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What is networking and why should I do it?

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What is networking and why should I do it?

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Have you ever heard the saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’? Networking is about creating and maintaining positive professional relationships with others. Networking can help you learn about possible careers and companies you may be interested in, stay up to date with trends in your industry, and gain experience and opportunities in your desired career.
Networking can take time, so it’s best to start early in your course. However, even after you graduate, networking is still a good strategy for helping your career – and helping others.

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Getting started with networking can be simpler than you think! In order to network effectively, it helps to know what you hope to get out of networking. Take a moment to reflect what you would like to achieve through networking – beyond getting a job, you could aim to network to learn more about the skills employers are looking for, or to build your confidence in talking to professionals in your field.

A good place to start is with people in your networks that you already know, such as family, friends, tutors, lecturers and colleagues or supervisors from current or past jobs or internships. QUT also has a number of resources to help you, such as workshops and online career development modules available through Careers and Employment, and faculty and student club events. QUT Careers Fairs and Employer Presentations also give you the chance to talk to potential employers.

When networking, it's important to remember that you have valuable contributions to make to the relationship you're building. You may be networking with someone more experienced than you, but you may be able to offer skills, knowledge of new technologies and trends, or even simply enthusiasm and willingness to learn. By approaching a networking relationship from the perspective of 'how can I be helpful?' rather than 'what can I get?' you can not only help others and have a more rewarding experience yourself, but also begin to build a positive reputation in your field.

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You may have overarching networking aims, such as learning new skills or finding work experience, but it is also useful to have more specific goals. Having SMART goals can help you achieve your networking goals more easily.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound. This means that when you set a goal, you set an attainable goal, that is relevant to your overall aims, has a deadline, and is detailed enough that you can easily tell when it's complete.

For example, rather than having a goal of ‘I will network with people’, you could set goals like the examples below:

By the time I leave the networking event tonight I will have spoken to 3 new people.

By lunchtime today I will email my connection and ask her to meet for coffee.

I will research 3 possible professional associations in my industry this week.

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Take a moment to think about your overall networking aims, and to set yourself some manageable goals, using the SMART goals framework. You can share your networking aims and SMART goals, and learn about others’ networking aims here.

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It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous about networking! For many people, the idea of networking is outside their comfort zone.

You can help manage your nerves by relaxation techniques and breathing exercises, and by choosing networking strategies that work to your strengths (for example, if you’re nervous about the idea of large networking events, you can choose to focus on networking online or on a one-on-one basis. You can also start with small networking events and move to larger ones as you become more comfortable). Stepping outside your comfort zone is a good thing to do, but remember that you can take small manageable steps - you don't have to leap into something that makes you uncomfortable straight away! Setting clear, manageable goals for yourself can also help, and QUT offers personal counselling and support if you would like some help with nerves or worry.

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Take a moment to think about when you get nervous. What are you most nervous about when it comes to networking? How could you address these nerves?

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Who are your key connections, and how might they be a resource for you to network with?

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There’s many ways to network with others, and what works best for you will depend on your industry, goals, and preferred style of networking. Below are some of the common ways of networking that you can try.

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LinkedIn is a fantastic way to connect with professionals in your field and to research career pathways and companies of interest.
If you're new to LinkedIn, don't worry! Careers and Employment has a number of great resources on using LinkedIn here. You can also find tips and tutorials for getting started with LinkedIn, and for avoiding common LinkedIn mistakes.

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Twitter, Tumblr, blogging...and everything else

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Twitter, Tumblr, blogging...and everything else

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You can use more than LinkedIn for online networking! Depending on your field, you could use twitter, tumblr, online portfolios, a blog, facebook and more!

Just remember: Keep it professional! Just like in a job interview, you want to put your best foot forward. This may mean having your professional blog and your personal blog separate, checking your facebook privacy settings and being strategic about who to re-tweet.

Some examples:

The artist and writer Noelle Stevenson got her start in comics thanks to her tumblr artworks.

Researcher Inger Mewburn’s blog is so popular with research students that she regularly gets invited to speak at other universities.

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Joining professional associations can be a great way to build your network and learn about training, news and opportunities in your area. Student associations and clubs are a great place to start, and professional associations may offer discounted memberships for students. Keep an eye out for networking events and professional development events, conferences and seminars, where you can learn new things in your industry and connect with professionals in your field. Volunteering at events can also be helpful, and it’s often much easier to get talking to people when you’re working on something together.

