Alex Aster is a children’s books and thrillers author, as well as the managing editor of The Newsette. And, as a part of our new Ask Alex series, she tackles some of our readers’ most pressing questions, in an effort to bring a new perspective to the table. Today, Alex answers a question about something we all love to hate–networking.
Q: Alex, I’m about to enter a completely different career path, and don’t know anyone in this industry. Besides using LinkedIn, how can I leverage people in my network to hopefully get introduced to experts in this new field? 
A: Whether we like it or not, the saying it’s not what you know, it’s who you know is partially true. I would, however, amend it to say, it’s what you know, and also who you know, since you have to at least have some talent, or else it doesn’t matter if you’re the daughter of a famous actress, or the nephew of a Fortune 500 CEO–connections can only help so much.
Whenever you’re starting a new business, or transferring to a different field, it’s extremely helpful to leverage your existing network–even if you don’t think it’ll be worthwhile.
So how, you ask?
Start with family. Make a group text/message and include the people closest to you. Type “Hi, everyone! I’m making a big change, and am entering the X industry. If you know anyone in this field that you think I should connect with, I hope you will let me know. Thank you, I appreciate your support!” Though you might roll your eyes at texting your grandma about your foray into fashion, you truly never know who has a helpful connection–she might just be friends with a department store buyer’s nana!
Next, make a post on social media. If that’s too public for you, make another group message with your closest friends. If you decide to do the social post (which I would recommend, since the more people you alert to your career change, the more chances you have at being introduced to someone helpful), you can say something like “Excited to announce that I’ll be starting a career in X! Please send any and all opportunities my way :)” This is a cheeky way of letting your network know that you’re open to any intros, should they be able to make a connection.
The main rule in networking–I know, I know, we all hate that word–is being confident in your abilities, and not being afraid to put yourself out there. Truly, one person can change your entire career, so don’t sabotage yourself by hiding away! Go to industry events, connect with anyone who has an interest in your field. You never know who you might meet.