CAREER MONDAYS: 5 key benefits of professional networking

How many times do you say to yourself that you need to meet more people? That your circle of influence needs to be strengthened?

That your skills and talents have yet to be discovered?  Your career requires you to network and in today’s marketplace you must be more active than ever.

Relationships matter to your career no matter the organisation or level of seniority because, ultimately, every job boils down to interacting with people.

People control resources, opportunities, information, and the like. An individual’s power is raised exponentially with the help of a team (network).

The key benefits of professional networking are:

Opportunities

A vast, well-maintained professional network will likely be ripe with opportunity. While you may not be actively looking to change positions, it’s likely your network will regularly pass along insight into a variety of career opportunities. This means you’re getting the first look at a position before anyone else. In fact, according to recent studies, employees hired through referral are hired 55 percent faster than those who come from a career site.

Growth

Personal and professional growth is crucial to a successful career. Similar to the guidance and support provided by a portion of your network, some of your contacts might also be beneficial in helping your reach new heights within your career, whether it’s pushing you to apply for a position you initially felt was out of your realm or simply inspiring you to work harder on a daily basis.

Resources 

A strong network can easily be utilised as a resource centre for a variety of your career needs. Consider each of your connections as a one-of-a-kind book of experiences. Your network is likely to be exploding with information with regard to every aspect of career success and challenge.

Credibility

Talking about ideas and discussing your perspectives is always a great in person conversation with new networking contacts because you can have a more detailed, personal conversation. Being known as an expert in your field and being recognised for what you do can help open doors to speaking engagements, opportunities and relationships with others in your field.

Support

You’re likely to be faced with a variety of trials and tribulations throughout your career journey. A strong support system will help you manage your challenges and celebrations more effectively. Calling on your professional contacts in times of needs might take some getting used to, but always remember it’s a two-way street. Open chains of communication with your network will allow you to provide a mutually beneficial setting for the daily encounters of a successful career.

Let your network be your secret weapon when it comes to your career. It’s never too late to begin building a vast network of beneficial relationships. Join us on the Elite Professional Networking Forum Click Here

Author

Daniel Mutuku, Careers Director at Careerpoint Solutions Join us on the Elite Professional Networking Forum Click Here