Getting ahead in the cosmetics industry, like most others, is often about who you know. In this incredibly competitive field, companies simply can’t afford to make a bad hire, so managers place a great amount of weight on personal connections. If you’re looking for a new opportunity, it’s important to put yourself out there by making new contacts and reaching out to your existing ones.

Of course, networking doesn’t come easy to everyone. If you absolutely hate this essential, yet necessary activity, you’ll be relieved to hear there are many different ways to go about it.

Use Social Media

All networking doesn’t involve elevator pitches and handshakes. Use social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter to reach out to companies you’re interested in working for and connect with other cosmetics industry professionals. It’s a lot less nerve-wracking to DM someone on Twitter or send an introductory LinkedIn message than to approach a stranger at a networking event.

Stop Putting Pressure on Yourself

If you’re not normally a shy person, you might hate networking events because you put so much pressure on yourself to make as many connections as possible. In reality, it’s much better to form one high-quality relationship at each event, than collecting 50 business cards from people you’ll never hear from again. Solve this problem by approaching each event as a way to meet other interesting beauty industry professionals, and if it leads to a new opportunity, great, but if not, that’s okay too.

Focus on Helping Others

Networking comes in many different forms — and some are much more elusive than others. If you cringe at the thought of outright asking your connections if they know of any jobs you might be interested in, start the conversation by offering to help them first. Send a message to a contact you haven’t talked to in awhile containing a link to an interesting article on fragrance or offer up some news on male grooming products you think they’ll be interested in. As the discussion naturally evolves, you’ll find an easy opening to make your bid.

Contact Momentum Search Consultants if you’re ready to explore new opportunities in the health and beauty industry. Whether you’re looking for a cosmetic sales job, cosmetic research job, or other beauty and personal care positions, our expert recruiters are here to assist.