One of the skills needed in a career is to build a professional network. Through good networking, the possibility of future career advancement will be more open. It is not an easy thing to build networking. It takes a variety of courage, especially for those who feel they have an introverted personality. Well, Loker Bali has prepared little-known tips to boost your networking at work.
Professional networking is defined as an activity that helps an individual to build and expand relationships with other people to achieve goals and professional desires. If you want to boost your career, you should build professional networks!
By understanding the different types of networking, you will easily develop your career growth! Loker Bali will show you three types of professional networks:
This type of professional network refers to external or outside relationships with common interests. The goal is to improve an employee’s personal development and offer useful contacts. A personal network can encourage collaborations in a team, professional associations, and other activities that will expand your network outside your workplace.
This type is the opposite of a personal network. The operational type refers to an internal network and strong teamwork and relationship with colleagues in your company. To improve an operational network, as an employee you can reach out to colleagues in the other departments in the workplace. After that, you can create a reliable network there. This way can help you achieve goals by completing tasks and projects basis.
The strategic type of professional network is a combination of the two types of networking. Inside and outside needs can be met appropriately because networking is both (internal and external). Strategic networking is necessary for sharing ideas related to development in business and learning new approaches.
Professional networking is actually about building strong long-term relationships. It includes meeting and getting to know people who can potentially help you in return. Here are some of the biggest advantages of networking that Loker Bali has prepared for you:
With networking, you have a chance to get noticed by other professional colleagues by attending events or workshops. This way will help you to build your career with a good reputation and support by offering useful information to people who need it.
Building a professional network is a big opportunity for you to exchange knowledge about business developments. It’s a good idea to continuously ask your contacts about developments and techniques. You can use the platform LinkedIn to keep an eye on what kinds of articles your contacts are sharing and drop some comments to let them know that you’ve appreciated the moment.
Networking is about creating trust and helping one another toward goals. Regularly engage with your contacts and find opportunities to help them strengthen the relationship.
Gaining advice from experienced people is an important benefit of networking. You can discuss common challenges and opportunities that will open the door to valuable advice. Offering assistance to your contacts also sets a strong foundation for receiving support in the future when you need it.
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Expanding your professional network can leads you to new opportunities for business, career advancement, and personal growth. Strong networking helps to keep you top of mind when it comes to job opportunities and increases your receiving introductions to potentially relevant people.
As long as you have a strong professional networking connection, you easily get the answers to the toughest questions from someone within your sphere. And, if you can't find a definitive answer, you’ll have a solid sounding board to bounce ideas off and plans to tackle bigger problems.
Improving your professional network will make you visible and easily get noticed. This is a big opportunity for networking that’s important in career building. Elevating your profile within the professional sphere will also help you stand out, especially for recruiters who are always lookout for strong and qualified talent. Who knows? They may be more likely to approach you with job offers.
The problem for almost many people, starting ‘networking’ sounds a bit scary. It stirs up images of doomed parties and other awkward social situations. Follow these tips that Loker Bali has prepared for you to build networking in an easy and fun way:
Your story can provide important information about yourself such as your level of ambition, how you make decisions, and show your uniqueness. The essential messages you can share with your network are about your strengths and values. This will help to tell a clear story about who you are and what you are asking from your network.
To show appreciation to your connection, things you can do is congratulate them on their special moments like being promoted or starting a new job. There are plenty of platform social networks you can use, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. Acknowledge their accomplishment and note the value they bring to the role. This makes your note more engaging.
In networking, it’s a big chance if you can go beyond the people you know well. Because there may be someone in your extended network with a useful connection. Asking to connect with someone you’ve never met can be intimidating for some people. The point of this tip is to overcome your fear. Loker Bali suggests you ask someone you know to make an introduction to someone in their network. This move will increase your chances of a new opportunity and it also improves your credibility.
If someone in your contact did something for you, such as contacting you for a job vacancy or offering help, always remember to thank them for the support. You can thank them by private message, email, or when you meet in person. Tell them why their help was appreciated, and how it influenced you professionally.
You can keep engaged with your connections by sharing content they’d find useful. You can also like, tag, or comment on articles your connections are sharing on social media. This tip is the best way to show that you value their feedback while continuing to build your network.
Remember that building a professional network is an ongoing process of sharing. It’s not always what other people can do for you, but also what you can do for them. Offering guidance to your connection helps you build long-lasting relationships by showing your connections that you value them. When they want to return the favor, you will be one of the first people who come to mind.
In order to maintain long-term relationships, it would be better if you can meet your contact in person. You also easily discuss something specific and be able to assist them in tasks or projects.
Simply being social is a great way to start building a professional network. Try expanding your social circle by going to meetups, events, or workshops. By you making new friends, you’ll also make new professional connections. Even though they are not in the same industry as you, you will never know what they give to you in the future.
Remember, don’t be shy to ask for help from your contacts. Reach out to your connections and give them brief messages to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship. You will be successful at building a professional network when you’re unafraid to ask for guidance. As long as you maintain a healthy and strong relationship with your network, then asking for support is to be expected.
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Building a professional network from zero is no easy task, but it’s worth the hard work because it will help you to meet new opportunities and professional wins. Meanwhile, begin building your networking through Loker Bali Mentoring opportunities available on our website. Contact us now!
