Developing Your Professional Network: Tips & Tricks

No matter what the upcoming times will bring, the only thing that will surely stay the same is the fact that it’s not always crucial what you know, it’s who you know that matters. Therefore, one has to look for ways to develop his career through the expansion of the professional network. Having a wide variety of people, knowing folks from your own industry and many other industries almost always proves to be quite valuable. The better your professional network the greater the chance of finding new business opportunities. Having that in mind, take a look at some tips and tricks that will help you broaden your network.

Make yourself present online

This is the age of social media and if you’re not present there, well, the chances are that most folks won’t even know that you exist. However, this time it’s not about your usual social networks. It’s okay to have Instagram and Facebook, you can meet your potential colleagues there too. However, look for specialized networks such as LinkedIn. This network is essential for building good network that may help your career. How is that? Well, this social network is built with professional networking in mind. That’s the gist of it. Oh and don’t just make your profile there and leave, be active. That is the only way to get recognized.

Attend events

Okay, there are events that don’t have networking as their main purpose. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t attend them. Remember that every event is your chance to meet new folks and make valuable connections. All the way from conferences, fundraisers, charity events to the simple product presentations, it will be worth your while to go and see what it is about. Also, do not forget your business cards. You can add people on social media and exchange mails and numbers but having your own business card gives out a sense of professionalism.

Host your own events

If you’re working or you own a company that wants to get out there and let everyone know what it has to offer, you will most likely have to host your own events. So, this time you have a chance to reach out to people and make your own guest list. This is another great way to expand your network since you’ll have a chance to examine each guest that makes his way to your event. Also, stimulate networking as much as you can, for example, event gamification is becoming really popular since it proved to be quite effective when it comes to socialization. And we all know that there can be no networking without socialization. Plain and simple.

Do not hesitate with your outreach

Whenever you feel like your job position is shaking, whenever you feel like you need to find someone from your desired industry to help you out, do not hesitate to go through your network. For example, take a good look at your LinkedIn friends, it’s really hard to remember every single person from your network, so taking a look will help you find that special someone. People get into sticky situations all the time and it’s really important that you know that no man is an island. You need people just like they need you. So, take a look at your friends list and take a look at their lists. You may find someone who could potentially be of value to you.

Look into other industries

Just because you met a person from another industry doesn’t mean that you should discard that connection right after you finish the conversation. You can never know when you’ll have to switch industries. Look outside your niche and you may see something that interests you. Something that could be of great value in the future. This is also a great way to meet new people and thus broaden your professional network. The benefits are numerous.

Conclusion

Never settle for what you already have. Always look for new ways, new people and you’ll get new opportunities on the way.