[goatking]

I am in similar shoes as OP.

I see "networking" a lot, but how exactly? Unfortunately, I am not in contact with any of my former colleagues of employers apart from being connected on LinkedIn. Starting conversations with them on LinkedIn would be awkward and weird. What else can you do?

It doesn't help that I'm a introvert, not really a social person. Probably contracting is just not for me.

[pjlegato]

Networking is a continuous, ongoing process. You must pre-plan networking.

It must be executed well in advance of actually needing a favor from the network. It is the opposite of a "transactional" interaction, such as buying something from a store.

You must make an effort to continue having a social relationship with people you meet (former employers and colleagues, etc.) from the moment you meet them. What exact activities must be done depends on your local culture.

It is very possible that contracting -- which absolutely requires maintaining a social network of business contacts -- is not for you. That's fine, everyone is different and some people for various reasons don't want to or cannot do the social networking part. In that case, you might be happier as a well-paid employee.

OTOH, if you want to learn to do the networking part, it is possible. There are courses, books, even clubs that teach this sort of thing and create opportunities to practice it. If you see it as an interesting challenge that is outside your comfort zone but doable, that might work. Don't do it as a chore because you feel you must, though; if it is forced or reluctant, it won't work well.

[amerkhalid]

I think you can still reconnect with your former colleagues even if you haven't talked to them in a while. Starting a business or looking for a new job is a great excuse to do so. I have been on both sides of conversations and it never really bothered if someone messaged me out of blue or didn't respond to my message.

And if you do message, keep it short and to the point, only time I get really annoyed is when someone starts a conversation, asking about work and family then after several messages, they would bring up their real motivation. Usually, it is MLM related and when I say hard NO, they disappear again.

Something like "hey X, been a while, hope you are doing well. I am freelancing these days and looking for a new project. My main focus is tech a but can also do tech b and c. Please let me know if you have any leads. I would truly appreciate it."

And if you really want to build better relationship, you could say something like, "And we should grab coffee one day and catch up. I miss working with you."