Your Networking Follow-Up System (So Contacts Don't Disappear)

You had a good networking conversation. You connected with someone at a target company, a former colleague reached out to help, or an informational interview went well. Then weeks pass and you never follow up.

The contact disappears. The potential opportunity dies from neglect.

Why this matters now:

Most networking value comes from follow-up, not from initial conversations. One conversation creates a connection. Consistent appropriate follow-up maintains and strengthens that connection.

Job seekers who get referrals and opportunities through networking aren't more charismatic or better networkers. They're more systematic about follow-up. They remember to maintain contacts while others forget.

The follow-up timing framework:

Different networking contacts require different follow-up timing:

Active conversations (someone helping you with specific opportunity): weekly contact until resolution

Warm contacts (people who expressed willingness to help): monthly contact with value or updates

General network (professional contacts not currently active): quarterly contact minimum

One-time informational contacts: thank-you immediately, update if relevant developments occur, otherwise no ongoing follow-up needed

The mistake most people make is treating all contacts the same. Active conversations need frequent follow-up. General network maintenance needs minimal but consistent contact.

How to build a simple tracking system:

You need a system that tracks three things: who you talked to, when you last contacted them, when you should contact them next.

Spreadsheet approach (simplest):

Column A: Contact name

Column B: Company/context

Column C: Last contact date

Column D: Next contact date

Column E: Notes (what you discussed, what to reference in next contact)

Sort by Column D to see who needs contact soon. Update after each interaction.

CRM approach (if you prefer tools):

Free CRMs like HubSpot or Streak work for networking tracking

Set reminders for follow-up dates

Tag contacts by category (active, warm, general)

More features than spreadsheet but more setup time

The best system is the one you'll actually use. Spreadsheet works for most job seekers. Don't overcomplicate.

What to include in follow-up contacts:

Follow-up isn't just "checking in" repeatedly. Each contact should provide value, share relevant updates, or have specific purpose.

For active conversations (helping with specific opportunity):

Update on progress: "I interviewed with [Company] yesterday - thank you again for the introduction. The conversation went well and they mentioned next steps would be [detail]."

Request for specific help: "Would you be comfortable sharing your perspective on [specific question]? I want to make sure I'm approaching [situation] appropriately."

Acknowledgment of outcome: "I wanted to let you know I received an offer from [Company]. Your introduction and advice were instrumental. Thank you."

For warm contacts (expressed willingness to help):

Share relevant article or information: "I saw this article about [their industry/interest] and thought you might find it interesting: [link]"

Provide update on your search: "Quick update: I'm now focusing on [specific type of role] after realizing [insight]. Let me know if you hear of anything in that space."

Ask if you can help them: "How is [project they mentioned] going? Let me know if there's anything I can help with."

For general network maintenance:

Annual or semi-annual check-in: "It's been a while since we connected. I wanted to reach out and see how things are going at [Company]."

Congratulate on visible achievements: "Saw your promotion announcement - congratulations! Well deserved."

Share update when you find employment: "I wanted to let you know I've accepted a position at [Company] as [role]. Thanks for your support during my search."

The value-first follow-up principle:

Every follow-up should either provide value to them or share meaningful updates about your situation. "Just checking in" emails get ignored because they require the recipient to do work (respond) without receiving value.

Bad follow-up: "Hi, just checking in to see if you've heard of any opportunities."

Good follow-up: "Hi, I saw [Company news relevant to their role] and remembered our conversation about [topic]. Thought you might be interested. On my end, I've narrowed my search to [specific focus] and wanted to keep you updated."

The good version provides value (relevant information), shares meaningful update (search focus), and doesn't demand anything.

How to follow up after informational interviews:

Informational interview follow-up has specific timing and content:

Within 24 hours: Send thank-you email referencing specific insights they shared. Brief, specific, grateful.

If you interview at their company: Let them know. "I wanted to update you - I have an interview scheduled with [hiring manager] next week. The information you shared about [topic] has been really helpful for my preparation."

