Put on a brave face and start networking

Networking. It’s a word the induces shudders of horror in many of us: we often imagine stuffy meetings with men and women in suits carrying briefcases and talking about economics and commerce and legislative changes. This image of networking can be quite daunting to anyone, and yet it is a tool that is vital to our career development. I am what I call a ‘false extrovert’ – I am really an introvert, shy and nervous about meeting new people, but I force myself to face the fear daily and ‘get out there’ in the world and meet people.  It is a challenge, and even now, almost nine years after I started Impressability, I still get an attack of the nerves before an event.

Many people believe that networking is only a skill required for the upper echelons of the career ladder, but in truth this is not the case. There is a widely held misconception that hirers will put a job advertisement up on seek.com as the first step to finding the person they are looking for to fill a vacancy, however, this is often the last step in their process. Most people looking to hire, initially look to their network to see if they know of anyone appropriate (or if someone they know, knows someone) – hiring from within their network is often considered to lower the hire risk because they come with a recommendation from a trusted contact. Hiring from seek.com can be a bit hit and miss – you never know who is going to apply and the risk of a poor hire is significantly greater. It really is who you know.

Most people looking to hire, initially look to their network to see if they know anyone appropriate.

Job seekers, on the other hand, generally keep their hunt for a new position a closely guarded fact; it’s not something they generally share amongst their network. If they are already hired, they often don’t want their current hirer to know that they are looking to move on for fear of being given the boot. How often has that happened to you: you have been quietly looking for another job, your boss has found out and told you to finish up at the end of shift? For a hirer, they can see this as a breach of trust and a lack of commitment to the job at hand despite your work output. For those experiencing unemployment, very few like to broadcast that fact. There is often a sense of shame attached to experiencing unemployment (although I must take a moment to acknowledge that there is no shame in the experience).  As such, job seekers often find themselves looking for work quietly with perhaps only their immediate circle knowing and with those few who do, sworn to secrecy!

I’m sure you can see the problem here – hirers and job seekers are coming at the issue of employment from opposite ends of the field.

However, networking does not have to mean stuffy business meetings. The skill can actually be applied anywhere. Essentially, the word itself means ‘to interact with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.’ You can apply this skill to your local football club, to dancing classes, to the parent stand at your children’s sporting events and even your local pub. Anywhere that you are involved with a group of people on a regular or semi-regular basis can become an opportunity for networking. Step outside your usual circle and introduce yourself to the people around you. Get to know who they are and share who you are. You would be amazed by what can come from meeting and mingling with people just outside your normal circle of contacts.

For those who are skilled at using social media, this is another means of connecting with others, related to you or your industry. Using LinkedIn to meet new people and get involved in industry discussions in the various groups on the platform is a fantastic way to build your reputation as an expert in your field and to grow your opportunities.

Networking can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. I have managed to land several roles over the last few years due to my contacts within my network. Despite my own trepidation, I am the first to acknowledge just how important this skill is in finding new opportunities. There is a lot to be said for taking a deep breath and introducing yourself to someone new.

This article was first published in the Border Mail on March 27, 2017, and is republished here with permission from the Editor in Chief, Xavier Mardling.