So what on earth is networking?

So what on earth is networking and why is it important?

A number of years ago I coined the tagline that  "Networking is an art be not afraid to start" but what type of art is it?

It is the art of small talk. It is the ability to chat and to smile and to build friendly connections with people. 

We are all born with this abiltiy but, like with many things, practice makes perfect and, for some, a little bit of mentorship / pointers can be useful.

Why is networking important?

Let's look at the story of the identical twin sisters Mandy and Manda.

They went to the same university, studied the same subject but with different results. 

Mandy graduated top of the class with the highest score on record. 

Manda just scraped a pass.

They returned home and both started looking for a job.

Clever Mandy framed her degree, put it on the wall, sent out a few emails and waited for the phone to ring.

Manda put her degree away in her scrapbook. She started to attend every possible function that she could in order to tell people that she had graduated and was looking for a job. 

In other words she started to build a network of contacts who knew that she was looking for a job. 

The word quickly spread that Manda had the right degree and was available. 

Manda very quickly received a job offer. Mandy is still waiting.

So yes what you know is important BUT more important is who you know that knows that you know. Or in other words a strong and supportive network is essential. This is true not just for career but also for business and for social purposes.

Networking is for people who understand that even in today's eWorld and iWorld social interaction in a friendly and supportive environment opens many doors that are often closed to those who depend solely on somebody@somewhere.

The World Wide Web is a wonderful tool and provides a great opportunity for initial contact and for sources of information but in order to get past the initial contact stage one needs to develop strong contacts with people who trust you and whom you can trust.

This is exactly the platform that the FCGroup provides and to make it even simpler each event is targetted at a different niche.

Our events are held every Tuesday in Beijing.  

If you are in Beijing for the long haul or just passing through for a few days come and connect with us.

You will meet friendly people who like to support each other and an open window to see what Beijing can offer you and what you can offer to Beijing.

Details of events past present and future can be found on https://www.fcgroup.org

Don't be shy, our passion is to help people. 

Check out the below flyer for our major March event and feel free to contact me if you need help in developing the "art of small talk" to network your way to a better future.