Top Tips on Career Networking
The key to your own job development is ultimately seeking out chances to network with people or other professionals who have different interests and viewpoints.
However, networking may be exhausting, and you might not feel like doing it after a stressful day.
It's crucial to muster the strength and determination to push through and channel the confidence you need to forge genuine connections while you're sitting at your computer unsure of whether you'll actually attend the networking event you had pencilled in your schedule.
There is a lot of misunderstanding and false information regarding proper work networking as our transition to a digital world continues to progress. Every week with my LinkedIn profile, I notice people reach out in an unprofessional way, destroying relationships that may have been very helpful to them. Find out every tip you need to know to avoid hazardous workplaces.
What is Career Networking?
Career Networking simply means the process of building connections and relationships. These relationships may offer you contacts and career guidance, which will aid in your decision-making. Some unadvertised jobs and internships are most of the time found through networking. In a group or one-on-one context, networking is possible.
Remember:
1. The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity." --
Keith Ferrazzi3. "My Golden Rule of Networking is simple: Don't keep score." -
- Harvey Mackay 5. "Networking is not about just connecting people. It's about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities." --
Michele Jennae 6. "Networking is a lot like nutrition and fitness: we know what to do, the hard part is making it a top priority." --
Herminia Ibarra
To analyse this case in ampler depth, I recently joined a group of professionals as a career research Senior Analyst, networking for a job and building a supportive community to help. I will share some of these tips here, hoping they will be resourceful for someone.
I've listed my opinion of the most crucial networking advice below to assist you to find new mentors, sponsors, and ambassadors who can help advance you and your work:
Tip: 1
Quit avoiding networking opportunities.
If you
want to create a profession that will grow along with you and is truly
rewarding, you must comprehend why networking is so important.
Recent studies
have shown that up to 80% of employees are not obtained through internet
applications but through personal and professional connections and that 70% of
jobs are not published publicly. This simply means that possibilities to learn
about perfect roles, have the chance to apply for them and have the opportunity
to interview for them may come through networking.
You
need to surround yourself with inspiring and talented employees if you desire
to secure jobs, evaluate candidates, and advance professionally. For the past
ten years, Judy Robinett, best-selling author of How to Be a Power Connector
and Crack the Funding Code, has been one of my top mentors. Instead of focusing
solely on connecting with people, she advises us to "get in the right room"
in order to advance our careers and professional pursuits.
Regardless
of your professional stage, if you want to have a thriving, meaningful career,
you absolutely need to build a network of individuals who can support, advise,
and inspire you.
A strong network enables you to:
- Discover
interesting new positions of interest;
- Investigate
employers and cultures;
- Connect with
people already working for your ideal company or in your desired
field;
- Come to the
realization that you are deserving of more opportunities than you
initially thought, and
Present
yourself more persuasively.
Unfortunately,
there are a lot of reasons why thousands of people avoid networking. They
circumvent it first because they believe it to be profoundly stressful or
unsavoury and awkward. Additionally, introverts frequently feel that networking
is opposite to their preferred personal style.
Tip: 2
It is crucial to keep in mind that this is not going to be your
last job.
You
require a network of mentors or sponsors to open doors you cannot open on your
own and prevent the mistake of staying too long in a dead-end role or
organization. Another vital point to remember about networking is that
professionals who are dissatisfied with their jobs often remain isolated for
years. This isolated life makes them fail to build the relationships they
require outside of their current organization to help them escape those
unsatisfying situations.
Many
unfulfilled and disengaged professionals believe they do not know how to talk
about themselves or their accomplishments and talents in compelling and
positive ways, so they hide and remain stuck for years.
This is
one of the seven most damaging power gaps that 98% of professional women (and
90% of the men I've studied) face today, preventing them from reaching their
highest, most rewarding potential, according to my research. This
"hiding" behaviour is known as the Power Gap: According to my most
recent survey on isolating from Influential Support, 71% of professional women
worldwide are experiencing it today. Furthermore, when I ask unsatisfied
professionals who their role models are, the most common response is, "I
don't have any." When we lack role models, we limit our access to crucial
data and great examples of innovative ways to operate and contribute
professionally.
