Building a network for success

Welcome to The Inbox Coach nudge, a small nudge to help you stay on track with your career development. This week I’m sharing my experience of learning to love networking.

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“It’s the dirty truth that every woman knows.” Claudia Goldin

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This week I’ve had three great opportunities come about because of networking. It feels really good to say that because I haven’t always enjoyed networking nor been very good at it.

I recognised that networking was going to be helpful in my career development, so it is something I’ve worked hard at, with lots of trial and error, and now that hard work is paying off. So this week I want to share with you my experience of how I’ve made networking work for me. ?

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Practice makes perfect

I used to get very disheartened when I was networking, because I didn’t seem to be making connections and finding opportunities. I’ve definitely got better at introducing myself and being clear about what I’m looking to get from networking which I think has made it easier for people to connect with and help me.

I’ve also realised that there is an element of luck to networking. I need to connect with the right people, who will resonate with what I’m doing and who can help me on the way I need. I won’t always meet the right people and that is ok. If I’m not clicking with someone or we can’t help each other, I can just move on to the next conversation.

Trial and error

Not every networking interaction will lead to something. Sometimes you will be the one helping someone else, making a connection for them or sharing a valuable piece of knowledge. Other times you will just meet some new people and nothing more than that. I’ve also found that it can be months or years before a connection I’ve made turns into an opportunity, so you never know where something might lead.

I always make time to reflect on a networking opportunity. Was it worth my time, would I go again, and I also think if there are people who piqued my interest that I can reach out to. The opportunities I had this week were because I reached out to two people who I felt I could have a connection with. The opportunities came about because they got to know me, so whilst the initial networking interaction was important, so was my building a relationship afterwards.

You never know where networking might lead you, so try to enjoy the process and don’t assume that any connection is wasted.

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“It’s the dirty truth that every woman knows.” – Claudia Goldin

This year, the winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was Claudia Goldin “for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes”. What is sad and remarkable about this feat is that Claudia Goldin is the first woman to win it solo, which is rather apt given the subject matter of her work.

This quote is taken from an interview that Claudia Goldin did with Freakonomics in 2021 and it was in relation to her thoughts on the gender pay gap. In the interview she talks about how the gender pay gap is made up of many factors, including being underpaid for doing the same job and not having access to the same opportunities due to discrimination but that one of the most challenging problems is the dirty truth. The dirty truth is that most women in heterosexual relationships, particularly where there are children involved, end up doing more of the caring responsibilities which in turn limits their options in the workplace. In the article she goes on to talk about these specific challenges in more detail and the shifts that would need to take place to remove these barriers. You can find the full interview here.

I believe that having a strong network behind you can really help with challenges that you might experience in the workplace. I have a great network of women who are seeking board roles, through my membership of Women on Boards , and we regularly discuss the importance of networks in securing these roles, and how due to many of the challenges women face in the workplace, how hard it can be to cultivate them. We are working together to create our own strong network, recommending each other for opportunities and generally supporting one another. It has made such a difference to my career and my confidence, knowing that there are looking out for me, and I’m so pleased I’ve invested the time to cultivate this network. If you are looking to become a trustee or NED, then do reach out to me and I can share my favourite resources.

Building a great network is putting a foundation in place for your future, and not just for an immediate short-term gain. I think we sometimes get so caught up in how bad a poor networking event can be, that we forget about why we want to connect with people in the first place. The purpose of networking is to access the opportunities that will bring us greater fulfilment in our career and be the best we can be at work, and who doesn’t want that!

As there are 5 Mondays in October, I will back next week with a bonus edition of The Inbox Coach

See you then

Laura

P.S You can access all previous editions of The Inbox Coach and get exclusive subscriber offers when you sign up?here