What is Networking?
The term “Networking” gets thrown around a lot, but often without an explanation. As with most things, the less familiar you are with networking, the more intimidating it seems. This blog post will demystify networking, explaining what networking is, what situations include networking, and who you should be networking with.
What is my “network”?
Before we get into networking, we need to first define what your network is. A network is the collection of people you can contact, which can be made up of hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. Your network includes friends, classmates, supervisors, colleagues, acquaintances, etc.
What is networking?
In its simplest form, networking is the act of building or maintaining your network. When networking, you build relationships with people to create opportunities for yourself or others, as well as exchange knowledge or resources. These relationships can be professional, academic, social, or any combination of these.
How do I network with others?
Networking takes many forms but can be split into in-person, organic networking and online outreach. In person networking can happen at school, a job, conferences, events, or even social gatherings. Online networking tends to be more deliberate, happening through messages via email, LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media. For more in-depth guidance on how to network online, reference this article.
Who should I network with?
There are three broad categories of people you should network with.
People that you find interesting: It’s always great to meet like-minded people, as they often understand how you think and may know how to best help you. Just being around like-minded people can have profound effects on your life!
People that you admire: when people do something that you admire, they likely have knowledge to share about how you can follow in their footsteps. Networking with people you look up to can help you find a mentor (mentors are people who are personally invested in your success and provide you with guidance and advice).
People that you want to work with: Whether you are hiring or looking for a job, it’s great to get to know people whose presence you enjoy! If you are going to be spending a significant amount of your time with an organization, finding one that has people you like makes a huge difference in your quality of life.
Whether you’re looking for a job, trying to learn more about an industry, or just want to make new friends, networking is an essential part of success. Over the next few weeks, there will be blog posts covering all the dos and don’ts of networking, so keep an eye out for more useful tips!
