many ways that you can hone in on your networking skills, especially in today's technological era!

Becoming LinkedIn savvy can really help you when it comes to networking. You can search for jobs or people in the industry, company, or geographical location of your choice by searching under "My Network" or "Jobs". This search will allow you to find professionals in your field of interest who you can message and ask about their professional background, how they got to their current position, career progression, advice/tips, etc. You will be forming connections and learning more about your career field! Here are some great resources for networking on LinkedIn:

-The Dos and Don’ts of LinkedIn Etiquette from PSMJ Resources
https://go.psmj.com/blog/the-dos-and-donts-of-linkedin-etiquette

-LinkedIn for Veterans from GI Jobs https://www.gijobs.com/linkedin-for-veterans/

Additionally, I highly recommend using the "Community" feature right here on ACP AdvisorNet! The Community feature is a great tool for networking. You can search by zip code to find local connections in your career industry. Feel free to Direct Message any of the Advisors, similarly to how you would on LinkedIn, and ask about their background and for any tips! They would be happy to give you more information, plus you are making more connections.

Hopefully this helps!

Deb Yeagle ⋅ Tampa , FL Plan To Win, Inc. ⋅ 39 years experience

Hi Karen-
Thanks for your service!
Since you have your PHR certification, I assume you can access the HRCI directory and possibly network through that credentialing organization? What about SHRM? Membership in these HR professional organizations provides networking opportunities - even in the current situation which requires virtual networking.
What about searching for HR professional networking groups in your area on meetup.com? Again, in the current situation, you'll need to do some research on which ones are conducting virtual events, but at least you'll be able to connect with others on-line to begin building those relationships ahead of future live events.
I hope this helps!
I will also send you a one-pager that I picked up at a networking event last year. Although it's intended for networking at "live" events, I think you will still find it valuable.
Good luck!
Deb

Jeff Martin ⋅ Ashburn , VA The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ⋅ 25 years experience

You might consider reading this book - Networking for people who hate networking, by Devora Zack. It’s fun, easy reading and it might help you.