Connections and Careers: 10 Ways to Improve Your Networking Skills

Networking is often treated as a task to check off before a job search or a sales push, but the research is consistent: The strongest networks are built well before they are needed.

Organizational psychologist, professor and author Adam Grant found that “givers” (those who contribute to others without expecting anything in return), despite some early setbacks, tend to build the largest networks of allies and the best long-term reputations, while sociologist Mark Granovetter’s decades of research on weak and dormant ties shows that the professional contacts you have not spoken to in months or years are often the ones most likely to open a new door.

Building genuine relationships, leading with generosity and staying consistent over time is not just good etiquette. It is one of the most reliable long-term investments you can make in your career.

But the harder question is how to actually get better at networking so it supports your career goals in the long run. This article presents 10 practical habits that can help you improve those skills.

1. Give Before You Take

Grant’s research on reciprocity styles found that people generally fall into three groups: givers, matchers and takers. In an interview about his research, Grant explained that :

Givers are inclined to offer their time and expertise generously.
Matchers look for an even trade.
Takers are focused on getting as much as possible for themselves.

Asking a new contact what they are focused on right now, offering a relevant introduction or piece of information, and following up after the conversation puts you firmly in the giver category, which is where durable networks are built.

2. Build Genuine Connections, Not a Big Contact List

Networking isn’t about maximizing your LinkedIn account. It’s about having a small group of people you can call, ask a real question and eventually ask for help, knowing they will respond. Harvard University Business School professor Julie Battilana makes this point directly: Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to networking, and the focus should be on fit rather than volume. A network built around a handful of trusted relationships likely will outperform a list of thousands of loose contacts.

3. Don’t Just Talk to People You Already Know

If you’re attending a work event or conference, it may be comfortable to spend the entire time catching up with familiar faces, but that defeats the purpose of showing up. If the goal is to expand your network, treat the event as an opportunity to meet people outside your existing circle rather than a reunion.

4. Arrive With a Few Conversation Starters Ready

Walking into a room without a plan makes small talk harder than it needs to be. A short list of open-ended questions can remove the awkwardness: “Have you been to this event before?” “What should I expect?” “What are you working on right now?” “Tell me a bit about your role.” Career coaching guidance echoes this approach, noting that before diving into networking, it helps to reflect on your goals and come prepared, since clarity of purpose leads to deeper conversations.

5. Ask “How Can I Help You?” Every Time You Meet Someone New

Make this question a habit, not a one-time tactic. It works alongside the basics of remembering names and making a genuine connection. Asking how you can help someone, before asking anything of them, sets the tone for the entire relationship and is consistent with what the research on givers versus takers has found about who builds the strongest long-term networks.

6. Prepare Before Any 1-on-1 Meeting

Whether the meeting is in person or virtual, do the homework first: where the person works, their job title and what their company does. Career advisors frame this as part of a broader shift from “networking” to genuine relationship building. As one guide puts it, before you begin the intentional process of building relationships, it helps to have a clear sense of your own strengths and how you want to be perceived, and to bring that same intentionality into researching the other person. Putting in the right effort before the meeting signals respect and makes the conversation more productive for both people.

7. Follow Up and Follow Through

After the networking encounter, send a thank-you note, whether by email, text or handwritten card, and follow up on anything you committed to during the conversation. This is another moment to focus on giving rather than taking. Career guidance reinforces this: Networking is reciprocal, and you should be prepared to offer assistance as well as seek it out.

8. Stay in Touch on a Regular Basis

Networking doesn’t end after the first meeting or after you send the thank-you note. If you come across an article relevant to a contact’s business or industry, send it along with a short note: “Saw this and thought you might be interested.” Career development guidance consistently points to this kind of light-touch, ongoing contact as a key differentiator. One overview of networking best practices notes that networking takes time, and it’s less about meeting hundreds of people and more about maintaining a few meaningful relationships through patience and consistency.

9. Set a Weekly Outreach Goal, and Don’t Forget Dormant Contacts

Consistency beats intensity. Set a standing weekly goal to reach out to a handful of people, starting with former coworkers, past managers, former clients, vendors, professional association contacts, college connections, recruiters and people at companies you admire. A short check-in, asking how someone is doing, how their family is or whether something in the news affected them is enough.

This also is where reconnecting with old contacts pays off. Organizational researchers studying “dormant ties” (defined as relationships that have gone quiet but were once active) found that reconnected dormant ties can deliver the novelty benefits of a weak tie alongside the trust and easy coordination of a strong one. This builds on Granovetter’s foundational finding that, in a survey of how people found jobs, a person’s weak ties, their casual connections and loose acquaintances were often more helpful than their strong ties in securing employment.

10. Remember That Networking Is Not Transactional

A contact who can’t help you today may become one of the most important relationships later in your career. Career relationship-building guidance frames this well: It’s not about how many people are in your circle, but about how those people help you reach your goals, and how your network gives you the chance to give back to them as well. Treat networking as a long-term investment in human connection, not a short-term transaction, and the return will show up when you least expect it.

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