Staying connected even after you've landed your dream job

You've landed yourself your dream job. It has every quality you were looking for and is only a few minutes from your house. It's easy to feel lucky in situations like these, however, neglecting to stay connected to contacts you've met on your job search could prove to be detrimental in the future. Let's face it, people move from company to company and industry to industry more than ever in today's job market. It simply isn't wise to remain in a single location for an extended period of time. Therefore, it is extremely important to keep in contact and network with the people you know even after you've been hired by a company.

Finding opportunities to network on your free time and during conferences can introduce you to a whole new world of creative individuals looking to explore emerging industries and find potential partners for business ventures.

There are many creative conferences held across the country each year. Typically housing influential speakers in niche markets, these conferences offer great outlets for individuals to share personal experiences and expertise and discover innovative marketing campaigns being initiated within the industry.

In most cases, the speakers own an agency and are looking for creative people to join their teams. When attending these events, even while employed, it would not hurt to carry plenty of business cards to hand out and promote your personal brand.

While conferences may be held at inconvenient locations, there are online and in-person niche meet-up sessions across the country that are held on a monthly or weekly basis. These clubs are established through organizations and can even be accessed on social media sites such as LinkedIn.

While you're at one of these events, remember to remain honest and communicate naturally. Keep in mind, however, that focusing too heavily on how you are perceived could be counterproductive too. Showing people that you are interested and engaged is more important than trying too hard to impress them with your long list of credentials.

After meeting knowledgeable people at conferences, it is important to keep in contact with a select few you meet. Instead of attempting to reach out to every single person, narrowing down the list to a few truly informative individuals can help make better use of your skills while maintaining a certain edge in the industry. Many people have been using Twitter to stay in touch with contacts the world over. The social media tool is a great way to learn about happenings in businesses and personal accomplishments of people you've built a professional relationship with.