Keen to learn more about your interests, field of study or chosen career but unsure how to get a break? Networking, or the practice of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts, is a useful skill. It could help to open doors at school, university or further education, when you’re starting to look for work and throughout your working life, as these LifeSkills users found out:
So what’s the best way to build a successful network? Here are some of our recommendations:
Use your existing connections
Consider those people you already know, such as family and friends, past colleagues and tutors. They can all help you build your network by putting you in touch with relevant people. And because your new contacts will have come through people you know and trust, you might find it a bit easier to get in touch with them.
Get yourself out there
Sounds obvious, but one of the best ways to extend your network is to meet people, face-to-face where possible. Think about attending local events and talks, joining a club or volunteering through sites like Do-it. Make an effort to introduce yourself, strike up a conversation and you might just end up with a job referral, work experience opportunity or valuable mentor.
Read more: find your NOC
Go social
If you’ve found out about someone who does a job you’d like to do, find ways to contact them through social media. Try contacting people through their social media accounts such as LinkedIn or join discussion groups. Commenting on articles or posts is also a good way to establish connections; with authors often keen to carry on conversations with their audiences. You can boost your LinkedIn profile with these top tips.