When you have a good career networking meeting/call with someone, don’t be afraid to ask them for a referral to others in their network who may be helpful.
Some people you meet may volunteer to make referrals if you make a good impression during your meeting/call, but others may not think to offer it. You should always ask, assuming your meeting/call went fairly well and you developed a rapport with the person you met. This is an easy way for you to expand your network AND you will likely get to connect with folks who otherwise would not take a call/meeting with you if you reached out blindly.
An example ‘ask’: “Thanks so much for meeting with me today. Based on what you learned about me and my career aspirations, I was wondering if there are any other folks in your network who you think I should speak with?”
One last thing…make sure you make this ‘ask’ at the end of your call or meeting. Don’t do it in a follow up email. You’re definitely harder to ignore in person! :)
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