Networking 101

The following article was published in  One Up Your Career - the daily info-vitamin capsule by Unnati to help you growth hack your career.

To read this issue online and leave your comments, click here.

by Vanya Shruti

Hi Young Adults,

2020 is not a good year to pass out of college. You are stuck at home, you do not know if you will get a job or the job offer you have is still valid. It is a tough situation to be in. While there is not much you could do about the virus and lock down, here is something you could do. Start building your professional network today.

I am not talking about Facebook friends and Insta followers; I am talking about the kind of network that will help you grow professionally. The network that will refer you for jobs, introduce you to people and collate with you.

At post grad college, I spent most of my time in the library because I trusted my grades for accelerating my career. Learning from human interaction is much more than learning from the books and if I could give one piece of advice to my younger self would be to get out there. While knowledge is necessary but it is the well built professional relationships that will take you places. And being an introvert is not an impediment to networking. You do not have to bring a 360-degree change in your personality to become good at networking.

So, how do you begin?

Step 1: Overcome the fear of networking

Step 2: Recommend others in your network

Step 3: Maintain long-term professional relationships

Here are some suggestions that will make you a pro at networking:

• Be proactive. Look for opportunities to interact with your classmates, seniors, and professors. Attend seminars, events, and activities even if it is not of your interest or department.
• Be genuinely interested in people and the work that they do. How? Listen when others are talking and ask questions. Being curious about others is an effective way to start conversations.
• Offer help without expecting anything in return. Mutually beneficial relationships are built on trust and goodwill for each other. A good way to earn goodwill is to selflessly help people.
• Do not dismiss people. Everyone you interact with has the potential to help you in one way or the other. So, treat everyone like that they are important because they are.
• Be in constant touch with your network by asking for feedback. Send a Whats app message or an email of your latest project and ask for their opinion. This is a good way of staying in touch rather than sending Whats app forwards.

?Job Corner

?? ?? ?? Check out the opening at Xoken Labs for the position of blockchain developer. Apply here.

?? ?? ?? Apply for the position of supply chain manager  and solution design consultant at a B2B logistics startup.

?? ?? ?? Marvel Retail Pvt Ltd is looking to hire a digital marketing executive. Apply here.

Do you have any questions related to job search or career enhancement? Ask us here. Each month Akshay Datt, founder of Unnati, will mentor the jobseeker who poses the most interesting question.

Loved ?? this newsletter? Hit reply and share your feelings with us.

Tell your friends about it on WhatsApp. Spread the word to 10 people and your dream will come true, provided your dream is to read more of this newsletter ??.