Originally appeared on: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/qdtarchive/how-to-network-with-former-employers/
November 18, 2014
When building your professional network, reestablishing a relationship with former employers are a great place to start. Here’s how.
Networking is a challenge for many of us. And by “many,” I mean me. Well, me and also listener Jean. She writes in:
“I’m a new college grad and I have trouble networking. Every summer I worked at a different place. I want to keep in touch, but I don’t want to seem like I’m intruding. Months and years go by without me being in contact. I’m afraid they might not remember me, or don’t care enough about me to reply to the email that literally took me months to send (as sad as this sounds). What is the best way to keep in touch with ex-employers without seeming annoying?”
Keeping in touch with people over the years is valuable. Your network is your biggest asset, especially when you’re looking for a job or, conversely, if you’re looking for good employees to hire. If you become a consultant or are self-employed, that goes double. The further along you are in your career, the more your network matters. People who know you and think well of you become your main source of opportunity and advancement.
See also: Advice for New College Grads – How to Get a Job Through Networking
access to over 2,1000 high-quality online courses–all for one low monthly price. To try it free for 10 days, visit lynda.com/getitdone.
They Remember You
You’re afraid that they won’t remember you. That’s pretty unlikely. At the very least, the IRS forced them to record your social security number and report your legal name. And given today’s privacy trends, the NSA probably had them position an entire surveillance van outside your cubicle, just in case you’re doing something you shouldn’t be…
If you made a good impression—either through the quality of your work or through being great to work with—they’ll almost certainly remember you. If you didn’t make an impression or made a bad impression, then there’s probably no need to stay in touch. They aren’t likely to be a high-quality member of your network going forward.
If You’ve Been Out of Touch, So Have They
You’re also nervous because it’s been a long time. I get that way too. I think, “I haven’t called Neicole in years. If I call now, she’ll think than the several years of silence means I hate her guts, and I must only be calling because I want something. She won’t trust me, and will send a surveillance van to monitor my apartment to see if I’m doing something I shouldn’t be…like sharing pictures of that time in high school when…never mind.”
I think of this fondly as the delusional, paranoid, self-centered aspects of myself coming out to play. If you take out the part about the surveillance van, pretty much all of that is pure fiction.
Here’s reality: Neicole is so busy worrying about her 4 kids, her business, and her half-completed fallout shelter that she hasn’t thought of me in years. My call is not confirmation of some evil plot on my part. Indeed, she’s delighted to hear from me.
Reach Out Offering Thoughts or Insights
When you reach out, you need to have a reason. One reason that usually works is that you want to make their life better. Give them some thoughts or insights that they’ll enjoy.
Your ex-boss will probably be delighted to hear from you.
In the 21st century, this is beyond trivial to do. You worked with them. You have access to their LinkedIn profile, their Facebook profile, you can Google their name, and you may even have run across their picture on that social media app that we don’t talk about with people under 18． You can get some idea of their interests, the things they care about, the organizations they’re part of, and so on.
See also: LinkedIn Lately? No? Find Out What You’re Missing
Maybe Googling your old boss turns up a newspaper article about historical re-enactments, in which your boss is quoted as saying, “There’s nothing I like more than getting up at 4am, dressing up in 18th century attire and trying to take over another country with only a pair of leather whips and a ham sandwich.”
Great! Read a few articles on historical reenactments, leather whips, or ham sandwiches. Then when you approach your boss, you can say, “I was reading up on different ham glazes and I found this fascinating article that says a honey mustard glaze is best for taking over an indigenous population, while a chipotle barbecue marinade is superior for quelling an uprising. I thought you’d enjoy it!” You’ve opened the door for further conversation, a phone call, or in this case, even a potluck.
Reach Out to Thank Them and Give Them a Status Update
If you had a good relationship with your boss, you may not need an excuse. You may just drop a line giving a status update. “I really enjoyed working in your loading zone last summer. Now that I’ve graduated college, I’ve moved on to working in unloading zones. It helps me appreciate the full circle of life. What’s new with you?” Here, you’re approaching on a relationship basis, “Let’s catch up.”
See also: Want More Referrals? Don’t Thank, Update
Since your network is such an important part of professional development, if you didn’t think become friendly with your former boss, start with your new boss. As a rule of thumb, be on good-enough terms with your boss that they’ll be glad to hear from you when you call in 5 years just to catch up.
If They Don’t Respond, Keep Updating Anyway
If your boss doesn’t respond, you may as well keep updating them anyway. Just send a little note every few months, saying “Thought I’d quickly touch base.” Enclose something that you think they’ll find useful, like a discount coupon for a historical museum or a coupon for getting their whip re-braided. As long as you’re courteous and always strive to make their life better, the worst that can happen is that they’ll ignore you. But eventually, a series of brief touches may rekindle a working relationship that lasts for years.
Getting back in touch feels awkward, because we’re afraid the other person will think we’re just trolling for a favor, or because we just don’t know how to explain our long absence.
Don’t bother with explanations! Reach out. Send them an article, do them a favor, flatter them, or even just give them a status update and inquire into their life and career. If they don’t respond, keep at it. You’ve nothing to lose with regular pings, and eventually you may break through and restart the business relationship. Your network is one of your greatest assets; start building it now.
Good luck, Jean!
For more tips on how to buld and maintain your professional network, check out quickanddirtytips.com/relationships/professional.
And speaking of networking, connect with Get-It-Done Guy via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
Work Less, Do More, and have a Great Life!
About the Author
Stever Robbins was the host of the Get-it-Done Guy podcast, an iTunes top-10 business podcast, from 2007 to 2020. He is a graduate of W. Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management training program and a Certified Master Trainer Elite of NLP. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a degree in Computer Science from MIT.
Copyright © 2025 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Quick & Dirty Tips™ and related trademarks appearing on this website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.