It’s not what you know but who you know when it comes to getting ahead in your chosen career, or so the old saying goes. For many people, however, the prospect of making contacts and building professional networks is daunting.
Even in today’s always-on, always-connected social media era, the idea of networking can be offputting. For many, the word has unpleasant connotations of social climbing or unscrupulous careerists.
“When you use ‘networking’ as a verb it implies something quite hard-headed, something that people do if their job is in sales,” says freelancer Lyndsey Clark, who works on interpretation, exhibition and engagement projects with a variety of venues.
“We’re not selling anything in our sector, even as freelancers,” she adds. “I am mostly looking to learn and share best practice, and find out what other people are doing. That’s the way you have the most interesting conversations.”
Meet and greet
In its simplest terms, networking is just about meeting people and, these days, it does not even have to be in person. Katy Jackson, the public programme manager at the National Army Museum in London, is a volunteer with MuseumHour, an informal weekly Twitter meet-up.
“Networking is just creating connections through communication,” she says.
“If we don’t, we end up working in silos and that is how mistakes are made. The best things are done collaboratively and that is particularly true in museums as funding has been cut. We can’t afford to make mistakes.”
According to museum and heritage consultant Hilary McGowan, networking is now accepted as an important part of our professional lives.
“When I first started [in the sector] networking wasn’t as accepted as it is today, but really the more people you know, the better,” she says.
The museum, gallery and heritage sectors are very generous, she adds. “People help each other without giving it a second thought. It’s something we take for granted.”
For McGowan, making contacts and joining virtual professional networks have played an important role in her career. “I was a museum director in local government for 20 years and there are times, no matter how experienced you are, when you don’t know what to do,” she says.
“It is good to have a network to turn to as they can help you unlock what you need to do,” she says. “I have been a member of the Directing Change Network for 25 years and we help and support each other.
“It is a physical network but you can also email the group to ask questions. All of the members are at the top of their game but they will make time for you. It’s as simple as asking.”
For Becki Morris, a steering committee member of the Disability Co-operative Network for Museums (DCN), networking is about more than just making personal connections – it is an opportunity to raise the profile of inclusive practice in museums.
“It’s a great opportunity to make positive change when there are more of you,” explains Morris, who is also a collections assistant at Heritage and Culture Warwickshire. “Being connected to others means you can create positive outcomes and opportunities via shared knowledge.”
Networking and social media played a key role in forming DCN, and have also helped it to make connections beyond the sector with “key providers and innovators” of inclusive practice.
“We attended a Fujitsu event, which was an opportunity to discuss elements of inclusive practice and also to challenge preconceptions of our sector,” Morris says.
Career growth
Sacha Coward, a community participation producer at Royal Museums Greenwich in London – and a founder of LGBTQ+ network Queering Museums – says that every job, position and project he has had can be attributed in some way to networking.
“My first big-boy job was working at the National Maritime Museum, where I had a friend working as a curator,” he adds. “I asked her if there was anyone I should meet so we went to lunch with that person she suggested. It was very informal, we just chatted about my interests and what I would like to do.
“Five months later I happened to be in an interview with that person. Not only did I have a sense of who they were and of the institution from our conversation, I was able to shake that person’s hand and say we had already met. It meant I was more than just a CV.”
There doesn’t have to be an endgame or agenda to all networking. “Rather than thinking to yourself what can this contact do for me, it’s better to have a looser sense of what getting out there and meeting people can do for you,” Coward says.
Of course, there are many different reasons for networking. It may be, in the first instance, it is to meet lots of people and exchange contact details. “This is a reasonable strategy if you are looking to explore the available connections in a sector, discipline or region,” says Tamsin Russell, the professional development officer at the Museums Association.
“For this you need to be really clear about your pitch or introductions and who your targets are – so it is ‘meaningful’ for them. Have your business cards ready.”
If you have a more strategic objective then it is important to be clear on what that is.
“It is about thinking about your future or your organisation’s future,” Russell says. “Where do you want to be at a certain point? What do you need to acquire to get there? If you have aspirations to work for a particular organisation then engaging with them and becoming a known quantity can be helpful.”
On the other hand, Russell adds, if you know that your forthcoming business plan has the potential to run a community-led programme, you may seek to begin building relationships with the relevant agencies so you can capitalise on them when the time is right.
Focus
Whichever approach you are taking, once you know what you wish to get out of the networking it will help you identify where to focus your time and energy.
If you are attending an event, the delegate list can help you find the right people to focus on. If you are open to making new connections, a more informal approach is more suitable.
If you are seeking people working in a certain discipline or information on a certain subject area, then existing professional networks focusing on that subject area and Twitter are good a good way to cast the net wide.
“This is a very friendly sector,” says Lucy Harland, a former freelancer who is now the content delivery manager at Paisley Museum Reimagined. “Most people are pretty open and honest, particularly when networking outside of their own organisations or local area.
“But you will only get meaningful connections and mutual support if you are also open and honest. There is no need to be anything else as there is not a culture of rivalry.”
Being well-informed is very important, Harland adds, as is asking questions, listening to the answers and engaging properly in the conversation. And, as it is a relatively small sector, it is important to remember the simple things like being nice and being polite.
