OARacle Newsletter

Finishing high school and college can be an exciting developmental milestone, but it can also be stressful. Transition programming and/or employment can be a scary next step in the uncertain path towards adulthood and the increasing amount of independence that comes with it for young autistic adults. Reduced support following secondary school can exacerbate already high anxiety (Wei et al., 2014).

High levels of anxiety may make it hard to get and keep a job. The process of interviewing, onboarding, training, and adjusting to a new job, work expectations, and co-workers can be difficult. It is not surprising that anxiety contributes to the significantly lower employment rates experienced by autistic young adults relative to young adults with other disabilities (National Autism Indicators Report, 2021).

Employment is a key social determinant of health (Gmitroski, et al., 2018). Therefore, it is important to support autistic young adults’ management of anxiety during post-secondary transition periods as a means of preparing for and sustaining competitive integrated employment. It is just as critical to address organizational factors that can foster positive work culture and promote neurodiversity-affirming supports. Anxiety is best managed with an interesting job and a job site that recognizes each employee’s capacity for unique contribution.

Considerations for Employers

Job sites that affirm diversity tend to have greater success hiring and retaining autistic employees (Hedley et al., 2018; Roehrich et al., 2016). These suggestions can help employers better support autistic employees, building a better and more inclusive workplace for all.

1. Support autistic adults in the workplace through accommodations. These accommodations are often legally required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are typically “natural supports” that are sustainable, cost-effective, and may benefit other employees in the workplace (Waisman-Nitzan et al., 2021). Examples of potential accommodations for an autistic young adult with anxiety include short breaks to go to a quiet space, working with one earbud in to listen to music, and providing clear expectations regarding work. Accommodations may change over time, especially as job duties and support needs change.
2. Allow for and support assistive technology devices. These can be either everyday technology like tablets and smartphones or specialized technology like augmentative and alternative communication devices (Alshamrani et al., 2023).
3. Emphasize workplace education. As mentioned previously, it is important for job sites to take the initiative in meeting the needs of diverse employees who can bring a range of strengths and innovation to the workplace. As an employer and/or ally of neurodiverse employees, seek out training opportunities to create a safe and supportive workplace.
4. Build inclusive work environments and champion universal design policies. One simple strategy is to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which occurs every October. The Department of Labor offers suggestions on how to build inclusive workplaces such as offering disability-focused training and reviewing employer policies for inclusivity.

Considerations for Autistic Employees

Managing anxiety may be a useful tool in supporting employment, which then has a range of cascading positive health outcomes such as improving overall mental health, well-being, and access to financial and insurance supports (Gmitroski, et al., 2018). These practical strategies are useful in managing employment-related anxiety and enhancing workplace supports.

1. Be aware of common anxiety symptoms. Common anxiety symptoms may include worry about sensory differences (e.g., fear of loud noises), generalized worries (e.g., fear of making mistakes, taking public transit, worry about stigmatized status), and social fears (e.g., fear of talking to new people, asking for help, and connecting with co-workers). Variations of these fears often manifest early in life and can provide opportunities to practice coping with caregiver support. Being aware of these fears can help to anticipate challenges associated with these worries and then generate strategies to manage anxiety.
2. Request workplace accommodations. Accommodations can alleviate workplace anxiety by supporting sensory and workplace needs. Negotiations for workplace accommodations can be done with supports such as a job coach. When your sensory experience is appreciated and respected through accommodations, it is easier to focus on important employment matters. Common accommodations include:
   • Careful overview of orientation and onboarding expectations
   • Requesting clear communication of work tasks and deadlines via preferred communication mediums (e.g., email, spoken, and written instruction)
   • Flexible working hours or location
   • Notification of upcoming changes in schedule
   • Careful overview of technology and supports
   • Regularly scheduled meetings to receive feedback on workplace performance etc.
3. Access evidence-based mental health supports. Generalized and social worries are the most common fears that create interference for autistic teens and young adults. These worries are consistent with the most prevalent symptoms in non-autistic adult populations. This points to the usefulness of evidence-based, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment that incorporates:
   • Somatic management (managing your body’s physical symptoms)
   • Skill building (problem solving the steps needed to accomplish a stated task)
   • Helpful thoughts (brief and repetitive reminders that you can cope with hard things and that you have done hard things before)
   • Exposure (facing fears a little bit at a time)

   A mental health professional with expertise in autism is not always available. Speak to your primary care doctor, school, transition team, or your local autism society to find mental health professionals with anxiety experience.

