Building professional connections later in life
Career progression is often about who you know, not just what you know.
Growing your professional network is a powerful way to reach your career goals at any age. Networking can be your ticket to landing a more flexible role, kick-starting a side hustle, building relationships or simply finding more joy in your current position.
According to our Working Seniors Report 2023, 38% of older Kiwis are delaying full retirement. Plus, just over 3 in 10 (31%) working over 50s have attempted to re-enter the workforce after leaving for some time or attempted to make a career change since the age of 50.
So, what’s prompting us to continue working later in life? While the rising cost of living is a primary driver (61%), maintaining a sense of purpose (63%), avoiding boredom (56%), and even staying social with colleagues (46%) are key driving factors for people’s reasoning for wanting to work beyond 65 years of age, according to the report.
Ready to forge some new, valuable connections? Discover four practical ways to expand your professional network in your 50s and beyond.
The benefits of professional networking
Networking isn’t just about collecting business cards. When done right, networking offers huge benefits to professionals across all life stages, including:
- Expanding your job prospects: Whether you’re looking to re-enter the workforce or find a job that better aligns with your lifestyle goals, networking can help you discover new opportunities that suit your current career goals.
- Keeping up to date with emerging trends in your industry: Attending industry-specific networking events can help you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your line of work to keep your skills up-to-date.
- Inspiring other professionals with your wisdom: With decades of experience under your belt, you can pass on valuable insights to younger professionals through cross-generational networking—and even walk away with new learnings from your younger peers, too.
Keep Reading: Discover how to overcome the obstacles of returning to the workforce later in life.
4 practical networking tips for older Kiwis
Growing your professional network is all about being open to opportunities and knowing where to meet relevant new connections. Get started with these four tips for mastering the art of networking.
Tip 1. Tap into your existing network of contacts
Think about all the jobs you’ve had and the colleagues you’ve met across your career. Chances are, you already have a large network of contacts ready to tap into.
Start your networking journey by reconnecting with past colleagues, clients, managers and professional acquaintances. Create a list of past contacts that you’d like to catch up with and get in touch via email to arrange a quick phone call or coffee catch-up.
Tip 2. Refine your elevator pitch
Why do you want to grow your professional network? Clarifying your networking goals will go a long way to helping you make the most out of every new connection.
Whether it's forging new professional relationships, seeking career advice and fostering career growth or supporting your job search, figure out your 'why' behind building connections through networking.
From there, it’s time to refine your professional elevator pitch to sharpen your networking skills. With years of experience behind you, learning how to deliver a concise summary of who you are, what you do well, and your career goals will make it easier for new connections to open the right doors for you.
New Zealand Seniors Bonus Tip: The best elevator pitches tell a short, punchy story of your professional journey to date, where you’re looking to head next and how new connections can support you along the way.
Tip 3. Leverage LinkedIn to find new connections
If there’s one thing you take away from this article, make it this: get active on LinkedIn.
As the world’s largest professional social media network, LinkedIn allows you to connect with relevant colleagues, discover new job opportunities, gain insights to foster career development and showcase your expertise through thought leadership content.
To maximise your presence on social media platforms (like LinkedIn), consider:
- Optimising your LinkedIn profile: Update your profile photo to a professional headshot, write a compelling headline (aim for a 1-liner summary of your expertise) and use your about section to craft an engaging summary of your career journey to date (in 2,600 characters or less).
- Sending connection requests: Use LinkedIn’s search functionality to reconnect with past coworkers and clients, ensuring you write a custom connection request note that explains how you know each other.
- Starting conversations with direct messages: Harness LinkedIn’s messaging tools to spark conversations with your new connections or even book catch-up meetings with past colleagues.
New Zealand Seniors Bonus Tip: Make it easy for other professionals to find your LinkedIn profile by adding searchable keywords to your headline, about section and bio. For example, if you’re an accountant in Auckland, you could add the phrase “Auckland-based Accounting Specialist” to your LinkedIn headline. This is a simple way to grow a strong professional network.
Tip 4. Find and attend industry networking events
Expand your professional network by scouting out relevant networking opportunities by:
- Checking if your relevant industry body is running upcoming events: jump onto their website and look out for upcoming events running in your local area.
- Explore the calendar of events run by local universities and libraries: these organisations typically run free events related to specific skills, topics and industries.
- Join LinkedIn Groups related to your industry: browse and join LinkedIn Groups aligned with your skills and areas of expertise and keep an eye out for upcoming in-person and virtual networking events.
The best way to maximise your time at networking events is to use small talk to find common interests and connect with like-minded people. Networking can open doors and help you make your next career move, but it's key to ensure these conversations are a two-way street where you both share new ideas, foster personal growth and bring value to each other.
With these practical networking tips and tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be able to start networking, gain valuable information and achieve your career goals at any age.
If you’re getting back into work and your family becomes reliant on your income it could be a good time to consider exploring Seniors Term Life Insurance. With a policy in place, you can have peace of mind when it comes to protecting your family’s finances in case of death or terminal illness, for a pre-determined period of time.
6 Sep 2024