How to stay in touch with a former manager?

Question

My former manager was a good mentor for me. He is powerful in the company and he has a lot of contacts. He also gave me a good evaluation during my internship at the company. I got a job in the same company, but with a different team so I rarely see him and he is not my manager anymore.

How can I make sure I keep in touch with him?

The reason I want to stay in touch with him is that he has the potential to give me a better job or recommend me to someone, but right now I see him rarely and I am afraid that he forgets about me.

Answer 1

Maintaining the human aspect of the relationship makes the "keeping in touch" easy and natural, whereas doing it only because he could be of use in future makes it cumbersome.

You don't need to be working together to stay in touch. In fact, most people's network predominantly consists of ex-colleagues. Since you both still work for the same company, it shouldn't be hard to meet him unofficially during lunch time or other unofficial events. If you work from different locations, use phone, instant messaging, or email instead. Don't "pester" him too frequently, about once a month is fine.

The conversation need not be restricted to informal conversations. You could tell him about your work, what you find interesting, the challenges you face, etc. You could also ask him about his work depending on how open he is with you. This could also open up internal transfer opportunities.

Answer 2

Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn are an excellent tool for this purpose. I completed several internships during my time in college and I still routinely keep in touch with my former supervisors through such sites. You are absolutely right about the importance of networking and maintaining a good relationship with your former managers as they often serve as valuable references in your future career.

Another option would be to see if your company sponsors any networking / professional social events for current employees. These events can be a great help in maintaining a relationship between people that may still work in the same firm but who might not see each other often. At a former internship I completed, I met someone in the company who turned out to be instrumental in landing my present job.

Answer 3

I guess it really depends on the culture.

Where I am from, alcohol is generally socially acceptable, and so I would keep in touch with former managers and co-workers by contacting them from time to time and asking if they would like to go for a 'pint'. I find this really effective and a great way to keep in touch while not being too formal.

I would recommend finding a hobby that both you and your manager enjoy but which isn't overly formal (ie. coffee, game of squash, golf, cinema, or in my case going out for a beer) and arrange to do this a couple of times a year.