4. Create your own “plan to get to green.” We discuss a “plan to get to green” in the Facing Your Fears CBT program for autistic youth with anxiety; this is a plan that systemically lays out strategies for managing the red zone (high anxiety) and yellow zone (medium anxiety) and maintaining the green zone (calm). It’s important to have strategies in place prior to starting a job that address each zone; we all experience red-zone periods, so there is a high probability you will too at work. Making a preemptive plan of where to go and what do at your job site when in the red/yellow zone is important as it is difficult to create solutions and solve problems when anxious. Managing the red zone might include strategies to manage your body’s anxiety reaction and your mind. For example, you can tell colleagues “I’ll be right back” and then take space in a quiet place, practice deep breathing hourly so anxiety doesn’t mount, and remind yourself that you are brave and capable.
5. Eat and drink regularly. Anxiety can make it hard to read your body’s physical cues, so schedule regular times to eat and drink over the course of the day to stay emotionally regulated.
6. Seek mentorship and then become a mentor. Connecting with other neurodiverse individuals or mentors at the job site can be helpful. Seek them out for guidance on the unwritten rules of the workplace to clarify expectations surrounding certain tasks or events and to reduce anxiety. In addition, it can be helpful to have a mentor who can provide encouragement and feedback on managing stressors. Consider being a mentor to others.
7. Discuss caregiver involvement. Many autistic young adults continue to reside with their parents during their young adult years. However, the role of parents naturally changes after post-secondary school for a range of developmental, psychological, and legal reasons. Discuss the level of parental contact and support that is needed and/or who the best source of support might be for workplace issues.
8. Access formalized job site supports. Consult with vocational rehabilitation agencies to determine qualification for employment-related resources and job coaching.
9. Explore volunteer and shadowing opportunities. Observing a range of potential jobs can help you to understand job responsibilities and work expectations and can be useful in determining if the job is a fit for you. In addition, volunteering and shadowing can be a good step when facing fears tied to employment.

 

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Audrey Blakeley-Smith, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at JFK Partners, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Blakeley-Smith is the director of the Adult Autism Clinic within JFK. Together with Dr. Judy Reaven, Dr. Blakeley-Smith co-authored a CBT group intervention entitled Facing Your Fears and Facing Your Fears in Schools to treat anxiety in autistic youth.

 

Aryn Taylor, Ph.D., CRC, LPCC, is an assistant professor at the University of Northern Colorado in the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling and Sciences. Her current research focuses on transition-aged youth and interagency collaboration around transition points such as school-to-work and the pediatric-to-adult healthcare transition. She is involved in state-wide initiatives to support all people with disabilities to achieve competitive integrated employment and gain greater independence and full inclusion in society.

The Department of Labor announced at the end of September that its Office of Disability Employment Policy has chosen “Access to Good Jobs for All” as the theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which was observed in October. NDEAM annually celebrates the contributions of the nation’s disabled workers and showcases supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit employees and employers alike.

During October, disability organizations, employers, and others highlighted efforts to raise employment rates and support disabled workers. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a new tool that provides access to more than 700 accommodation ideas for workers with disabilities and their employers.

For autistic adults, NDEAM is an opportunity to educate employers and others about the barriers they face to finding and keeping a job. A 2021 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that adults with an autism diagnosis have an unemployment rate of around 40%. An April 2024 article on the Rocky Mountain PBS site said that “some private estimates go even higher, suggesting 85% of adults with autism are unemployed.”

