The Importance of Networking in Career Success and How to Do It Right
All people who achieve great success always have teachers, mentors or great sources of support behind them. Building human relationships should be a key skill to develop at any point in our lives, whether in the personal or business world. If we talk about business, a good network of contacts can give us a lot of strength, so building strong relationships with professionals in the sector will help you climb professionally. But how do you get those contacts? The answer is found by good networking.
What is networking?
Networking is about strengthening professional relationships and growing collaboratively in the job market. Many people are given a very simplistic view, which reduces it to adding followers on social networks or participating in events, but it goes much further. It’s a way to build professional relationships in different environments and learn how to use them purposefully. Not only do you need to be good at business to network, you must know how to please and influence people. To do this, Dale Carnegie’s book, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, presents some interesting keys:
- Be a good listener.
- Talk about your conversational interests.
- Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.
Why should you use networking?
Networking aims to build a network of work contacts that can lead to professional opportunities for you.
New partners and opportunities: The more people you meet, the more control you have over the sector, which opens many doors for you to collaborate with other entrepreneurs or get opportunities.
Greater visibility and relevance: Interacting and connecting with others in your sector will soon mean more people know you and are interested in your work.
Have you heard of “keep your enemies close”? Common contacts will help you observe them closely, and you will have a chance to guess and distinguish yourself.
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Different types of networking groups
You can participate in various networking groups to expand your professional contacts. The most common types of networking groups include:
Online group
These are online groups that connect like-minded people to build professional relationships. For example, you can join an online graphic designer networking group to meet other graphic designers and learn about potential opportunities in the industry. This type of network is useful for people who are too busy and need more time to meet in person.
Professional associations
Many industries have professional associations that allow people to connect with others and expand their contact base in that industry. These associations can also help people gain customers and expand their exposure to a company’s services or products.
Casual communication groups
People form these networks casually, and people from different industries come together to build relationships and expand their professional contacts. A chamber of commerce is an example of a casual contact group.
Strong communication groups
Such networking groups typically allow one person per profession to join the network for commercial reference and production purposes. Strong communication groups are very exclusive and can be difficult to break into.
Community Service Club
Such networking groups primarily provide a service to the community. However, it can be beneficial for building lasting relationships, eventually leading to professional benefits.
5 Keys to Successful Networking
Quality is better than quantity
This is the first and most basic piece of advice, which can be applied to many areas of our lives. When networking, prioritize quality over quantity. Build genuine relationships that create real and organic engagement. It is not the number of followers that will give you good results but the quality of the connections you can make with them. Try to build value from both sides of the relationship, achieving a win for a win.
Remember the importance of social networks
Social networks are an essential companion for networking. The first step is well-optimized profiles with a corporate touch: professional profile photo, meaningful title, and corporate colour. The next thing is to start sharing content related to your sector that is interesting and valuable. This way, you will attract professionals and work on your brand.
Once you have all your profiles ready, it’s time to contact the contacts you’re interested in using the list we mentioned in the first point. Connect with these people and companies. Of course, be careful not to spam and work on the relationship slowly.
Dedicate some time a week to working on relationships. This will familiarize contacts with you and make a good first impression. Also, social networks are a perfect showcase for learning relevant information about others and building a network of quality professional contacts.
Select any contacts you are interested in
It would help if you had a strategy to network. Time is money, so getting to the point and choosing what kind of communication we want is essential.
Do a comprehensive analysis of your sector, considering competition, potential suppliers or interested investors, and related companies. Capture this data into an Excel file that includes social networks, contact telephone numbers, a brief biography about them, and the purpose of networking.
This list can (and should) change as new opportunities arise through encouraging contact building. A good way to start is to join online events and see who is going there. Similarly, if there is a relevant event, look at its hashtag and see who is commenting.
By defining your list well, you can start studying these people and figure out how to reach them.
Communicate outside of work.
You should aim to network in more than just professional environments. As you know, the point is to strengthen the relationship; nothing is better than taking them outside the work environment to do that. Please take advantage of these moments to be out of the office, invite your colleagues and be positive when they invite you. Sharing free time is a sign that you are always there, not a partner who only shows up when you need something. Also, these more relaxed environments frequented by people in your sector are perfect for making new contacts. Be bold and talk about yourself. Self-promotion is essential for any professional. And there is no one better to develop your brand than yourself. Set yourself apart from others by being authentic and creating value, but take good care of boundaries that can make you appear arrogant, negatively impacting your networking.
This is just the beginning.
As expected, maintaining a strong, long-term relationship is key to networking. Contacting at an event or connecting with others on LinkedIn is just the beginning.
Once you’ve established that first contact, it’s time to implement a strategy to keep that contact loyal to your company. Create a monthly newsletter, interact through social networks, and attend events where you present, all while keeping things constant and analyzing the results obtained.
Successful networking doesn’t mean you make connections. This connection should be about building meaningful and long-lasting relationships that provide mutual value. Always focus on quality over quantity. Social media will give you a special benefit. You can create a solid network to help you advance your career. Keep in mind that networking isn’t just a one-off event; it’s a continuous effort that can lead to new opportunities and partnerships.
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