At a recent client meeting, my previous work lives collided. I was working on a presentation with a former colleague, when his phone rang. On the line was another former co-worker who we both happened to work with at another company. As my previous worlds intertwined, I realized how interesting professional networks are – and how they need to be maintained.
I worked in corporate communications for more than 25 years before I took a hiatus to raise my young children. I went off the grid for about seven years. During that time, I maintained contact with former co-workers and contractors through LinkedIn, Facebook and the occasional lunch or email. At the time, I didn’t think much about it: these were people I truly enjoyed working with, and I wanted to know what was going on in their lives.
When I was ready to dust off my keyboard and start writing again, I reached out to some of these people for guidance. Fortunately, they were all gracious with their time and advice. (Full disclosure: I started writing for MAC4 thanks to my former working relationship with Danielle MacDonald, who gave me a chance to join her team).
Keeping in touch with people – and letting them know I was working again – helped me find new opportunities. It didn’t happen immediately, but over time, I was getting more assignments and gaining new professional contacts.
There is power in your professional network, but that power lessens over time if you don’t continue to nurture it. It’s important to maintain your network through personal contact and social media. You never know when your past will impact your present.