The Museums Association’s early careers conference, Moving On Up: Building a Dynamic Museum Career, takes place on 26 February at National Museum Cardiff and includes a wide variety of networking opportunities including speed mentoring
Even in today’s always-on, always-connected social media era, the idea of networking can be offputting. For many, the word has unpleasant connotations of social climbing or unscrupulous careerists.
“When you use ‘networking’ as a verb it implies something quite hard-headed, something that people do if their job is in sales,” says freelancer Lyndsey Clark, who works on interpretation, exhibition and engagement projects with a variety of venues.
“We’re not selling anything in our sector, even as freelancers,” she adds. “I am mostly looking to learn and share best practice, and find out what other people are doing. That’s the way you have the most interesting conversations.”
Meet and greet
In its simplest terms, networking is just about meeting people and, these days, it does not even have to be in person. Katy Jackson, the public programme manager at the National Army Museum in London, is a volunteer with MuseumHour, an informal weekly Twitter meet-up.
“Networking is just creating connections through communication,” she says.
“If we don’t, we end up working in silos and that is how mistakes are made. The best things are done collaboratively and that is particularly true in museums as funding has been cut. We can’t afford to make mistakes.”
According to museum and heritage consultant Hilary McGowan, networking is now accepted as an important part of our professional lives.
“When I first started [in the sector] networking wasn’t as accepted as it is today, but really the more people you know, the better,” she says.
The museum, gallery and heritage sectors are very generous, she adds. “People help each other without giving it a second thought. It’s something we take for granted.”
For McGowan, making contacts and joining virtual professional networks have played an important role in her career. “I was a museum director in local government for 20 years and there are times, no matter how experienced you are, when you don’t know what to do,” she says.
“It is good to have a network to turn to as they can help you unlock what you need to do,” she says. “I have been a member of the Directing Change Network for 25 years and we help and support each other.
“It is a physical network but you can also email the group to ask questions. All of the members are at the top of their game but they will make time for you. It’s as simple as asking.”
For Becki Morris, a steering committee member of the Disability Co-operative Network for Museums (DCN), networking is about more than just making personal connections – it is an opportunity to raise the profile of inclusive practice in museums.
“It’s a great opportunity to make positive change when there are more of you,” explains Morris, who is also a collections assistant at Heritage and Culture Warwickshire. “Being connected to others means you can create positive outcomes and opportunities via shared knowledge.”
Networking and social media played a key role in forming DCN, and have also helped it to make connections beyond the sector with “key providers and innovators” of inclusive practice.
“We attended a Fujitsu event, which was an opportunity to discuss elements of inclusive practice and also to challenge preconceptions of our sector,” Morris says.
Career growth
Sacha Coward, a community participation producer at Royal Museums Greenwich in London – and a founder of LGBTQ+ network Queering Museums – says that every job, position and project he has had can be attributed in some way to networking.
“My first big-boy job was working at the National Maritime Museum, where I had a friend working as a curator,” he adds. “I asked her if there was anyone I should meet so we went to lunch with that person she suggested. It was very informal, we just chatted about my interests and what I would like to do.
“Five months later I happened to be in an interview with that person. Not only did I have a sense of who they were and of the institution from our conversation, I was able to shake that person’s hand and say we had already met. It meant I was more than just a CV.”
There doesn’t have to be an endgame or agenda to all networking. “Rather than thinking to yourself what can this contact do for me, it’s better to have a looser sense of what getting out there and meeting people can do for you,” Coward says.
Of course, there are many different reasons for networking. It may be, in the first instance, it is to meet lots of people and exchange contact details. “This is a reasonable strategy if you are looking to explore the available connections in a sector, discipline or region,” says Tamsin Russell, the professional development officer at the Museums Association.
“For this you need to be really clear about your pitch or introductions and who your targets are – so it is ‘meaningful’ for them. Have your business cards ready.”
If you have a more strategic objective then it is important to be clear on what that is.
“It is about thinking about your future or your organisation’s future,” Russell says. “Where do you want to be at a certain point? What do you need to acquire to get there? If you have aspirations to work for a particular organisation then engaging with them and becoming a known quantity can be helpful.”
On the other hand, Russell adds, if you know that your forthcoming business plan has the potential to run a community-led programme, you may seek to begin building relationships with the relevant agencies so you can capitalise on them when the time is right.
Focus
Whichever approach you are taking, once you know what you wish to get out of the networking it will help you identify where to focus your time and energy.
If you are attending an event, the delegate list can help you find the right people to focus on. If you are open to making new connections, a more informal approach is more suitable.
If you are seeking people working in a certain discipline or information on a certain subject area, then existing professional networks focusing on that subject area and Twitter are good a good way to cast the net wide.
“This is a very friendly sector,” says Lucy Harland, a former freelancer who is now the content delivery manager at Paisley Museum Reimagined. “Most people are pretty open and honest, particularly when networking outside of their own organisations or local area.
“But you will only get meaningful connections and mutual support if you are also open and honest. There is no need to be anything else as there is not a culture of rivalry.”
Being well-informed is very important, Harland adds, as is asking questions, listening to the answers and engaging properly in the conversation. And, as it is a relatively small sector, it is important to remember the simple things like being nice and being polite.
The Museums Association’s early careers conference, Moving On Up: Building a Dynamic Museum Career, takes place on 26 February at National Museum Cardiff and includes a wide variety of networking opportunities including speed mentoring