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Research possible professional associations in your desired field. A good way to do this is to research people of interest in your field through LinkedIn and see what memberships and associations they are connected with.

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Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Is it up to date? Take some time to make sure that you have an up to date, polished LinkedIn profile. When you start reaching out to people, you want them to be able to see how awesome you are!

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The Career Mentor Scheme facilitates mentoring between students and industry professionals, and is free for students to sign up. Mentors can act as a guide, a source of information, and a sounding board for students, offering guidance and encouragement in their chosen field.

You may be able to find a mentor in someone who you already know. Senior colleagues where you work or volunteer can be helpful in providing feedback and advice to help you in your career. You can find some tips on finding a mentor here and here.

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Places that you have worked (whether paid work, volunteer work or work placements) can be useful for networking, as you probably already have some connections who have an idea of your skill sets. These contacts may be able to refer you to other people in their network. If you don’t have a great deal of experience related to your desired field, then volunteering, placements and work can help you not only gain that experience, but build some connections. QUT’s Real World Placement Program can help you find placements relevant to your field, and some degrees may also have a Work Integrated Learning unit, where you can get credit towards your degree for completing industry placements.

Once you finish your time at an organisation, it’s worth keeping in touch with your contacts – let them know how you’re doing, and what opportunities you’re looking for. You may find that they can act as referees, connect you with others, or let you know of opportunities for work or placements that you wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

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Tips and Tricks for Successful Networking

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Tips and Tricks for Successful Networking

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First Impressions count! When you begin to reach out to contacts, consider how you would like them to see you.

If a contact were to google you, what would they find?

Are you using a professional email address? Your student email or an email address with your name/initials gives a much better impression than that email address you created when you were 12 and thought lolcats were the Best. Thing. Ever.

Is your LinkedIn profile up to date? Are you using a professional photo?

If you’re going to meet a contact in person or attending an event, do you have appropriate clothing?

How is your handshake? A firm grip is good, a crushing grip or a limp grip is not so great. Practicing with a friend can help your handshake technique

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If you’re connecting with someone to learn from them, it helps to consider ahead of time what questions you will ask, and to do some research first so that you can focus on more detailed, in depth questions. Here are some example questions you might want to ask:

What do you wish you’d known about the field before starting in it? Do you think there are common misconceptions people have about this work as they’re looking to get into it?

What types of people do you think really succeed in this field? What types have more trouble?

Do you have thoughts on the best things I can do to stay current in the field — things to read, organizations to join, people to talk to?

Anything you see job candidates around my level doing that you think really hurts them? Or that you wish people would do differently?

Can I tell you a little about my background and experience so far, and see if you have any suggestions for things I might do to strengthen myself as a candidate?

Source

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Every field is different, so it’s worth taking the time to consider what the standard is for your field or industry. Do people mainly connect using LinkedIn? Are there any key associations, employers or qualifications that are particularly important in your field? How do people network in your industry?

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When you connect with someone new, don’t forget to follow up with them. If they have made time to meet with you, say thank you in person or via email. If you offered to send them an email or a resource, remember to send it! This can establish you early on as polite and reliable – two excellent qualities!

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You can create business cards quite easily and cheaply! Don’t forget to include your name and contact details! You could also include information about your degree, career goals, and perhaps a link to your LinkedIn profile.

If you are given someone else’s business card, you can jot down notes on the back to remind you a bit about them, and what you discussed, and if have any follow up you need to do, such as emailing them to set up a meeting or share a resource.

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Many people think that networking is about talking and ‘selling your skills’. However, you don’t have to be an extroverted, talkative life-of-the-party to network. Listening to others and showing genuine interest and engagement in what they have to say is important for effective networking!

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If you’re not feeling confident about networking, that’s ok! Networking can seem daunting, but the more you do it, the easier it gets – and the more confident you will become! The people you are networking with aren’t expecting you to have the networking skills of a CEO – just be polite, respectful and do your best!

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Do some research on your desired industry. What do you find? How can industry norms guide your networking habits and the ways in which you can build your career?

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Take some time to reflect on the kinds of questions you might ask. What do you want to know?

You can share your questions, and see the questions that others have asked here.

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Once you have identified your key contacts, consider who you might reach out to and why. Could you learn something in particular from a certain contact? What is the best way to reach out to your contacts?

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This video gives a student's account of how networking helped them secure a placement