New Stance on Networking
Has the word networking ever made you cringe? The majority of people do not like the term nor participate; however, networking is one of the most misunderstood and misused strategies in the professional world.
Networking: The action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts
This definition is misleading in terms of social connection. Networking is about building relationships through meaningful connections.
The benefit of Networking is when you develop meaningful connections (not just an email saved somewhere) with other professionals, you can:
-Participate in more informed conversations
-Become a giver and receiver of valuable relationships that grow with you.
-Who you know is more important than what you know.
Let's touch on the last two.
Become a giver and receiver of valuable relationships that grow with you.
Have you ever heard the term hidden job market? It. Lives. Right. Here.
To both your benefits, creating meaningful relationships with professionals around you can mean an extraordinary backlog of candidates at your fingertips if a position opens up at work or a side project.
A vast network cultivated with people who root for you and will keep you in mind for opportunities. Friends want friends to succeed network's root for each other's success and growth.
Who you know is more important than what you know.
Living in 2022, access to any information is at our fingertips. A gift that comes with a price, the paradox of choice, and misinformation to name a few.
Becoming a lifelong learner is the best gift to the self. To reap the most benefits of lifelong learning is where networking comes in.
There are plenty of things learned the hard way and many skills others possess that you do not. With this in mind, why should each person learn everything the hard way? We should not. With strong networks, access to endless skillsets, knowledge, and experience is all around. You are equally as knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled to be worthy of receiving. Becoming a giver of the things you learned the hard way can rapidly speed up your learning of new skills. To be a giver is to become a great receiver. There is no need to teach yourself everything the hard way when you have a developed and close network that is more than willing to share their knowledge and advice as you are.
Utilize this, by focusing on helping each other and building each other up; there is no telling how much can be accomplished.
"It's who you know, not what you know that matters most" -WanderlustWorker
Networking has a lot of stigmas to it, and for a good reason. The image of suits, handing off business cards to be stored for a rainy day or tossed after a handshake. This is factual for people with those interests. There's a whole population of respectable professionals who would love more friendship and knowledge in their life. Be that resource for as many as you can; the rest will follow. Others' successes are yours, and your success will be shared with the network created from meaningful conversations and a giving attitude.