How to Network Successfully

Networking consists of using personal and professional contacts which is used for maintaining contacts.  Networking is an important career management for any career.  Networking helps to keep in touch and find out about career opportunities in local and outside the local areas.  It also looks at industry trends technical expertise and pending developments.  You would be able to meet people who may be able to help you, collect and update contact information such as names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers.  It allows you to thank people for their assistance, and help others who ask for help.  Networking helps with job changes and having the ability to know who to contact and advancing your career within the process.

However there are rules to networking properly and these rules are:

·         Everyone you know is a possible contact or member within your network. While the people you have in your networking list may or may not be directly involved in the same field they are available of a useful contact.

·         Don’t be shy you must be willing to ask for help and willing to give help. 

·         Offering help could consist of assisting someone in your network who is looking for a job for a family member or friend, and you have inside knowledge that could help better their situation.

·         Don’t use your network for solely job hunting as using for only that aspect will cause your contacts to dry up and your contacts will recognize you as the person who is only looking for a job.  Your contacts will not want to bother with you any further.

Reference:  http://careerplanning.about.com/od/networking/tp/network_rules.htm