Networking your way into a new city

I grew up in Michigan. It’s a beautiful state, with plenty of fresh water and natural woodlands. I lived in the Upper Peninsula for a while, where a Saturday morning’s activity might be hiking to a waterfall or a boat ride on Lake Superior.

Most of my time was spent in the Detroit area, where you were a Chevy family, a Ford family, a Chrysler family, or from out of town. It was more than brand loyalty. Almost everyone had family that worked for one of the automakers.

Times have changed.

I moved away, and as the years have passed, more and more of the people I grew up with or went to school with did the same. They migrated like me to the Chicago area, or to the Carolinas, or Texas, or the East Coast. And more and more are making the leap.

So what happens when you find that you need to relocate for opportunity? Or for whatever reason strikes you? How do you build a network where you’re headed?

It’s a challenge if you’re simply open to relocation anywhere, or within a region or state. But if you know where you want to move, you can get a head start on developing your network.

1. Start with people that you might know. Do you have friends there? Family? Former colleagues? Reach out to them, let them know you’re interested in the area, and ask if they can suggest people you should meet or groups you should look into. While you’re at it, take the opportunity to scope out neighborhoods, living arrangements, and the other logistics of a big move. You’ll need some help getting settled.
2. Reach out on LinkedIn. After you’ve talked to people you know directly, do some searches on LinkedIn for people in your target city, especially within your target industry. Many people take pride in where they live and will be happy to answer questions about their hometown, so introduce yourself as someone who wants to live where they live. It’s a great icebreaker and can lead to some good networking conversations.
3. Make the trip. More than once, ideally. Put together a networking agenda while you’re there, hitting 2 or 3 events at a time. Focus on industry events and business networking. Use your curiosity about the locale to get conversation started, then be sure to turn the conversation to business.
4. Create a virtual you. When you can’t be there in person, participate virtually. Be active in social media like LinkedIn and Twitter, join groups and discussions with a geographic focus. Then reach out to others, and follow up in person on your next trip.
5. Check for other chapters of a professional organization. If you belong to an organization, check to see if they have a chapter/group in the new city. You may be able to get people from the existing group to help you connect with your target group.
6. Hustle. It’s hard to move and find a job all at once. Be systematic, make the most of your time, and put yourself out there as much as possible. At the very least, you’ll be able to get some worthwhile coffee dates when you land in your new location.

It’s hard enough to build a network where you live full-time. You’ll probably have to work harder to find good connections than the other guy. You’ll need to be up for the challenge in order to be successful. Just remember why you’ve taken the step, and that should help keep you focused as you work to create your own opportunities.

photo credit: moriza

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1. LinkedIn Advanced Techniques for Job Search Networking
2. Left out on LinkedIn: How can I use LinkedIn more effectively?
3. Networking barrier-busters: 4 keys to productive networking
4. Too much networking: Is there such a thing?
5. Job search over 50: Unique challenges, unique opportunities

Tagged as: brand, job, linkedin, networking, social media