The Power of Networking!

“The people you used to think were just your friends, it turns out are also your key business contacts.”

In my Marketing Seminar Series class this semester, I had the pleasure of learning from quite a few speakers - many of whom are industry experts - who shared their passion about the amazing tools and tactics available for us to utilize in the Digital Marketing industry. Most importantly, they dropped gems on how they got a foot in the field and how their careers have progressed thus far. Most, if not all, the speakers mentioned the importance of networking, and how their networking efforts has allowed them to find out about job opportunities, increase their awareness of news and trends in the field and develop relationships with people and businesses they may want to collaborate with.?

Jeremy Shell , Managing Partner at Fuel Growth, said it was important to be memorable and recommended getting to know everyone in your workspace - whether you work with them or not. He went on to encourage utilizing platforms like LinkedIn, because this a great way to connect, and to stay connected with people. Jeremy suggested adding connections of our bosses and coworkers and reaching out to those connections to pick their brain and find ways to learn from them. He continued to say that as we mature, so does our peer group, therefore we shouldn’t discount the importance of our colleagues. He echoed, that “the people you used to think were just your friends, it turns out are also your key business contacts.”

Other speakers like Matt Diamante , Digital Strategist and Founder of HeyTony, mentioned how asking for help and speaking with experts in the field improved his ability to “do it all”. While he understood the basics of SEO, Matt mentioned that networking, by reaching out to experts who were friends, colleagues, or a LinkedIn connection, helped him improve his skills and knowledge of various digital marketing tactics.?

Rob London , another expert in the field, spoke about the importance of building strong relationships and how these contacts have opened opportunities for him more than once. He recommended that we build trust in our careers, have a strong network and strong relationships, because we don't know what the future holds, what future job opportunities or future deals are to be made. Rob went further to advise that, if we build trust with our partner, we will build a pathway to meeting new people and open new opportunities which is a major piece of business, and a way to drive opportunities forward.

Networking and Resources

Strategies that help us expand our professional network includes reaching out to people within our immediate circle, attending networking events, creating authentic relationships, and staying connected with the people we meet. Professional networking means deliberately creating and maintaining relationships with people who can help us further our career or personal brand.?

I was told some time ago that our parents' friends are "obligated" to help us out, not in a literal sense of course, but people we are familiar with are usually the first people we reach out with for help. These friends are part of my network and I have called on them to research career options, get advice, as well as assistance with assignments. Furthermore, I make it a point of duty to have an active profile on LinkedIn, because I am aware of the benefits to utilizing that platform. We can find mentors, discover new job, or work opportunities, contact potential leads, and learn more about an industry or profession we are interested in. I have a personal goal to make 5-10 new connections each week, ranging from recruiters, professionals in the marketing industry, George Brown College lecturers and alumni, as well as their connections.?

Networking tactics and best practices that have helped me thus far include regularly publishing my own content, sharing updates on new certification that I have earned, and reposting articles that I find interesting. Additionally, I engage with my connections who share content relating to the field of Digital Marketing, because I want to keep abreast of new trends challenges and practices in the industry. I would also suggest joining groups, following pages of companies you may want to work with and engaging with a variety of professionals from all industries.

While searching for co-op opportunities, LinkedIn allowed me to review the job market, assess requirements for postings I was interested in, and compare them with my qualifications and experience. Another resource I utilized, was George Brown Careers job board, and I was successful in attaining a Fall Co-Op position with Canada's most creative and innovative retailers – Harry Rosen. This resulted in me declining to proceed with the recruitment process with other prospects, however I ensured to connect with them via LinkedIn in the event other opportunities should arise.?

A significant part of what this semester reinforced for me, was that networking is an ongoing activity, and while collaboration may not happen immediately, it is still a very important tactic to building our careers. We never know where our peers may end up, so it is imperative that we build connections with our classmates and lecturers as it could benefit us years down the line - and that is the power of networking.