Networking: Why is it important and how to do it?


0
Linking entities. Networking, social media, SNS, internet communication. Small network connected to a larger network. 3d illustration.

In this modern era of globalization and the popularity of GIS, networking is very important and apparently easier than it was before. Without personal contacts, it is very difficult to get your work done in any field. When we talk about networking, it is not only about interacting with people you meet in general gatherings but also about using information technology to connect with new people. Advancements in information technology and GIS has enabled us to search for influential people in every field and profession and connect to them

Experts emphasize upon the importance of networking and educational institutes are also encouraging students to start networking using social media. Following are a few ways in which networking can make your life easier:

  • Search for internships and jobs: Getting into your dream college is not where the struggles end. Undergraduate students have to undertake some form of corporate internships to be able to land on good jobs immediately after they graduate. If you spend time networking, you will be aware of possibly all internship programs available through the people you are connected to. In the contrary case, you will be missing out on a lot of opportunities. Similar would be the case when searching for jobs as you graduate so a strong network is important to make job search easier.
  • Looking for investors and sponsors: Whether you are a student looking for a sponsor to fund your student-run society’s event or an entrepreneur looking for someone to invest in your startup, networking will be an asset for you. If you try to reach companies for sponsorships directly, they may not connect you with the marketing department in the first place since they get a lot of sponsorship calls every day. If your network is strong, you may be able to connect with someone from marketing directly and set up a meeting. Same goes for an investor!
  • Collecting info about current affairs: If you are following a huge network, you will be able to collect news and info about current affairs of the corporate, political and economic world. This will prevent you from relying on unauthentic sources of information. Even if you thoroughly watch news channels, there are some pieces of internal information that can only be obtained through personal contacts. So if your networking is strong, you will be more informed and have authentic news at all times.

So it is now clear why networking is given so much of importance in the modern world. However, you may not be sure of what is the best way to develop personal contacts with people you have never met.For this reason, following are some of the best ways of networking to develop personal contacts with thousands of unknown but useful people:

  • Social media: The largest platform where you can find any person from any organization in the world is social media. People tend to use social media for various purposes but it is the best for networking as you can develop contacts very quickly through it. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook are ideal if you wish to follow certain personalities but if you wish to get in touch with them, go for LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a very popular social media platform where all corporate and other influential people are actively connecting with others. The search options in LinkedIn allows you to filter your search results very precisely, making your search easier than ever.

    So use social media to get connected with the people you believe can be useful to you in one way or another.

  • Search for exclusive forums: Another way to strengthen your network is by participating in some exclusive forums where most of the participants are influential people from multinational corporations. If you create your reputation on such forums, it would be easier to get in touch with influential people to get some work done.
  • Attend high class gatherings: There are seminars and workshops that entrepreneurs and corporate elites attend. Look out for such seminars and attend those so that you can have an opportunity to get connected with useful people.

Author bio: Laura Vin is a social media strategist and marketing expert at Speedy essay. After obtaining her postgraduate degree in marketing, Laura entered the corporate world.