Background
I have been an Assistant Professor for three years now. Looking back, the most valuable thing in my career so far has been the research network I built.not my publications, not my grants, not my teaching record.
Here is what actually worked for building that network as a new faculty member:
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Email cold introductions after reading someone's paper.specific, about their work, not a generic 'let's collaborate' message. Response rate is surprisingly high (~40%) if the email shows you actually read the paper.
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Conference conversations.not the formal talks, but the coffee breaks and poster sessions. I have gotten more collaborators from standing next to someone at a coffee station than from any structured networking event.
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Reviewing papers.every paper you review is an invitation to learn what leading researchers in your area are working on before it is published.
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Social media presence.LinkedIn for professional connections, Twitter/X for research community discussions. One thread I posted on my research got picked up by a researcher at Cambridge who is now a collaborator.
What has worked for others?