Ways to Engage Former Colleagues in Networking

Don’t wait until you need a network to build one. It could cost you your next job. A few months ago, I started working with a Chief Operating Officer who had been with the same company for 17 years. He was loyal. He showed up every day. He built teams, delivered results, and never looked elsewhere. Then, one Monday morning — a restructuring email landed in his inbox. His role was eliminated. No warning. No conversation. Just… gone. When we started working together, he said something I’ll never forget: ➜ “Chris, I gave this company everything. And now I’m on the market with no one to call. I was too busy working to build a network.” This is so common ESPECIALLY for high-performing execs. You give. You deliver. You stay in your lane. But the truth is: Your network is your career insurance. And if you don’t invest in it consistently — when the time comes, you’ll be starting from zero. We rebuilt his approach from the ground up: 1) Identified 3 industries where he had transferable experience. 2) Built a list of 50 former colleagues, clients, and vendor partners from 10+ years ago. 3) Crafted a 3-line message to reconnect and ask for insight (not a job). 4) Created a new LinkedIn profile that positioned him as a strategic operator — not just “loyal” or “tenured.” 5) And shifted from reactive job apps to warm conversations. In just 6 weeks, he had two interviews from referrals — and one offer came from a former peer turned CEO. He’s now back in the game. More energized. And building relationships intentionally this time around. ➜ If you’ve been heads down for years: I GET IT. But now (& IN THIS MARKET) is the time to lift your head up. Start with this: 1) List 15 people you used to work with and respect 2) Reach out with a message like: “Hey, I’ve always appreciated working with you — and I saw you're currently working at Company X. Would you be open to catching up on a virtual coffee chat?” Your network doesn’t have to be huge. It just needs to be activated. And the best time to do it? Before you need it. #JobSearch #ExecutiveCareers #Networking #CSuite #GetHired #CSG

Try this: Don’t apply to a single job unless you’re invited to apply. Wait, what?? 🤯 A good friend of mine—a federal employee—came to me recently with concerns. His agency’s mission was shifting, and with the possibility of a future RIF, he wanted to explore other opportunities. Naturally, his first instinct was to apply to jobs online - lots of them. I told him to stop 🛑 Not because he wasn’t qualified, but because in today’s market, the odds are BRUTAL😞. Most roles posted on job boards have 300–1,000 applicants. Even at the lower end, that’s (significantly) less than a 1% chance of landing the job—before you factor in applicant tracking systems, résumé parsing software, and all the time it takes to manually re-enter information for each posting. Instead, I gave him a different plan: Only apply if you’re invited to apply. Here’s how he did it: ↪️ Reconnect with your network – Start with former colleagues from his agency who had already moved to the private sector - not just recently, but those who have been in the private sector for years. ↪️ Make it personal – Mention your agency connection, send a short message acknowledging their successful transition, compliment their career path, and express genuine interest in learning from them. ↪️ Ask for conversations, not jobs – Simply request a call to hear about their experience and gather advice. ↪️ Track everything – Keep a spreadsheet with names, LinkedIn URLs, outreach dates, responses, and follow-up reminders. Over the next two months, he had conversations with a dozen recruiters and landed four interviews/phone screenings. The magic? Many of these introductions came directly from people he’d spoken with, who then connected him to recruiters or even hiring managers. In some cases, those recruiters reached out later to invite him to apply for open roles—no résumé black hole, no competing with hundreds of other applicants. When a new role opened at a company in his network, he could now send a direct message to a recruiter and ask, “Do you think I’d be a good fit?” That’s a completely different game from blindly applying online. This market is tough. You can’t control hiring freezes or applicant volume. But you CAN control your outreach, how consistent you are, and how strategically you grow your network. So my advice: stop sending résumés into the void. Start building conversations that lead to invitations. You got this! 👊

Clients often ask me "How should I spend my time in the job search?" Here is my advice, based upon working with 1,000+ people (both technical and non-technical) at this point: 👩💻 Technical Job Seekers (i.e. software engineers with coding interviews to prepare for): 1/4 Networking/Relationships 1/4 Job Opening Research (finding job openings) 1/4 Applications 1/4 Technical Skills (technical mock interviews, Leetcode, technical coursework, etc.) Everyone Else: 1/3 Networking/Relationships 1/3 Job Opening Research (finding job openings) 1/3 Applications ‼️ “Wait… 1/3 of my time networking? Really?” Yep! I know—it can feel like a curveball, especially when the job search already feels like a full-time gig. But trust me, this breakdown works - I’ve seen it deliver results for clients across industries. Let’s break it down so it feels more doable. Meet Sally. 🙋♀️ Sally was a mid-level marketing manager who found herself on the job hunt after a company reorg. When we first talked, the idea of spending a third of her time networking sounded overwhelming. “Does that mean I have to attend networking events every night?” she asked. (Spoiler alert: Nope!) Here’s how Sally made it manageable—and effective: ✅ Virtual Coffee Chats: Sally aimed for 3 virtual coffee chats per week. She reached out to former colleagues, industry peers, and connections from past conferences. These conversations helped her stay motivated and uncover leads she wouldn’t have found otherwise. ⏱️ Time-Blocked Sessions: To stay consistent, Sally treated networking like a non-negotiable calendar appointment. She set a 30-minute timer three times a week for outreach—sending texts to former colleagues, sending new connection requests, replying to messages, and scheduling chats. No endless LinkedIn scrolling! 📧 Warm Greetings: Sally approached outreach with a focus on genuine connection rather than solely seeking opportunities. For former colleagues, she kept it casual: “Hi [Name], I hope you’re doing well! It’s been a while since we’ve caught up, and I’d love to reconnect and hear what you’ve been up to. Let me know if you have time for a quick virtual coffee!” But when reaching out to more direct, straight-to-the-point connections, Sally adjusted her tone to match their style: “Hi [Name], I hope you’re well! I’m currently exploring new opportunities and wanted to reach out because I’ve always valued your perspective. If you have time for a quick chat, I’d love to hear your insights.” This helped Sally maintain authentic relationships while also opening the door to potential leads in a way that felt natural and aligned with each person’s communication style. And the best part? Sally built momentum. Within weeks, she started hearing about openings before they were even posted. How do you approach networking in your job search? Drop your go-to strategy in the comments! 👇 #jobseekers #interviewadvice #jobsearch #softwareengineers