Spend enough time at transport industry events and you start to recognise the same names, faces and organisations.
You will also spot a familiar scene near the coffee stand: someone newer to the sector hovering at the edge of a conversation between people who clearly have years of history. It can feel a little like trying to join a family dinner halfway through the main course.
For those of us who have been around transport for a while, networking can become second nature. We know who to look out for, which events are worth attending and, often, who knows whom. But for someone earlier in their career, or coming into the sector from elsewhere, it can feel much less straightforward.
And that matters.
Because networking should not be reduced to collecting business cards, “working the room” or having a slightly frantic lap of the drinks reception before heading home. At its best, it is simply about building relationships. And in transport, relationships matter.
If I could give my younger self one piece of career advice, it would be this: keep connecting with people. You never quite know where a conversation might lead.
Make your network useful, not just visible
Transport is a wonderfully connected sector, but it can sometimes feel a little closed to people on the outside looking in.
Credibility is built over time. Leaders understandably trust people whose work they have seen first-hand. But the downside is that familiar networks can become self-reinforcing, and newer voices can find it harder to get into the conversations where future roles, projects and opportunities begin.
That is why networking needs to be more than polite catch-ups with people we already know.
The best conversations are usually the ones where someone shares a useful perspective, asks a thoughtful question or introduces you to a person you ought to know. They are not always the loudest conversations in the room, either.
For senior leaders especially, there is an opportunity to be more generous with our networks. That might mean introducing two people who would benefit from knowing each other, bringing someone newer into a conversation, or asking a question that gives them space to share their view.
It costs very little. It can make a huge difference.
Stay connected before you need something
Most of us have been guilty of it: getting in touch with someone because we have spotted a role, need an introduction or have a particular agenda.
There is nothing wrong with being purposeful. But relationships work best when they are not only activated when one person needs something.
The people who seem to know everyone in transport are rarely doing anything particularly clever or elaborate. They are simply staying connected. They reply to messages. They show up when they say they will. They congratulate people on new roles. They share an article because it reminded them of a conversation. They keep in touch.
That is less a networking strategy and more a habit.
And, over time, it is often what creates the trust that makes people think of you when an opportunity, introduction or interesting conversation comes along.
Get more from the events you attend
There are some brilliant fixtures in the transport calendar, from larger events such as National Rail Conference and the UK Bus Summit to smaller roundtables, regional gatherings and sector-specific breakfasts.
The smaller events can often be where the magic happens, frankly. Fewer people, less theatre and more chance of having a proper conversation.
Before you attend, give yourself a little bit of intention. Who would you genuinely like to meet? What are you hoping to learn? Is there someone you could contact in advance and arrange a coffee with?
A fifteen-minute conversation planned before an event is often far more useful than a business card exchanged at the end of a busy drinks reception.
That said, there is no need to turn every event into a military operation. Some of the best conversations happen by chance. A little preparation simply makes it more likely that those chance moments lead somewhere useful.
Follow up while the conversation is still warm
Going to an event without following up afterwards is, in many cases, just a day out.
The follow-up does not need to be grand. A short message the next day. An article you mentioned. A quick introduction. A note saying it was good to meet and suggesting a coffee when diaries allow.
The important thing is to do it while the conversation is still fresh.
We all return from events to inboxes, meetings and the usual pile-up of work. It is easy to think, “I’ll do that later.” But later has a habit of becoming never.
Done consistently, those small follow-ups are what turn a pleasant chat into a relationship that lasts.
Use LinkedIn as a conversation, not a broadcast channel
LinkedIn is a brilliant tool for staying connected, finding out what is happening in the sector and keeping conversations going between events.
But it is easy to fall into the trap of posting for the sake of being visible.
The most useful activity is often not posting more. It is engaging properly: commenting thoughtfully, asking questions, sharing a perspective and responding when someone takes the time to engage with you.
A point of view is more useful than a generic update. A real conversation is more valuable than a long list of likes.
Keep it focused, keep it useful and leave people with something they can respond to.
Open the door a little wider
Networks work best when they are not treated like a private club.
One well-timed introduction from a senior leader can be worth far more than a dozen awkward laps of a conference hall. And while transport has made real progress on inclusion, informal networks still play a big role in who gets seen, heard and remembered.
If the same conversations always involve the same people, we limit the sector’s view of the talent, ideas and experience available to it.
The answer is not complicated. Bring newer people into conversations. Make introductions. Design events that do not rely entirely on confidence and existing contacts. Keep worthwhile discussions alive afterwards.
Of course, people earlier in their careers have a role to play too. Asking thoughtful questions, being curious, following up and staying connected after events are all important to building and maintaining good relationships.
But those of us who are already established have a responsibility to make the door easier to open.
One last thought
Many of the most attractive senior roles in transport do not begin with a job advert.
They begin with a conversation. Someone asks, “Who do you know?”, a name is mentioned, or an introduction is made. By the time the role is visible publicly, some of the most important conversations may already have happened.
That is one reason to build relationships throughout your career.
But it is not the only one.
Transport is a people-led sector. Careers are shaped by conversations, introductions, trust and being remembered for the right reasons. The more generously we build our networks, the stronger our sector becomes too.
At Intuitive, we spend every day talking to talented people and ambitious organisations across transport. If you are thinking about what comes next, for yourself or your team, we would always be happy to have a conversation.
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