The old adage of “it’s all about who you know” was thrown out the window a while ago. Now, it’s all about “who you can GET to know,” which means you have control over opening up doors for yourself. Work trends right now are telling us people are yearning for connection and real human interaction. In fact, according to SHRM, “about 8 out of 10 employees (82 percent) say they have felt lonely at work.” As work-from-home continues to remain a trend, it is increasingly important to seek out ways to authentically build relationships with others. This isn’t just professional networking tips and tricks, but a holistic approach for how to change your thinking so you can get better at networking. We’ll talk not only about how to network better, with tips for beginners, but also how you can take your professional networking to the next level. Don’t worry if you currently hate networking. In this article we’ll share not just how to network effectively, but also some important mindset adjustments you can make to both enjoy the process more and also find a more effective way to go about it. Why Is networking important? Networking is essential to meeting new people who have what you want or are in the spaces you want to be in. It’s also critical to develop not only your connections to other professionals but also enhance your own learning and knowledge base. Advance your career Valuable connections are more effective than any other technique or practice to move closer to your own professional success, gain clarity on your career path, and land the job you desire. It’s also one of the best ways to access the “hidden job market” and learn about job leads and new opportunities that may not be posted publicly. The fact is, an ongoing approach to networking can have a meaningful impact on your long-term career growth. Advance your knowledge Networking isn’t just about connecting with others to get a leg up on a new job. Networking is very much about: Searching the internet will only get you so far in understanding trends in certain industries. Staying up to date requires you speak to real people doing the real work you’re interested in learning about. This helps you determine what skills you could grow and plug into to reach your career goals. Learning how to network successfully can grow your connections to other professionals, your knowledge of the job market, your industry of interest, and what trends are going to help you get where you ultimately want to go. Why does networking get a bad rap? Most people have an initial “ick” response when networking is suggested to help advance their career, and some people flat out hate the idea of networking. We get it! Of course, if your vision of networking is walking into a crowded event full of people in suits handing out business cards and making cringy small talk, it’s understandable why you aren’t interested in that. Let’s turn to how you can learn to network effectively in ways that match your values and authentic self that feels less that about personal gain only and more about building true connections with others. How to network effectively When we look for ways to expand our network, we want to focus on building relationships, not just through formal networking events, and incorporate some networking advice into our daily lives, regardless of whether we’re on the job market or not. These are muscles and skills you can develop over time!  Here are some tips on how to network step-by-step: Change your mindset The first step in taking a new approach to networking is to change your mindset. Instead of networking representing a focus on a one-sided agenda to drive your personal gain only, try shifting your thinking to these three simple truths about networking that are adopted by the most effective networkers: Start at work One of the best ways to meet people is to begin with those closest to you professionally: your work colleagues. Not sure where to start? Here are our tips: Learn the business First, focus on learning about the landscape of roles and jobs at your company who spend all their time, or at least some of their time, doing work that you want to learn more about. Because you have a shared work place, it will be easier to meet people, connect, and further build relationships. Leverage Slack, Teams, and other group-chat tools Second, use your shared internal communication channels to reach out to initiate conversations and get to know your colleagues. An introductory ask might look as simple as a Teams message to a colleague you’d like to get to know that says, “I noticed that our work intersects quite a bit and I’d like to learn more about the full scope of what you do and who you partner with across our company. Do you have time for a Zoom coffee so I can learn more about your work?” Stay open-minded Third, you never know when just the right person will pop up in your time at work and you suddenly have the opportunity to connect, learn something new, and share about your own professional goals and accomplishments. Be on the lookout for opportunities so you don’t miss the chance to connect with someone new! Attend industry events Attending events is one of the most traditional ways we think about networking, and industry events do serve as great ways to meet people. Industry events, whether in your current industry or a new industry of interest, provide a similar situation to meet people as at work because you already have something in common with the people there. Think outside of the box when it comes to finding industry events for meeting new people (including potential clients) and making new connections. In addition to traditional industry networking events, seek out opportunities to attend online learning events, workshops, listening sessions, new product launch events, focus … Continue reading Mastering the Art of Effective Networking