A freelance reporter for a public radio station based in Buffalo, New York, interviewed Zoe Gross, director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. She noted how “huge” the rates of unemployment and under-employment are for autistic adults and other neurodivergent adults. “the barriers begin before you start the job so they begin during the hiring and interview process…and unfortunately, that being stopped at that step prevents a lot of autistic people from ever beginning a job.”

Gross sees some progress being made in workplaces that have hiring programs specifically for neurodivergent workers. “These interview processes that have been changed to be more friendly to neurodivergent applicants, they focus more on do you have the skills that are necessary to do the job? So you can demonstrate the skills in the interview…And then what we want to see in these places is not only is there that way to get neurodivergent workers in the door, but that’s matched with a commitment to providing accommodations, a commitment to changing workplace culture, to making a workplace more accommodating and friendly to autistic workers and other neurodivergent disabilities.”

Other barriers, such as education—the need to have a bachelor’s degree for example—are also still a challenge, Gross said. “We often can’t complete a bachelor’s degree, even if we try, or even if we have a lot of the relevant knowledge for reasons like lack of accommodations, for reasons like difficulty with independent living on college campuses, so things like that can present barriers as well.”

Angelie Vincent, a late-diagnosed autistic engineer with 23 years of experience in the aerospace industry, wrote about NDEAM and its importance to disabled workers on the Society of Women Engineers’ website. She discussed how difficult employment is as a first step and then accommodations as another hurdle. The affinity group she established, she writes, or a peer support group like it “would have been beneficial for me especially early in my career as I learned to navigate the workplace.”

The NDEAM theme resonates with Vincent because “not all members of my community have had the same opportunity or job access. Job seekers with disabilities often find that getting in the door can be the most difficult challenge, starting with the decision of whether to disclose a disability, especially in the case of a non-apparent one.”

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Sherri Alms is the freelance editor of The OARacle, a role she took on in 2007. She has been a freelance writer and editor for more than 20 years.

Lorraine Partee, who joined OAR in August as manager of fundraising and special events, is diving right into fundraising campaigns and special events, with a goal of adding new events to OAR’s calendar and sponsors for programming. She is eager to use her resourcefulness, experience, and enthusiasm for OAR’s mission to support OAR and the people it serves.

Partee is “especially excited about creating supportive and inclusive spaces for neurodivergent learners, and I aim to reflect that in my approach to fundraising and community outreach.” Her role at OAR focuses on building genuine connections with supporters, ensuring their contributions directly benefit programs for autistic individuals.

She is delighted that OAR staff share her passion for supporting the community, dedicated to achieving organizational goals and carrying out the mission. They have also made Partee welcome, which has made it easy for her to ease into the role and feel comfortable.

Before coming to OAR, Partee worked for more than a decade in special events and fundraising. That experience included working with cancer organizations and fundraising for education, driven by her desire to be a source of positive change and a safe space for others. She was a teacher before that, a role that she says fueled her “passion for ensuring that individuals have safe, accommodating environments where they can learn and grow.”

What motivates Partee most about her OAR role is the chance to make a real impact on people’s lives by helping remove barriers to inclusion. She loves connecting with people who share OAR’s vision and working together to create lasting change. “Combining my passion for advocacy and education with a hands-on approach to supporting the neurodivergent community is incredibly rewarding,” she says. 

After job hunting for several months and with the encouragement of his support network, Matt Ghaffari reached out to OAR’s Hire Autism program for assistance with his job search. Claudia Zacharias, a Hire Autism navigator, worked with Zacharias over several months, providing guidance, resources, and feedback.

Ghaffari incorporated her advice and feedback and made use of the resources she recommended to build a strong resume and cover letter. He had previously worked with a career counselor but found a navigator who understood his needs allowed them to build a trusting relationship. “Claudia was down to earth,” he said. “I could easily understand and relate to her.”

