Networking for Beginners
First of all it’s important to understand what a network is, your networking is people you have built relationships with based on similar interests, similar industry or expertise. To build a good network, it’s about supporting each other both professionally and personally.
Where to start
Networking is all about quality rather than quantity, it’s way more beneficial for you to have a smaller network of people who you know you can rely upon than to have hundreds of acquaintances that you don’t really know.
Start looking for people who can help make a difference in your career, find people in your industry who can help you learn a new skill, or answer some questions you may have. Connecting with people online has been a huge factor in growing your network. Send a DM to someone you want to connect with or share their content online and see how you can continue to nurture relationships through social media!
Add value to others
A key to networking is truly finding the balance of give and take. No one wants to help you if you only ever ask for things and never lend a helping hand. Most people network so they can have people to rely on when they need help, when you’re starting out with networking it’s really important that you offer to help first.
Make sure your relationship with the person is actually adding value to their life, when asking questions make sure you’ve done your research. Know a little bit about who they are and what they do so you can see where you can offer insight and value.
Go to networking events
Attending events is a great way to meet new people. Look for events in your desired career path or industry, there are so many different types of networking events like business seminars, conventions and specific networking groups. If you meet someone there, obviously you both have a similar interest and you can focus on building your relationship based on that!
We said it before but we’ll say it again, it’s all about the connection and relationship then it is about the number of people you’ve met. It doesn’t help anyone if you exchange emails but never connected. Take the time to add value to the lives of the people in your network and watch it grow!