According to
Christina Comaford – Lynch, networking is marketing, that is marketing
yourself, and marketing your uniqueness and marketing what you stand for. A
solid network will serve you well for years to come and will be an additional tool
in your toolbox especially during these times of economic uncertainty. Networking includes both internal and
external. Internally, be visible at your current job – don’t hide in your
office or cubicle. Volunteer for projects and make yourself available. Expand
your lunch partners. Meet and talk with new coworkers and continue to
communicate with them on a regular basis. Be informed; know where your company
is going. You may want to consider brushing-up your skills or broadening your
knowledge which leads me to external networking. This can also enhance
your current situation. An easy way to do this is by joining a professional
organization within your field. Network by regularly attending the meetings,
meeting new people, and benefiting from the information and knowledge presented
through seminars and speakers.
WHY
NETWORK
- Learn dynamics within your industry
Establish your business contacts
Get “plugged in” to your community
Seek new career opportunities - Facilitate win-win relationships
Create your referral networks
Accelerate your professional development
Develop knowledge resources
Consider the
products on the shelves at a supermarket. The brands which usually grab our
attention are the ones with the shiny packaging, the ones with promotions running
or the ones we buy because of brand loyalty... The same applies to one’s
professional life, one must be prepared to set themselves apart from all the
other individuals in their field and networking helps to put your name and face
out there in an effective way. A friend of mine, Nigel Sithole, who is a
Candidate Attorney at a prestigious Law firm in South Africa, got his first job
offer while he was on holiday in Malawi. “We booked into the same lodge with
the lady who would later become my boss and this means that I met her in a
totally social setting. I was relaxed and was not even on my A game or thinking
about what that meeting with her would bring, totally oblivious to the
potential. But simply because of who I was, my character, my engagement with her,
she ended up offering me a job. Moral of the story: Try by all means to be the
person you assume to be in a professional setting even in your private or
casual setting because you never know when your next breakthrough might be”
NETWORKING is the single most powerful
marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual or
organization! – Adam Small
Networking
is about making connections and building enduring, mutually beneficial
relationships. This does not only occur in an office environment as you have
seen from the above account from Nigel. It is therefore important to treat
everyone you encounter in society as a potential for growth Keep in mind
that networking is not easy for most and can even be painful. Tip:
To help ease your apprehension, consider arriving early at a meeting when there
are fewer people or invite a colleague to attend with you. Then, take your
membership to the next level by becoming a board member or chairing a
committee. This opens many new doors and looks good on your resume.
Also,
consider joining an online professional network such as LinkedIn. You
can add your professional memberships/organizations to your profile
for added visibility. Invite your contacts to join and continue expanding your
network with updated information.
“One of
the great things about LinkedIn is it isn’t the same kind of networking that
happens at conventions, where you’re wearing a name tag, trying to meet
strangers, and awkwardly attempting to make small talk. LinkedIn is networking
without the pressure.”
― Melanie Pinola
― Melanie Pinola
Ultimately,
it’s not about who you know ... but WHO KNOWS YOU!!
Relationships
are the catalyst for success.
People do business with those they like and trust.
People do business with those they like and trust.
Networking
provides the most productive, most proficient and most enduring tactic to build
relationships. It is an invaluable tool to surviving in the corporate world and
to succeed you must continually connect with new people, cultivate and maintain
the relationships.
There are
also a few things you must definitely avoid when networking.
1.
Neglecting
the power of face-to-face contact: Job seekers want to do everything online
without actually meeting in person. There is no substitute for getting out
there and introducing yourself to people who might know someone who is hiring.
According to an article written by Ruth Mantrell in the Wall Street Journal it
is important to go to at least two or three meetups a month if you are a job
seeker.
2.
Expecting
Too Much Too Quickly: It is important not to ask for what we want from
networking contacts right away. We’ve got to give before we get. Take some time
to know your contact and see what skills or services you can provide for that
person.
3.
Not
working on Personal branding: Anyone can reel off their qualifications and
their ‘skills’ but that’s not going to work at a networking function. When
meeting people, if you understand yourself, the confidence resonates.
4.
Not
meeting Enough people : Although you want to build strong relationships with
your networking contacts, the goal is to meet as many people as possible when
you’re at networking events, says an article on Mastermind Connections – a site
led by business coach, Chad Coe. Ask questions and, presuming you see fit,
politely ask for their card and ask for permission to stay in touch.
5.
Lacking
professionalism: Though LinkedIn and other social networks like Facebook and
Twitter have made it easier to network and get your name out there; many job
seekers fail to keep a professional image of themselves online. Spend some time
improving your LinkedIn profile and developing your network. Remove those
pictures from Facebook that you shouldn’t have taken, also.
There is so
much more to say on the subject but I have listed below a set of useful links
which also assisted me in putting
together this article. I will leave you with the words of Michele
Jennae: “Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting
people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.”
SOURCES:
