Why Networking is so important and some of my top tips

I get it — networking isn’t at the top of everyone’s to-do list. It can be time consuming, awkward on occasion, and sometimes even incredibly daunting.

I personally used to hate going to networking events, I used to be incredibly shy and quite frankly couldn’t think of anything worse. However I have learnt to love it and the benefits are endless. Always a good tip time keep in mind is that it’s not what you do, it’s who you know. 

When your life is already overcrowded with work appointments and commitments, the last thing you want to do is make small talk with strangers. However, there’s no denying the power a what benefits a strong professional network can have over your career success. 

When it’s done well, networking is a vital part of becoming successful.

Here’s why networking is important to your success, and what you can do to improve your networking skills.

What is networking?

Networking isn’t just the exchange of information with others and it’s certainly not about begging for favours or picking people’s brains. Networking is about establishing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with the people you meet. You don’t have to join several groups and attend every networking event that comes your way in order to be a successful networker. In fact, if you take your eyes off your phone when you’re out and about, you’ll see that networking opportunities are all around you every day.

Why networking is important to your success

It is proven that the most connected people are often the most successful. When you invest in your relationships both professional and personal it can pay you back throughout the course of your career. Networking will help you develop and improve your skill set, stay on top of the latest trends in your industry, meet potential mentors, partners, and clients, and gain access to the necessary resources that will help with your career development.

How to become an effective networker

The importance of networking cannot be overstated. But how can you improve your networking skills to ensure you’re networking efficiently and effectively? These networking tips will help.

Figure out what networking style works best for you.

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to networking. Different people are successful using different networking tactics. The key is to try out a number of different networking strategies to discover what best suits you. For instance, if you’re an introvert you may prefer to network one-on-one over coffee or to attend more intimate events with fewer attendees. This my personal favourite.

Make a plan

While you don’t need to know exactly what you expect to get out of each networking opportunity, it’s important to head into it with a goal. For example, you may attend an event with the goal of connecting with three new people in your industry or bringing back one new piece of knowledge. Completely up to you. 

Follow up

This is important when trying to build a long-term relationship. It’s a simple task, yet many people neglect this critical step in the networking process. The time you invested in speaking with someone new won’t benefit your career development if you don’t follow up afterwards. While you don’t need to send a long message, I would suggest after meeting someone new, you should send a LinkedIn connection request with a personalised message or a text, Facebook message etc. This way you will build a connection and most likely meet up again. 

Make sure you have something to offer too

Look for opportunities to provide value to those in your network before you ask for help. The more you invest in your relationships, the more you’ll learn about your new connections and the easier it will be to offer your knowledge and get it in return! The value you provide isn’t limited to your profession; this could be anything from a hotel recommendation to an introduction to someone in your personal network. Anything which will make the relationship equal. 

Final thoughts on the importance of networking

It’s never too early or too late to invest in your network. The best way to improve your networking skills is to put yourself out there and give it a try “the worst networking mistake you can make is not trying at all.”

Go on then, what’s stopping you 😉

Bye for now Xx