What Is Networking? How to Grow Your Network

I came across an article discussing what networking is and how to grow your own network. Here are a few snippets that you might find interesting.

In career development, networking is the process of building relationships with other people working in and around your field or industry. Unlike?mentorship?and sponsorship, these connections are typically mutually beneficial, with each person sharing resources, expertise, and information with the other, and tend to be more informal. Your network is essentially your set of professionally aligned friendships.

Benefits of networking

Some commonly cited benefits of networking include:

• Explore interests with like-minded individuals
• Socialize with new people
• Learn about new job opportunities
• Receive job referrals

As such, networking has become an essential part of career development. People often rely on their network to exchange news and information about their field and socialize around industry-relevant topics more casually than they might in a standard work meeting.

Examples of networking

With the right people, you can turn any social experience into a networking opportunity. There are a range of networking approaches that can suit a variety of preferences and comfort levels. Some forms of networking include:

• Attending group networking events
• Attending an industry-related conference
• Joining an online community
• Participating in online forums
• Meeting a new contact for coffee
• Reaching out to a potential contact via email or on a social networking site
• Asking a friend to introduce you to their contact
• Staying in touch with a former coworker

Tips for successful networking

Networking is primarily a social experience, and socializing is generally meant to be fun. If you enjoy participating in and learning about your field, you can likely find a networking approach that fits your preferences.

In fact, your most fruitful connections may be those you enjoy engaging with since you’ll be more inclined to participate in those relationships actively. To create the best networking environment for you, start by pursuing the types of social settings where you feel most comfortable.

Want to know more? Head on over to the full article?here?for more ideas and perspective. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected]; or call me on 0467 749 378.

Thanks,

Robert