Networking - what is it and how to get started?

Networking is a key skill in building a career and business. It involves establishing and maintaining relationships that can benefit you professionally. Learn what networking is, why you should practice it, and how to start networking effectively.

Networking - what is it?

Networking is a business marketing concept, but that doesn't mean you have to run a business to practice it. You can use it to build your own personal career. It's a way of doing things that everyone can use in the future.

Networking - what is it? According to the definition from Wikipedia, it is "the process of exchanging information, resources, mutual support and opportunities, conducted through a beneficial network of mutual contacts." The world's largest encyclopedia notes that networking activities should be calculated for the long term, are based on mutual trust and mutual benefit. Business networking plays a special role in filling senior positions, Wikipedia notes

Each of us has a larger or smaller group of friends. Friends from school, from college, from your child's school, from work, from the block, from the bazaar, from the store, from the lot, from work, etc. This is a classification of acquaintances based on where they meet.

We can also divide the same friends, let's call it, functionally. We don't usually think about it, but we all somehow divide friends in this way. We contact some about growing plants, others about going skiing together, and others about choosing a car, playing bridge, drinking vodka or legal advice. Networking is about consciously choosing people with whom we can establish professional contacts.

Why do I need networking?

If you are an entrepreneur and now you have so many orders that you can't make it, it doesn't have to be that way at all in six months or a year. Then you may need friends to recommend your services, for example.

If you are a dedicated employee, it doesn't mean that the company won't part with you. Sometimes very deserving, award-winning employees find out a few months later that they don't fit in with the team and say goodbye. Then it may be too late to seek contacts and help from friends. And it's worth being aware that a large number of vacancies, especially the nicer ones, are not advertised anywhere. You can only find out about them through acquaintances.

Building professional networks - why is it important?

An extensive network of professional contacts allows the person who has it to take a key position in the group. Such a person can help establish business relationships with his contacts, which can lead to a whole new positive relationship. One can also count on reciprocity. At the same time, a network of business contacts can act as an early warning tool in case of unexpected threats.

Effective networking tools

Social networking sites are great for building networks. Some people build such networks through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram although these are not the sites set up for this purpose. A typical site for building a network of professional acquaintances is LinkedIn. It is worth building a network of contacts there. Gaining new business relationships is one side of the coin, the other is maintaining positive relationships. This is what social media serves well.

Building business relationships - where to look for opportunities?

To build business relationships, social media activity alone is not enough. Building a network must also be based on contacts in real life. You can build a network of contacts in your industry by signing up for organizations that bring together representatives of a particular branch of business. It is also worth participating in conferences and industry events such as trade fairs, competitions, award ceremonies.

Networking - how to get started?

You don't have to be the soul of the company or a big shot to create a base of professional contacts. Anyone can and should create one. Only the ways to build it and the extent vary. A bricklayer will usually look for contacts close to where he lives, unless a big contract comes along. An IT specialist can look for work all over the world, because he can do it from his own chair.

You can start to build a base of business contacts from people you already know. From among your friends from skiing, school, plot of land... select those people who may have something to do with the field you are interested in. A discreet interview, social networks, or simply an Internet search can be useful for this.

It is important to remember the rules of professional networking.

• Don't ask for jobs directly, Try to find out about interesting offers by following your friends' posts.
• Remember, this is a win-win network. So don't just take, but give.
• Try to expand your contact base all the time. Do not consider that it is already complete. That one new contact may turn out to be a breakthrough in your career.

Making professional contacts - what is worth considering?

Business networking is not just about quantity, but also and perhaps especially about quality of contacts. A good contact, himself having a lot of his own contacts, can be many times more valuable than a lot of acquaintances with little outside activity. When building a network of acquaintances, it is worth trying to get the most valuable contacts, i.e. get to know the leaders of a particular industry. You also have to be very careful not to step on a landmine. A mine may be a contact with a bad reputation, unreliable, committing fraud. It is better to cross him out of the contact database in advance, without waiting for others to start judging you through the prism of this person.

You can develop a base of business acquaintances at social gatherings, conferences, events. If you have a company registered in our virtual office, you can also look for contacts among the entities registered here.