In addition to Zacharias’s support, Ghaffari requested a mock interview with two additional navigators to help him practice answering questions in a formal panel interview setting. He found this practice invaluable and admired how the navigators made it feel like an authentic interview, praising how they “provided feedback on what I did and did not do right, with options, comments, and praise that were easy to understand.”

Although navigators are independently paired with job seekers, they work together to provide assistance on mock interviews and share resources and advice. “Even though we put our own stamp on the role, what we have in common is our dedication to supporting autistic jobseekers, who benefit from the personalized assistance,” Zacharias said.

Ghaffari found Hire Autism mentoring positive and enlightening. “Claudia helped me recognize my strengths, accomplishments, and potential when I struggled to find the motivation and confidence.” His confidence in recognizing his talents grew, and he felt more comfortable showcasing them in pursuit of a new job.

He encourages other job seekers to trust their mentors while remembering who they are as individuals and advises them to “recognize your weaknesses before your strengths. What you might think is a weakness may be inexperience. Recognize how you can present that inexperience in an interview to emphasize to your employer who you are trying to be.” He also encourages anyone embarking on a job search to have patience.

By diligently applying the navigator’s suggestions to his job search, Ghaffari’s dedication paid off. He accepted employment as a youth mental health case manager. In this role, he is an inter-agency liaison for underserved youth and recommends obtainable resources to clients.

Zacharias celebrated Ghaffari’s success. “He was always open to new ideas, and I am proud of the way he was willing to try various approaches.” She also reflected on her growth as a mentor and her ability to understand the particular needs each job seeker has. “Both the navigator and the jobseeker share the satisfaction of traveling this journey together. Celebrating each success along the way has brought me a great deal of joy.”

If you are an autistic job seeker searching for meaningful employment, get started on your journey today by contacting us via email at mail@hireautism.org or by creating an account at hireautism.org. If you would like to impact the lives of autistic job seekers directly, please consider becoming a Hire Autism navigator.

OAR, in partnership with the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P), invites autistic individuals and the people close to them, such as parents, educators, and health care professionals, to submit an application for the annual Community Grant Competition. As in years past, OAR and AIR-P remain dedicated to developing innovative and practical solutions that promote the quality of life of autistic individuals. Beginning this year, OAR and AIR-P will fund up to seven awards with grants ranging between $1,000 to $15,000 each.

A full list of this year’s project priorities can be found in the Request for Applications. The application period opened on October 11 and will close on April 21, 2025. Winners will be notified in August 2025, with the grant period starting as early as September 1 and lasting through August 31, 2026. Previously funded community grant resources are available for more information and for use.

Apply Online

Interested applicants can apply for a grant through the application portal. For questions or comments, please email programs@researchautism.org.

Employment is key to creating a fulfilling and healthy adult life. Yet for many autistic people, finding and keeping a job can seem next to impossible. The November Resource Spotlight focuses on resources that offer suggestions and information for employers as well as guidance for autistic job seekers and employees. The emphasis is on a workplace that offers a thriving and comfortable workplace where all can succeed.

OAR’s Lending Library

New titles recently added to OAR’s library in the OverDrive Libby app explore employment for autistic adults. Whether you want to learn how to best support your autistic employees or advocate for your own accommodations in the workplace, OAR’s Libby Library is a great place to start. Access these and other autism-related titles at no cost by creating your Libby account today.

Mind Share Partners 

Mind Share Partners is a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote workplace cultures that support the mental health of their employees. Their services include tailored training, assessments, talent strategy, and internal communications to help employers prioritize employee wellbeing. Their data-driven approaches impact workplace culture through an equity lens, helping both employees and organizations thrive. Check out their website or book a free strategy call to learn more.

How does an employer make the workplace a healthy environment for an autistic employee?

This is a great question! It recognizes that the accommodations mindset has yet to yield much progress for those with non-physical (also called invisible) disabilities, including neurodivergence. Instead, it asks about accommodations that can be incorporated into the workplace itself, rather than for a single employee.

