Expert Mode: Long-Term Relationship Building and Updates

Once you’ve had an initial conversation, sent a thank you, and possibly gotten a little bit of help (either a connection or good word at a job that you’ve applied to), it can be hard to figure out how to sustain a relationship with the person you’ve just met. There’s not a single correct strategy here, but doing something to stay engaged can make a real difference, and can help turn somewhat superficial, short-term relationships into meaningful, lasting ones.

This is what I’d try if I were in your shoes: Once you start the networking process, create a Google Sheet with their names, email address, date of the conversation, a few notes/takeaways from the conversation, and the date you last were in touch over email. Every 3-5 months, I’d take a look through that sheet, and send everyone a short update.

It should probably include:

A quick update from you (it can just be a few sentences: I’ve worked on this project, wrapped up my internship, etc.)

A few words on how things are going career/job hunt wise (are about to graduate? starting to apply to roles? just starting a new job?). If you’re applying to roles, it can be useful to list what roles (or sorts of roles) you’re looking for.

Something you took away or remembered from the conversation that wasn’t in a thank you note (e.g. “I”m definitely heeding your advice to stay away from government affairs––it seems terrifying!” or “I’m still chewing on that question you asked me a few months ago about what I want to learn in my first job. Right now, I think I just want to have a great boss at an impact-driven organization, but I could also see how building my SQL skills would be really valuable”). This helps them to see that you’re not just sending a generic update, to jog their memory of the conversation, and to make it clear that you actually found the chat valuable!

Optionally, an ask. You don’t have to make an ask (it’s always refreshing to get an update email that’s just an update), but you certainly can. This could look like:

Another conversation. If you go this route, I think it’s a good idea to frame it around a specific question (e.g. “Our conversation a few months ago helped me decide that public affairs is definitely my path, and now I’m trying to figure out what kinds of firms and roles to look at. Would you be open to catching up and walking me through the landscape?”)

Introductions. You can try to ask to connect with a specific person, but this has a lower success rate. Instead, I think it’s often a good idea to pose a question that they don’t know the answer to, and ask if they know anyone who could help you think it through (e.g. if you’re talking to a digital person, asking them if they know anyone who’s worked in progressive data and could help talk you through first steps there)

Connections to organizations. Once you start applying to roles, you can include a line that says something like “I just applied to entry-level digital roles at Gambit Strategies, the Working Families Party, and MissionWired. If you happen to know anyone at any of those orgs, and would be open to putting a word in for me, I’d really appreciate it!” This is pretty easy for them to do, and politics is networky enough that it makes a big difference. I’d recommending listing 2-5 orgs that you’ve applied to recently to maximize your chances of success.

The whole email should be pretty short and skimmable. This isn’t something you have to do, but it can help you to establish a regular cadence with these folks and build a more valuable and effective network.

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