A lot of people forget or overlook this aspect of working life, but networking is one of the most important things you can do for your career. Life is about the relationships and connections you build, and so is work in so many ways. If you are the very best at what you do and you keep your head down, plugging away, day in and day out you are unlikely to be known within your industry if you don’t get out there and get noticed.
Here’s some ways to leverage networking to advance your career, and get noticed.
Attend as many free and paid industry events as possible
It’s not just about the knowledge you’ll gain from a presentation or panel discussion. The person you meet at the next industry event could be the person to offer you your next job, or could introduce you to your next opportunity with an endorsement. We’re all time poor, but if you set yourself a target of at least one networking event per quarter, you will be on your way to claiming some of the benefits it can offer.
Take up training courses
Training and development should be a part of every role, but attending courses is a particularly great way to meet like-minded people who are often at similar stages in their careers. Get their early and stay a bit afterwards to mingle to get the most out of the events.
If you’re stuck for something to say, simply introduce yourself with a light and positive comment about the event, then ask the other person something about themselves – virtually everyone loves talking about their own lives and experiences to a willing listener!
The people you meet at training courses can form a great network for you – and even if you only ever meet them once, if you come across their organisation again it can be really helpful that you’ve already met someone there. You may even be able to get in touch with them in advance of your interaction with their company if you have collected and kept their business card! They can provide you with valuable advice and insights, if not a face-only endorsement.
Build your relationship with your current team outside of work
I always feel great when I build a relationship with my current team, because I feel closer to them and I feel like I’m cared about outside of work as well. It’s so important to feel like you’re not just a valued working member but also a valued human being – after all, we spend a third or more of our lives at work! It doesn’t need to be close relationships where you call each other every night or on the weekends – a monthly or a weekly lunch with members of your team, trivia nights or drinks every now and then will do the trick. It helps everyone to feel like they’re human, connected, respected and not just a working robot – which I know when we work really hard all the time we can sometimes feel!
When have you found networking has benefited you?