I myself have been that autistic employee, who has worked with (and without) accommodations in a variety of workplaces in the last couple of decades with few positive outcomes. It’s been my experience that, unlike Braille in an elevator or flashing lights added to a fire alarm, accommodations for those of us with invisible disabilities—including other psychiatric and neurological disorders and chronic pain or fatigue—often fail due to a singling out of the disabled person for special treatment and a lack of understanding from the rest of the staff about why it is needed.

As an example, a cleaning crew used to come to my place of work, a veterinary clinic, twice a week about 30 minutes before we closed, running a vacuum over our gritty, non-slip floor, making the most horrible racket. Other employees didn’t like being interrupted and didn’t like the noise, but were used to working through it.

I tried working through it—once. It drained me so completely in a matter of minutes that the second time the cleaners came in, I simply said “I cannot be in here with this noise, I need to leave right now,” and luckily, my co-workers, who all knew about my autism, were understanding and didn’t object.

That is an accommodation, i.e., allowing the disabled person to do something different, in this case, to leave. But in that scenario, the autistic is still siloed away from others, who have to stay and put up with the racket even though for them it’s “just” an inconvenience, rather than a meltdown-inducing occurrence. Over time, others may resent that the autistic is allowed to leave early, or the autistic may feel guilty about leaving others in the lurch, leading to the eventual abandonment of the accommodation.

At the clinic, however, my coworkers got together not long thereafter and asked the supervisor to have the cleaning crew come in an hour later, after the facility closed and most of us had left. Not just as an accommodation for me, but as a permanent change that would benefit everyone, if to varying degrees. I’d only been there a short time, and yet they decided it was worth altering a routine that had been in place since they opened that would make the workplace better for their autistic coworker—and themselves.

Accommodations for All

As such, I am pleased by the paradigm shift towards including all of the staff and considering the workplace itself in planning and implementing changes to suit a neurodivergent’s needs. With wholesale support, changes are more likely to become permanent. These accommodations can also benefit non-autistics or staff who silently struggle with their own invisible disabilities.

Nearly all autistics need extra “sick” days to recharge. But rather than extending this privilege to the autistic alone, a supervisor should consider giving extra sick days to anyone who needs them, including parents with sick children. Will some people abuse the privilege? Of course. But some people will always abuse workplace privileges, whatever they may be, and it is unfair to punish the rest of the staff, autistic or otherwise, for one or two bad actors.

Moreover, sensory sensitivities aren’t limited to just autistics, and these, too, can be accommodated by modifying the work environment itself. Some examples: to keep kitchen smells from permeating the workplace, put a swinging door on the kitchen that stays closed rather than no door or a door that stays open. This will also lessen noise emanating from a prime socialization area, and make it feel more like a break room, a healthier environment for everyone.

Speaking of sounds, turn off background music and mute TV sounds in waiting and common areas as a rule, not an exception. Everyone can be affected by light temperatures and brightness, and installing light dimmers and providing incandescent lighting options would be an improvement appreciated by many non-autistic employees as well as autistic ones.

Everyone should feel like a stakeholder in any accommodations made, and such accommodations should benefit the rest of the staff as well as the autistic. A goal of making the workplace better for everyone—and not just the neurodivergent—is the most likely path to success.

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Christine M. Condo [she/her] (B.A., B.S., M.A.) was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder Level 1 (also known as Asperger’s) in 2015 at the age of 42. Her writing and research focus on dismantling common misconceptions about autism and supporting the burgeoning neurodiversity acceptance movement. Condo has been published in The Washington Post and Autism Parenting Magazine as well as online. She has been interviewed on radio and in multiple podcasts, and presented at autism conferences in Barcelona and London. Condo writes on Medium.com, and maintains a personal blog about her experiences at thisgreatape.com. 

