But after all, what is networking and why it is so important?
The aim is to build mutual relationships with people for employment or business. It is a learned skill. So, don’t fell shy. Most of us were not born with the ability to do it naturally. It can be nerve-wracking and it is totally normal if your heart beats a little bit faster when going through networking path. You can build yours in three main ways:
- by keeping in touch with your contacts - face to face
– by attending events
- by social media
As we know how hard it can be, here we go with 5 tips for navigating the networking path.
1 – Plan your networking
Get ready to put yourself in situations where you will be rubbing shoulders with people that can help you to achieve your goals. Attending your target industry events, joining and actively participating in online forums or commenting on a post of your key contacts are some ways to be noticed. The more you practice, more you will get better at it.
2 – How can you help your contact?
Remember that you are building a short or long term relationship that must give benefits to both parties. So, first, try to show how you could help your contact. Avoid seeking immediate advantages. Don’t ask for a job or try to sell your product. Have the future in mind.
3 – Be yourself
Think about how you present yourself and your skills. Be authentic and don’t try to be the person you think others want to meet. Be prepared to talk about yourself having a professional summary of less than one minute giving the most relevant information about you, your experience and skills.
4 - Follow up
Follow up, as the main purpose is to build deeper connections. Create a reason to keep in touch. It can be a phone call reminding your contact of how you can help him, sending an article about some discussion you had before or meeting him in another event. The most important: try to find opportunities to maintain the connection.
5 – Set a target
The networking art takes time and focus. So, set yourself a target, such as the companies you want to know, the number of people you want to contact, the forums you want to participate actively. Ah! Don’t forget to let your friends know that you need help. Stick around with your connections and improve your networking.
Well, now you have the tips. Get set! Ready! Go Networking!