Fact: becoming successful?? in your professional life requires more than hard work and determination. You need a network.
Fact: most people don¡¯t know how to network and find that they aren¡¯t growing in their career.?
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Since networking is extremely crucial to attaining success in your work life, we put our research skills to good use and came up with a great deal of strategies that will enable you to develop an exceptional network that benefits you professionally.
During this search, we also found out something we had always suspected: most experts want you to treat networking as nothing more than developing and cultivating a relationship with a person you genuinely like and admire. Don't mistake this for aimless people-pleasing.
Ahead are seven strategies that will help you ace and enjoy networking.?
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You shouldn¡¯t direct all your networking initiatives towards senior leadership or bosses. Sure, it¡¯s impressive to get a coffee invite with someone high-up in your office structure, but it¡¯s equally valuable to know your co-workers, interns and assistants.
This is because you never really know what people go on to do in life and staying in touch with people across the hierarchy will increase the quality of your network.?
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Yes it¡¯s tough and intimidating and I don¡¯t mean barging into your CEO¡¯s office when they are going to be working. But say if your company has a team-party, off-site trips or team building event, it¡¯s wise to go greet them and genuinely let them know how much you like your role.?
A writer at Forbes says, ¡°When I was an intern, I did this with my editor-in-chief, when I ran into her in the chill area. Next week, I had an email from her where she said she liked my confidence and assigned me to a super interesting project.¡±
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Look around, anyone who truly has a network worth having, add value to it. Don¡¯t start by calling in favours from people you want to connect with but barely know.
You are most likely going to be ignored. Instead, start by asking them what you can do to help them. Developing such an attitude will reap plenty of benefits down the road.?
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As you build your network and start interacting with more known or experienced people from your industry, quite naturally your ego might swell. But don¡¯t let it.
It will make you feel that you already know everyone worth knowing and might render your networking skills as useless.?
For some people, their ego might come in between when it comes to make an extra effort to get to know someone.
Some people might have an issue with initiating first or might have to follow-up considerably. But a network is only as good as the efforts that go in creating it, so get rid of your ego.?
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Andrew Sobel, author of Power Relationships, suggests you write down the names of everyone who has truly influenced your career ¡ª these are the contacts you should be updating about your life and career a few times a year.
This is a non-pushy way of letting people who you admire and look up to know that you are progressing well professionally.?
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Nobody likes getting emails or requests from people they barely know. People hate it more when unknown people are always looking to get something from them.
If you want to build a genuine network, take an interest in people for who they are and not for the position they have.?
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The best time to score new contacts is when you¡¯re already satisfied in your current job or industry. Make a point to head to happy hours, reach out to an alumni you admire, or make yourself known to the higher-ups.
The lesson to take away for building your own network is that don¡¯t discriminate based on job title, and get to know the people whose passion and drive you admire. Only then it will really be a network worth having!?