Are You Afraid of Networking?
Dr. Jasmine Escalera
Life Reinvention Strategist | Career Expert @BOLD | Helping Women Reinvent Their Lives with Clarity, Courage & Community via The Courage Crew
I’m not going to lie.
I always knew networking was important. But I didn’t necessarily want to do it. Especially being the only woman of color in nearly every professional room I entered in my field.
I always felt uncomfortable and never actually knew how to connect with those around me.
So, I didn’t.
And that my friends in the BIGGEST career mistake I made early on. And I know it cost me opportunities. Possibilities. Positions. Even level up money.
And everything changed when I finally got myself over the networking scaries.
How did I do it?
I dropped the term networking and started considering the community I wanted to build. And once I connected to the term “community,” things changed because community to me means support. Encouragement. A group of people like you who can share their experiences and connect in a caring way.
Thinking about a professional community that I wanted to build made the process easier. Now it was about identifying people of color who had walked the path I walked and could give me solid advice on how to navigate it.
It became about finding champions and sponsors who wanted me to be me and would lift me up because of who I was. I now felt empowered instead of scared. Inspired instead of fearful.
Creating a community felt right to me. And I encourage you to do the same.
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How?
Remember that your career is 100% about you! And your professional community should be as well. So design, develop, and cultivate it as you see fit.
Want to learn more about how community helped me to become the woman I am today? Then you must listen to this week’s episode of Her Next Career Move. It is a dedication to my community and will surely inspire you to connect to yours.
Check out this week’s episode now.
Want to work together? Then let’s do it! Schedule a consult call to learn more about how my coaching can support you in making your next career move and landing more money.
LinkedIn Trainer & Coach | Workshop Facilitator | Social Media Strategist | I help students, professionals, and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) harness the power of LinkedIn and content creation
2 年This is very insightful, Doc Jasmine!! I really like how you reframed "networking" to "community building." It makes the thought of meeting new people more enjoyable because you're meeting people who will add to your life and vice versa. I think more people would attend events if they were called community-building events rather than networking events. Thanks for sharing!
--Aviation facts & development...
2 年Thank you for sharing ???? very helpful and informative.....
Host of The Free Retiree Show ?? and Wealth Manager Helping Individuals and Companies with Retirement Planning ????????
2 年Happy Friday, Jasmine!
??Award Winning Resumé Writer???| LinkedIn Profiles | $50 Video Resume Critique Below????|?Technical Writer by Day, Resume Connoisseur by Night ? I will bring you to life on paper ?? so Recruiters do a double take??
2 年I am glad you have overcome your fear!?? Having a solid community can do wonders!
CFA program candidate passionate to serve in consultancy environment. Passed CFA level II
2 年Networking can be challenging for a myriad of reasons; lack of confidence, shame/regret of erstwhile lack of productivity or achievement, a tacit sense of inferiority resulting from silent comparisons one makes with the individuals they see as potential mentors. The content of the above article offer an immense reframing technique revolving around building communities with participants that share values. Thank you very much for posting this helpful literature.