If you decide not to pursue their company: Optional to mention. "Thank you again for taking time to share your perspective. After our conversation and further consideration, I've decided to focus on [different direction], but I really appreciated learning about [Company]."

If you get the job: Definitely tell them. "I wanted to let you know I accepted an offer at [Company]. Your insights were invaluable during the interview process. Thank you."

Don't follow up repeatedly after informational interviews unless there's specific reason. One thank-you is sufficient. Updates when genuinely relevant are appreciated. Repeated check-ins are awkward.

The networking spreadsheet maintenance routine:

Weekly routine (takes 10-15 minutes):

Sort spreadsheet by next contact date

Identify anyone due for follow-up this week

Draft and send follow-up messages

Update last contact date and set next contact date

Add any new contacts from the week

This weekly maintenance prevents contacts from falling through gaps and ensures systematic follow-up.

What to do when you haven't contacted someone in months:

You intended to follow up after a good conversation six months ago. You didn't. Now reaching out feels awkward.

Acknowledge the gap briefly without excessive apology:

"It's been too long since we connected. I wanted to reach out because [specific reason/update/question]."

Don't write: "I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch, I know it's been forever and I feel terrible about not following up sooner..."

Excessive apology makes the gap bigger. Brief acknowledgment then move to substance makes reconnection easier.

The referral follow-up requirement:

If someone makes an introduction or provides a referral, follow-up is mandatory not optional:

Thank them immediately when they make the introduction

Update them after you connect with the referral (within 48 hours)

Let them know outcome (got interview, didn't move forward, hired)

Thank them again when final outcome is determined

People who make referrals are putting their reputation on the line. They deserve to know what happened and whether their help was useful. Not following up after referrals damages relationships and makes people less likely to help in the future.

When to remove contacts from active tracking:

Not every networking contact becomes an ongoing relationship. Some contacts are one-time and that's appropriate.

Remove from active tracking when:

One-time informational conversation served its purpose and no ongoing relationship developed

Contact indicated they couldn't help and you have nothing else to discuss

Multiple follow-ups received no response (after 2-3 attempts over months, let it go)

You found employment and the contact was specific to job search

Don't keep contacting people who've indicated through silence or direct statement that they're not interested in ongoing contact.

The LinkedIn connection maintenance:

LinkedIn connections are different from active networking contacts. You don't need to message all LinkedIn connections regularly.

For LinkedIn-only connections:

Engage with their posts occasionally (like, thoughtful comment)

Congratulate on job changes or visible achievements

Share their content when relevant to your network

Send message only when you have specific reason

This maintains visibility without demanding their attention through repeated messages.

Common follow-up mistakes:

The first mistake is following up only when you need something. This makes you seem transactional. Occasional value-providing contact without requests makes help-requests more welcome.

The second mistake is never following up at all out of fear of being annoying. Appropriate follow-up isn't annoying. Inappropriate excessive follow-up is annoying. One message monthly to active contacts isn't excessive.

The third mistake is following up identically with all contacts. Active conversations need different frequency and content than general network maintenance.

The fourth mistake is waiting until you're desperate for help before reaching out. Networking works better when you maintain relationships during normal times, not just activate them during crisis.

The system sustainability test:

Your networking follow-up system should require 15-30 minutes weekly maximum. If it requires more time, you're tracking too many contacts or following up too frequently.

During active job search, you might have 10-15 active networking conversations plus 20-30 general network contacts. That's manageable with simple spreadsheet and weekly maintenance routine.

If your system feels overwhelming, you're either overcomplicating it or trying to maintain too many active conversations simultaneously.

Next step:

Create your networking tracking spreadsheet today. Add everyone you've had meaningful networking conversations with in the past 30 days. Set next contact dates for each. Send follow-up messages to anyone due for contact this week. Tomorrow you'll move to Day 29 review of which networking and interview strategies actually produced results. But first you need a system that prevents valuable contacts from disappearing due to forgotten follow-up.