culled from:inc.com
Networking is very important in our daily lives. Often the best jobs and
opportunities are not advertised but filled by word of mouth. With this
in mind, a good idea is to go and find them yourself. How is this done,
do I hear you ask? By the simple process of networking.
A number of people feel networking is waste of time and it has no effect
on personal relationships or being successful in your business. This
concept is completely incorrect. Relationships and business have been
built via the networking process for hundreds of years.
Networking is not about meeting hundreds of people, interacting with
them with them and then never meeting them again. It�s but about getting
to know each other and finding out if you are able to make the
relationship mutually beneficial for both of you. If you aren�t able to �
then see if you can introduce them to someone more compatible to their
business.
A simple example of how easy networking can be is the example of a woman
who used to love writing articles. One day she decided to donate one of
her articles to the local newspaper so it could be published and people
around the world could have the chance to read it. The article focused
on an event, which was coming up and was hosted by a woman�s publishing
group. The group not only liked the article, they appreciated what she
had done, so they recommended her to a national magazine. So now, not
only does she get to write regular articles, she also gets paid for it.
This example shows how networking can be done easily, if well thought
out. Touching base with a few people can in fact lead to reaching many.
By referring your friends or relatives whom you think are well suited
for a job is another way to network. I heard a story of someone
recommending a friend for a teaching position with a nonprofit
organization. Interestingly enough after getting the position, he
returned the favor by referring his friend into a job he had heard
about. Funny how things work out!
Family and friends are the easiest and best way to increase your network
among colleagues and friends. There are many industries that work on
filling positions this way and some even pay commission.
When looking for a new job, it may be worth joining a networking group
focusing on the sector of business you are interested in. It�s a great
way to meet people, do research into companies by asking questions of
those people who work there. Often the opportunity may just be within
that particular networking group.
The examples above show that in order to network effectively and in an
efficient manner, you do not need to be outgoing or know a lot of
people. All it requires is being creative, listen well, ask relevant
questions and develop a good reputation with others. You would be amazed
at how many doors will open for you.
