At Top Applicant, we believe that all career builders are created equal. Women and men of all creeds and colors deserve great careers. However, some nuances make building a career different for women than men. To dive into the ways women can build their careers, we talked to 3 young professionals about their experiences. Here are the top 5 tips they had for women’s networking:
5. Focus Up
What’s your career focus? If you’re unsure, you’re in the right place! To figure out where and how to network, start by playing to your strengths. So what fires you up? Our 3 professionals found their strengths in design, game development, and business. Even though these are largely male-dominated industries, support from their networks helped our experts overcome common roadblocks.
4. Get Social
This is where you’ll really start to build your network. As you put yourself out there, you’ll find that other women are eager to help you. Here’s what one of our young professionals had to say about her experience:
“I attended a couple of meetings for a group called, “Be In The Room.” I’d met the host at a previous networking event, and she reached out to invite me to her networking group, specifically designed for women. This group pairs attendees with people you may not normally connect with. For example, I have a background in interior design work, so I was partnered with someone in the financial space at one point.”
By putting herself out there, this networking phenomenon was able to not only gain connections within the group, but she gained access to other groups as well! Whether you’re building a business, or just trying to put yourself out there, getting connected with the right people is important! Learn more about building business connections with our related article.
Related: Business Networking Guide
3. Find Your Niche
Connections don’t just fall into your lap! To truly understand your desired industry or get to know multiple industries, try to find groups that give you strength. Here’s how one of our experts found her niche in the game development industry:
“I was just starting out my journey in the game development industry, and I wanted to vibe check the state of the industry from the standpoint of women and minorities.”
She found Women In Games and networked throughout this group to understand the current state of the industry. This helped her cultivate the skills and ideas she needed to build her career early on. However, some of us don’t know where to start. That’s where the youngest of our 3 experts found herself.
“I joined a women’s club in college. This helped us talk about opportunities and how to break the glass ceiling.”
Whether you’re sure of where you want your career to go or you just need some guidance to get started, women’s networking can come in many different forms. Some of the best groups are built by women driven to help other women. So as you build your network, remember to give back to others!
2. Lead By Example
You may have heard that the future is female. But our experts have a different view. We believe the future is inclusive to everyone with the desire to build a better world. That’s why Top Applicant leaves the personalization of your profile completely up to you. Here’s what one of our experts had to say about paving the way for other professional women:
“Someone helped us in this way when we first started, now it’s our turn to help those who may need it too. It can be rare to find coworkers you can relate to in male-dominated industries, so it’s extremely important to help be the stepping stone for other women around you.”
To lead the next generation of professionals, it all starts with getting the right support. That’s why women’s networking is so important! Why wait for someone else to build a more inclusive work culture? Start by making connections on Top Applicant or finding the right women’s networking event for you! Before you attend that event, see if networking events could really work for you.
Related: Do Networking Events Really Work?
1. Empower Each Other
Our final tip is something that each of our experts agrees on. Every successful women’s networking group is built on encouragement and empowerment. But you don’t have to lead an organization to empower others! Here’s what our experts had to say about empowering others every day:
“By always staying focused on keeping your network open and growing, you will have a better chance at success, no matter the gender vs. business climate.”
“There can be a lot of unnecessary competition between women in some workplaces, so it would be nice if we could all uplift one another instead.”
“Networking inherently helps produce products with better representation and breaks down the perpetuation of an otherwise stale market with repetitive and overused ideas.”
The Future Is Inclusive
To build the future of women’s networking, Top Applicant is here to give you the tools you need. Build a professional profile, create a free resume, and get matched with the best employers! Everyone deserves a great career, which is why we’re proud to be the modern hiring platform. Sign up to start building the future with us!
