Building a Strong Professional Network

1. Introduction to Professional Networking

Networking arises both in business relationships and in social relationships. The business interest results from the development of opportunities for engaging in functional work, such as employment or a business deal. The social focus on advancement and relationship strength arises when one person offers more to the entrepreneur than merely the ability to make connections with other people. When people can be relied on to carry out their plans and follow through to achieve the set goals for networking, it is enhanced.

Professional networking involves developing and maintaining professional relationships with other professionals. The goal of most professional relationships is to increase opportunities for business transactions, which include the relationships between employers and employees, and those among colleagues. The best networking systems, therefore, are those which are based on trustworthy mutual interactions and provide valid information through people you know and trust. It is a necessary activity for personal and professional growth, and it is not to be confused with social interactions.

2. Strategies for Building and Maintaining a Professional Network

Take advantage of the most comfortable options for your professional networking needs by choosing techniques and venues that you actually enjoy. Don’t force yourself to attend large, formal events if you don’t enjoy them just because that’s where you think you should meet the most important people. If you like engaging in social media forums or using specific online tools, use those. The fact that you enjoy the interaction shines through and makes the best impression. Use the more formal or logistically confusing options as supplements, and seek to create friendships or professional connections that you can sustain through these venues. Schedule one-on-one coffee or lunch dates with people you’ve met and would like to get to know better. Go to local or national conferences and events of interest to select individuals and arrange connections. Engage in writing and speaking, and use your email signature to mention what you do and for whom in a way that naturally draws people in.

When it comes to landing a job or securing business leads, it’s often not what you know, but who you know that matters. To that end, a strong professional network can significantly help you grow your career or business. Keep these strategies in mind to support your professional network without feeling too overwhelmed, strange, or needy in the process. For some people, building a professional network comes naturally, but you can learn skills to make yourself more comfortable in these settings. Aim to create meaningful business relationships with the people you meet by responding to their needs, giving them guidance and advice when necessary, and sharing your current knowledge and skills. After all, it’s easier to ask for someone’s help or make a connection when you have something to offer in return.

3. Leveraging Social Media and Online Platforms for Networking

Moreover, a strong professional online presence helps with networking and brand building. It also supports reciprocity and enables you to build goodwill by linking and publicizing the work of others, promoting their success stories, and making helpful contributions. It’s generally smart to be aware of what influences how you are perceived online and to be able to manage and leverage that perception. Of course, one can also leverage social media to meaningfully connect with other professionals. Large communities such as Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and other forms of social media contain a lot of noise. Values-driven subcommunities on these platforms can also contain a lot of helpful and informative conversations that could lead to meaningful relationships and connections. There is value in joining communities in which you can give back and help other members with their issues. Once you’ve established your expertise or connection to the field, you will find it easier to network by asking for help or advice about specific topics. The consistent demonstration of your expertise will mark you as a trustworthy candidate. It’s important to establish your relationship with the group first before reaching out. This makes it feel like no more than a request for a small favor from a friend instead of an abrupt appeal from a complete stranger. Social media also have job boards, and recruiters use them to find suitable candidates, so don’t be shy about posting your requirements. At this point, making yourself findable and discoverable by others in your space might be more important to you than actually connecting with others. You should always customize and personalize your approach to connecting with individuals; treat those whom you meet with respect, kindness, and gratitude.

Online platforms and social media create myriad new opportunities for economic and professional advancement. Employers almost always ask for your LinkedIn profile and may also request your GitHub, Behance, or other professional social platform profiles. Your online history is also now used more than ever in the employment process. Many potential employees have had their employment offers rescinded because someone representing or affiliated with a company didn’t like their position on social media. This could be a political position, a belief, or an activity or image that a company finds embarrassing or perhaps overly risky in terms of employment. There are also many examples of companies that haven’t hired people because they couldn’t find evidence of a social history, which made them suspicious. Understand that this cuts both ways. It’s your right to abstain from social media, but these days, people are growing more suspicious if they can’t find evidence of positive social participation. Not having an online record creates a different set of assumptions, some of which will be negative. Note this also applies if you have an online life that doesn’t appear to be empathetic or kinder. Such activity can be misinterpreted by potential employers as well. The way you come across online reflects on you professionally and can affect your ability to get a job or clients.

4. Effective Communication and Relationship Building in Networking

Communicate honestly and seek to provide value. Be yourself and share your stories, experience, and expertise. People figure out pretty quickly if someone has the habit of putting on false pretenses or is pretending to be somebody they’re not. If you offer help and mentor others along the way, that can be where you really add value and strengthen your interconnected professional network. With time, you are going to get to be known as the ‘go-to’ expert, and other professionals in your network will feel comfortable in turn with providing you with valuable advice, help, and opportunities, as well as introductions and resources.

Maintain perseverance and post-event follow-up. A network cannot be built overnight or over weeks. Networking demands patience, time, perseverance, and some work. For example, sending a simple email to someone you meet at a meeting or conference will make a huge difference in establishing a new networking relationship.

Be authentic. Networking in a professional context should not be primarily transactional. Fundamentally, networking should be focused on making genuine connections with people you like and respect, and who feel the same about you. Building a strong professional network is not equivalent to gathering phone numbers or email addresses. It’s about communicating and building relationships with your contacts over time, which involves providing them with your support, resources, referrals, and introductions when they need assistance or opportunities, as well as when they ask for your help.