Research has shown that autistic adults have poorer quality-of-life outcomes than their neurotypical peers, including lower employment rates and educational achievements. A key way to improve outcomes for this growing population is to implement research-informed transition planning, which addresses core impairments in skills needed for autonomous and independent living, including self-knowledge, self-determination, and self-regulation.

In 2021, OAR awarded an applied research grant to Susan White, Ph.D., for her study, Improving Outcomes in Autism: Community Implementation of Stepped Transition in Education Program. Dr. White is a professor and director of the Center for Youth Development and Intervention at the University of Alabama. Her study tested the effectiveness of Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students with ASD (STEPS), which is designed to help autistic transition-age youth prepare for independence.

In a prior trial, Dr. White and her research team found that STEPS participants demonstrated significant improvement in transition readiness, predicted by self-determination, while participants receiving transition services as usual did not. STEPS was also highly acceptable to families, feasible to implement with fidelity, and resulted in significantly increased readiness for transition.

The OAR-funded study sought to test the impact of community-implemented STEPS on independence and readiness for adult transition in a sample of autistic teens and young adults. The study’s goals were to: 

• Test feasibility and effectiveness of the program
• Assess factors that influence implementation, consistent with the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research

Methodology

In the first phase, the research team called together an implementation workgroup comprised of an autistic young adult, two parents, five administrators at agencies serving autistic individuals, three school system administrators, one university support services representative, and four mental health providers. The team asked for their thoughts and experiences about how to make the program sustainable in community settings.

The second phase was an open trial of STEPS in the community, which included assessments at eligibility, baseline, midpoint, endpoint, and follow-up six months after the trial ended. Participants included 24 autistic adolescents and young adults (ages 16 to 29) and their caregivers. The sample was predominantly male and white, although participants reported variability in their household incomes.

Trained counselors delivered the STEPS program in 12 sessions over 14 weeks at participating community agencies. The weekly sessions involved didactic and experiential learning of self-knowledge, self-determination, and self-regulation skills, with practices geared toward client-identified goals. Throughout the intervention, the counselors checked in by Zoom or phone as needed to remind participants about practices and planned activities related to program goals, such as joining a new group, and to provide encouragement.

Outcomes

Results supported the acceptability of STEPS delivered in the community. Only two of the 24 participants dropped out, both before attending any sessions. The program also received moderate-to-high satisfaction ratings. Participants reported increased transition readiness at the end compared to their baselines. Caregivers also reported significant increased transition readiness for their young adult by the end of the program.

Dr. White and her research team found strong evidence for both acceptability to consumers and feasibility of delivery, based on the clinically significant improvements as noted above. Caregiver and family engagement in the program seemed to help with implementation and impact.

This study was one of the first community trials to evaluate a research-supported transition program for autistic adolescents and young adults. The results suggest that further research in this area is warranted, to facilitate the community implementation of effective programming that is acceptable to consumers.

Practical Findings

For autistic people and their parents, the most relevant findings are: 

• Previous participants found STEPS helpful and not too time-consuming. 
• Autistic people felt more prepared for the transition to adulthood and experienced some changes in their employment and education activities after participating in STEPS. 
• Autistic people were more self-determined and had higher self-efficacy after participating in STEPS.

Therapists and other non-family caregivers who support autistic people during the transition to adulthood noted that:  

• STEPS was easy to implement by therapists and a good fit for their autistic clients. 
• STEPS clients experienced positive changes in their readiness for the transition to adulthood, self-determination, and self-efficacy.

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Sherri Alms is the freelance editor of The OARacle, a role she took on in 2007. She has been a freelance writer and editor for more than 20 years.

The Benefits of a Professional Network

A professional relationship involves two or more people collaborating to achieve and support a common cause, mission, goal, company, or organization. It is often more formal than those outside the workplace. Some examples include connecting with one’s direct supervisor, co-workers, clients, and mentors. Building these valuable relationships is known as networking and, ultimately, forms one’s professional network.

