I was a guest speaker for a college class recently. Although my subject wasn’t about networking, I was surprised to learn that is was something that had never been discussed. I spent about an hour after class talking about the importance of developing a professional network and growing it.
Networking is an important part of a successful business person’s daily work. A strong professional network can:
- Learn about the market you’ve entered
- Help you find a job
- Help you find new opportunities for your company
- Advise you on professional and company growth
These things are critical for long term success. I was surprised by the lack of understanding these students had related to networking. In this day people’s social skills are limited and people see to be uncomfortable dealing with others face-to-face. As I explained to these students, you have to get over your shyness and talk to people. You can’t do business without other people. Whether you’re starting a new business or looking for a job, you need other people to make it work.
I’m considering sometime in the near future writing more about professional networking and some techniques to help grow your network. For now I just wanted to address the subject at a top level and stress how important it is to network.
Author: Phil Davidson
I have worked in the Defense Industry as a contractor for over 20 years. I do Business Development for a small aviation company right now, but I have worked as a full-time and part-time consultant over the years. I decided to redesign my website as a place where I can share information about my experience and help companies come together for working together and teaming.