Tips & Tricks for Networking and Why It’s Important
Hello, friends!
You may recall in my last blog when I pointed out the incredible networks you could potentially build while volunteering and giving back to your community. The importance of networking certainly deserves an entire month’s topic all on its own so let’s dive in.
Regardless of where you are in your career or personal life, there is always a benefit to building your network whether that is meeting new people entirely or reaching out to previous contacts to reengage with them.
You may be thinking to yourself, “what exactly is networking?”
According to Merriam-Websters dictionary, networking is:
“the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.”
I would beg to differ that networking isn’t just for employment or business and can be just as beneficial in our personal lives in building new friendships as well, but hopefully, you get the gist.
So, how do you take action in networking? Here are three tips to instantly start building your network:
Join an organization such as a Young Professionals network in your area and start attending Mixers. These events are designed specifically for young professionals to meet new people! To help make things easier, bring a friend with you and introduce yourselves to someone new together. For my Rutland County friends, be sure to check out the powerful Rutland Young Professionals.
Find someone that you admire or look up to in your professional world and ask them about their career path and any advice they may have about building your career. People love to talk about their paths in life and truly appreciate when they are admired by others. Ask them for a 30-minute discussion and I can almost guarantee by the end of the conversation they will have agreed to introduce you to at least one new individual. And guess what? That person then introduces you to another, and so on.
Volunteer! See what I did there? If not, take a moment and read my previous blog.
I have made a primary focus to always network, even when I may not be looking for a career change because you never know what it might lead to. I served as an active volunteer for Rutland Young Professionals for several years and made a tremendous amount of professional connections through the countless events I attended. But in addition to these professional relationships, I also made some of my greatest friends along the way – friends who have similar drive and desire to meet new people and just have a good time.
For those of you that may be looking for a career change and are spending hours on Indeed, this is your sign to start putting out some feelers. It is absolutely okay and perfectly normal (and I highly encourage you to do so) to reach out to a few individuals you admire and let them know you’re looking for the next chapter in your career. You will be amazed at how quickly you start to meet new powerful individuals and learn of new opportunities that exist in this world.
So, my challenge for you this month is to try one of the first TWO tips above (because hopefully, you did the third one last month already!) to expand your network. Either attend a networking event (even if it is virtual) such as a Mix or reach out to someone you admire in your professional world and talk to them about their career path. It is amazing how quickly you will be adding contacts into your phone – ones that you will keep in touch with for quite some time.
Now go meet new people! I grew up in a small town with the mindset that I knew everyone already. I was so very wrong. Even in our small rural Vermont towns, there is always a new person to meet, a new story to hear, or a new friend to make. This world is filled with amazing people – go add them to your list.
Still a little nervous about networking or not sure where to start? Let’s talk!