As other professionals get to know you and your career goals, they can provide firsthand knowledge of job opportunities, internships, and apprenticeships available in your field of interest. They can also provide additional information, such as prospective roles and responsibilities and input on the more prominent organizations in your industry. This industry-specific knowledge can help you identify areas of growth and development and help you make career decisions.

Regularly engaging with your network can help you stay current in your industry, assess how to contribute more to the community, and learn which organizations share your vision and values.

Once you start building your professional brand, networking can lead to opportunities that will enable you to hone specific skills. For example, become known as someone who often engages in public speaking, and you may have professionals reach out to you on LinkedIn to offer you the opportunity to present at various events that align with your expertise. The more you take on new opportunities, the more you can learn what tasks you enjoy, what management style you thrive under, and what support or accommodations you might need moving forward.

Although networking may seem daunting, it can prove invaluable in the long run. It can open doors you might never have known existed, build long-lasting relationships, and allow you to gain visibility within your industry.

Where to Look for Your Network

You may be wondering, “Where do I begin?” or “How can I start creating professional relationships?”

A good place to start is with people already in your support network and with whom you have a close connection, such as professors and teachers, colleagues, co-workers, friends, and family. These are people who know you the best and have a deep understanding of the support, guidance, and mentorship you need.

You can also connect with industry leaders and professionals at career and resource events. These events are specifically designed to allow job seekers to ask questions and learn more about the different organizations. If you want to connect with the representative and learn more about an organization after an event, ask them for the best way to contact them. Many are happy to share their business cards or other ways to get in touch with them, which is beneficial to expanding your network and future opportunities.

Utilizing professional social media platforms like LinkedIn is a great way to network virtually with various employers, receive updates from individuals within your field, and find industry-related events to attend. You can use features like direct messages to interact with representatives and employees at prospective organizations and share your goals, aspirations, skills, talents, experiences, and abilities with them.

Once you understand who is in your network currently and who you may want to be in the future, you can start taking steps toward engaging with your connections and showcasing your skills.

Building and Maintaining a Strong Network

To clarify why you want to network, ask yourself, “What is my purpose for networking? What do I hope to achieve?”

Use the answers to these questions to create a list of your overall goals. Setting goals can help you use your time, energy, and resources wisely. Another benefit to setting goals is creating your own timeline and breaking the larger networking task into smaller pieces to make it more manageable.

It can often be helpful to create a compelling 30-to-60-second elevator pitch to introduce yourself to other professionals and market your strengths, abilities, experience, and background. This can be useful in a handful of situations, such as networking events, job/career fairs, or even on professional social media platforms like LinkedIn. Company representatives only have a limited amount of time and often have many people approaching them, meaning a short elevator pitch could help to make a lasting impression.

An example of an elevator pitch could be, “Hello, my name is [your name], it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a [insert current role] and have been working in [insert field] for the past [insert number] years. I’ve accomplished [insert achievement(s)]. Your work with [insert company] is inspiring, and I am interested in connecting to learn more about what you and your company do.”

Keeping in touch can be vastly beneficial once you have started forming new connections, even if it does not amount to a job. Celebrating milestones, acknowledging achievements, or simply checking in personally can show that you care about the people in your network. Maintaining this regular contact with your network fosters rapport, which leads to invaluable mentorship, recommendation letters, or job opportunities in the future.

Once you establish a strong relationship with professionals in your industry, this is a good time to set up an information interview, get their feedback on your current resume and job search documents, and discuss your career aspirations. Their experience is a direct way for you to gain more knowledge of the tasks and expectations of an employee within their industry.

Networking is an invaluable skill that can greatly help in your job search. If you put in the work, your connections can bring a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and understanding of the industry or position you are applying for.

Resources

• Professional Relationships: Types and Tips
• 7 Tips for Building a Strong Professional Network
• Professional Networking: What It Is and How To Master It
• Why You Need to Expand Your Professional Network
• What is Professional Networking, and Why is it Important?
• Keeping in Touch: The key to maintaining connections
• Learning LinkedIn
• Sign up to join LinkedIn