You know that old saying.
“Its not what you know, its who you know.”
I believe that it is all about who you know, but it is also about what you know. What you know will be the reason you stay in that position and keep growing. Who you know may be the reason you get the position in the first place. Your networking connections are often the reason an employer takes a chance on you. You may be one of 100 applicants, but your relationship with someone that knows the Hiring Manager may be the very reason your application is put to the top of the stack. This is why it is vitally important to make sure you are always aware of your surroundings when in open discussion with other professionals. As I have said before, people are always watching and listening. Because you don’t know everyone that is around you, is all the more reason you should be careful to not speak ill of others. Many people just starting out in their career path are always unsure of how to start networking with people in their profession. Its simple! Here are some helpful tips:
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Connect with professional/local groups within the community via LinkedIn and appear at some of their events. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account…GET ONE NOW!
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Show up to the next event and bring a friend if you can. Its can be very intimidating to go to a new place not knowing anyone and just start mingling. Don’t worry! You can do this. Just think of it this way, your future depends on it.
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How do you break the ice? Most of these meetings are all about networking, so its not unusual to enter into a conversation and introduce yourself or just listen to what is being said and jump in if you have something valuable to add. Now, be sure to use wisdom when interjecting. If you are not confident about what you are about to say, the best thing to do is stay silent! There may be follow up questions from the group and you don’t want to look clueless because you didn’t think that far ahead. Always bring a business card with you and ALWAYS exchange cards before you finish your conversation.
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Stay connected! After the event, be sure to go through the business cards you’ve received and connect with each person through LinkedIn, facebook or any other social networks. If there is someone you feel you had a great connection with, send them a note via the social networking site or via email to let them know it was a pleasure meeting them and you hope to stay connected in the future. Stay in touch with them in an effort to build a great professional relationship and keep in mind that just knowing the person may be all you need to get to that next level.