Networking:
Everything That You Need to Know
One of the most common pieces of advice that you see for career development is networking, but is it really that important? Networking can certainly help you to get ahead and develop your career as building a large professional network can open new doors, improve your professional relationship and help you to form useful connections in your industry.
It is clear that networking is helpful for career development, so how can you network effectively? Read on for all that you need to know.
Attend Industry Events
Networking online is certainly important (more on this below), but face-to-face networking is much more effective and helps you to create stronger relationships. You should be looking to attend industry events on a regular basis and use these opportunities to engage with others in your field of work.
Join Online Groups & Social Media
It is also worthwhile networking online as this allows you to build a much larger and even global network, plus it can be easier to maintain relationships online and means that you do not constantly have to attend events. Online groups, social media and LinkedIn are all great platforms for networking online, but like when networking in person, you need to make sure that you are maintaining a professional image online.
Focus on a Few People
When attending industry events, it is much better to focus on speaking with a few people rather than spreading yourself too thin by trying to speak to everyone. It will be much better to develop a strong relationship with even just one person as opposed to briefly meeting 20 people, so keep this in mind when attending events.
Use Business Cards
You should always carry business cards with you when networking or even just out and about (you never know who you might meet), which can be a smart way to solidify relationships and ensure that those that you engage with have your contact details. There is an art to a great business card, so make sure that you have an attractive design and use a business card printing specialist to make your cards.
Don’t Make It All About You
Finally, you should not see networking purely as a way to advance your career as people will see through this. Instead, you need to have a genuine interest in other people, enjoy making new friends and be willing to help out others when they need it.
These tips should help you to build and maintain a professional relationship that could help you to progress and develop your career.