If you
want to land ideal roles that excite and stretch you- this has to change. You
must fully comprehend what you excel at, the improvements and upgrades you
bring, and why hiring managers should choose you over someone else. And
networking will be beneficial in this regard.
Take
steps this week to improve how you operate at work and how you present yourself
online about your work. Are you demonstrating that you are engaged, committed,
and enthusiastic about your work showing that you are a thoughtful leader, a
contributor, and an inspiring manager?
List
the top 50 people in your career who have been the most helpful, make a
connection and share how they have positively impacted you as a starting point.
On LinkedIn, endorse and recommend them. Every week, perform a random act of
kindness and offer an unprompted and generous endorsement.
Follow
and share the posts of 50 top thoughtful leaders and influencers in your field
(or the career path you want to venture).
Tip: 3
Take note of some important Dos and Don'ts for job seekers who
want to effectively network.
Top Don’ts
Don't
approach a complete stranger and ask for a favour right away. Make a connection
first by being of generous service.
Don't
make a hard pitch to someone right after you've connected with them. Nobody
wants to be hawked. You'll forever burn bridges.
Don't
use canned language; instead, be original, creative, and authentic.
Don't
ask a stranger you've just met to recommend you for a job or to introduce you
to the hiring manager. People will not risk their lives for someone they have
never met.
Do not
approach a stranger and ask them to "pick their brain." Recognize
that many of the people you're seeking information from make a living by
providing this type of consulting.
Do this:
- List 50 persons
you'd like to connect with and help in some way (share their content and
add your thought leadership, etc.)
- Do become a
member of organizations, societies, and groups in the field of your choice
and take an active role in them by participating in discussions and
offering insightful responses to queries.
- Do keep in mind
to network with a diverse group of people in and outside of your field
that you like and appreciate. By helping share their work, you may show
them your potential.
- Do suggest those
who have had a favourable effect on you, as well as endorse them for
important abilities.
- Don't use your
work title in your headline on LinkedIn. You are more than any single
job.
Tip: 4
Be someone who is easily assisting.
Overall,
the key takeaway is to not be lazy or passive in your search and evaluation of
jobs that will help you thrive in your career.
Do
everything you can to achieve professional success and begin an exciting new
chapter.
Here's how it's done:
Create
an ideal job description for what you want to do next, including all of the
criteria, qualifications, areas of expertise, and so on and share it widely
with your mentors.
Take
steps to close power and skill gaps if you do not have all of the qualifications
for the job you want.
To
develop those skills, take a class, obtain a certification, volunteer, intern,
etc.
Remember
to look for work.
Do not
forget to apply for jobs even if you could only meet 50%–60% of the
requirements.
Men
frequently apply for jobs even if they only meet 60% of the requirements,
according to research, whereas women typically only apply for positions if they
meet 100% of the requirements.
Don't
commit that error. Take on challenging roles. Jobs are frequently designed and
customized for the ideal applicant.
Make a
list of the 20 companies you'd most like to work for, and then search among
your current contacts (people you already have such a relationship with) for
somebody who may know someone who works there whom you could contact.
Make
sure you've done your research by reading up on the companies you're interested
in on sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and salary.com.
Tip: 5
Finally,
understand that how you feel about yourself internally and how you present
yourself externally are intricately tied to your success in your job hunt and
career.
Identifying
and expressing your fundamental value and the constructive contribution you can
make to a new workplace is crucial.
Get
assistance if you lack confidence, self-worth, and a clear understanding of
what you have to offer and if you need to improve your ability to explain what
you bring to the table and how you differ from the competitors, then you need
to close your power gaps and take audacious action now to go beyond your
perceptions of your capabilities.
Doors
will open, and your potential will soar as soon as you do.
Read Also: TIPS TO BECOME A CHAMPION: Success Manual for Aspiring Achievers
Tips on How to Land Yourself a Dream Job| Learn How you can get that Dream Job
Kingsmond Ehimare is a career and leadership coach, speaker, and
educator.
This intellectual property belongs to KCmond Consulting. No part of it is expected to copy or publish without the sole permission.
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