Building connections is an invaluable career skill for any professional to possess in order to boost job opportunities and excel with them. For somebody who is seasoned, networking with others with similar interests as their own, can help improve expertise and open up new avenues for collaborations and partnerships. Also, introducing someone who shares your passions into your sphere of influence can accelerate both your business and personal growth and encourage you to always put your best foot forward. This article will teach you more about this skill and give tips on how to establish connections with like-minded people successfully and also increase your effectiveness in professional settings.
Importance of building connections
If you build connections, it makes you more versatile, as in times of difficulty you know that there is a network of individuals who think like you and who can identify the problem and offer support. Let’s say you are looking for new job opportunities, you can then reach out to other members of your network who are already familiar with your background to learn about new career openings in your industry.
Effective ways to build connections
Connections can develop naturally but there ways to improve their effectiveness and create stronger bonds.
1 . First gather members from your community
Begin by focusing only on those individuals who share similar goals, interests, values and aspirations as you in order to learn and grow and meet people within this space. Establish rapport with professionals who understand your vision and objective can lead to long-lasting and meaningful connections.
2 . Gain a foothold in the diverse professional network
Graduate programs have the ability to offer access to a supportive network of like-minded peers and the benefit is further magnified with an online graduate degree program where the outreach is global. Moreover, you can study where and when it suits you for a totally personalised and flexible learning experience, enabling the students to build stronger professional connections that could benefit not only their careers, but their personal lives as well, long after graduation.
3 . Attend in-person networking events in your industry
Attend conferences related to your profession or take part in a professional organization in order to gain access to a range of other professionals in your field and other senior industry leaders. These activities, apart from being casual events, provide you with extra opportunities to build personal professional connections and stronger ties.
4 . Establish multiple methods to communicate
It is always an asset to have multiple options when trying to connect with like-minded persons to increase the number of chances when contact is deemed necessary, Exchanging email addresses and phone numbers are important tactics to help establish communication preferences. When you need to make a contact to discuss something important, you only then need to call or text for basic maintenance of your relationship by exchanging casual messages between each other.
5 . Build trust
Networking is not only about establishing contacts, it also about building faith and trust. Act in a reliable way by keeping your promises and expressing interest in other’s experiences. Remember, trust is the foundation for any professional relationship to succeed and prosper.
6 . Reach out to alumni networks
Another excellent resource for expanding professional connections is through alumni networks where you can reach out to former colleagues or alumni who have knowledge about your industry. Such shared experiences with people in the know often lay a solid foundation for advancement in professional relationships.
7 . Attend online networking events and webinars
Virtual conferences, webinars and workshops has made professional networking more accessible than ever before. Participating in these online forums or virtual meetings are a great way to connect with experts in your field and other industry leaders from all over the world by leaping over all geographical barriers.
8 . Share content regularly
Sharing valuable industry-related content such as articles, achievements or insights on your social media platform with people who have similar ideologies will attract other like-minded people to your platform. This will not only establish your expertise as a knowledgeable professional but draw more and more individuals to make connections with you to know more about your personality and the work you do.
9 . Form partnerships
Partnering with a larger company or even several smaller start-ups that are run by individuals who think like you can boost real-time project growth for your business. This close collaboration will you and your partners to share best practices, deal with business issues and also create new business opportunities that you would not have been able to create on your own.
10 . Request a mentorship
Requesting mentorship from professionals you admire in your field will always show successful results. Ask those individuals who have accomplished more in your field for advice. You will find these people are not only grateful but also flattered with the feeling of giving back advice and invariably these proposals will pay off.
11 . Express gratitude
One of the simplest ways to show your appreciation and feel appreciated is by showing you care. Express gratitude to someone who has done you a favour to make the person feel valued. This act ensures continuous strengthening of relationships and can be displayed either in person or through a note of thanks. You can even email or send a gift to show you recognise the value of the relationship and that you are grateful for the generosity.
12 . Check-in with important contacts
Once the initial connection has been established, continue putting in the fine effort towards ensuring that the relationship lasts. Consider using thus method with some of your top contacts in your field, including clients and mentors. These check-in activities can vary from sending a brief email to discuss professional business opportunities, especially if you have not spoken to that person for an extended period of time. Making such an effort shows you value the connection and also help keep you always in their mind.
Bottom line
So start investing in your professional relationship today because you never know where a single positive connection may lead you to tomorrow.
