Determining your success in your career field sometimes depends on the relationships you create. Being successful is not accomplished alone—it takes a team of successful people that have established a relationship through networking. One important key to climbing the ladder in your career is to genuinely build and nurture your relationships. Read below on how to really take advantage of your network.
How To Really Take Advantage Of Your Network
So you may be wondering how to go about creating those relationships in order to level up your career—well we’re glad you asked! We’re giving you some fundamental tips for networking and creating relationships that level up your career.
*One thing to keep in mind is you must surround yourself with people who not only push you forward, but who also believe in your goals as well. This makes for a mutual relationship that both parties will gain from.
Focus on truly building relationships instead of simply networking to network
When you focus on sincerely and genuinely building a relationship with someone, the one and done notion of networking is instantly removed. Taking the time to shake someone’s hand and make direct eye contact with them is the basis of establishing that relationship. When you leave an everlasting first impression on someone, it causes them to never forget who you are—you want to be that person. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Remember genuine connections must be built
A genuine connection doesn’t happen overnight—it takes time, and lots of it. A connection is created through a shared experience, whether that’s over a cup of coffee, or at an executive meeting. It’s important to remember that following up with those connections is what builds on creating those reputable and genuine relationships. This could eventually lead to things such as your resume being passed along for a potential job offer.
Make face-to-face conversations a priority
Connecting through social media is just not going to cut it nowadays—you have to do more in order to receive more. Solely relying on social media to grow your relationships will leave you completely lonely and at the same place in your career for years to come. Connecting with people by phone or in-person truly makes all the difference. Make it an absolute priority to spend face-to-face time building relationships.
Collaboration over competition
A lot of times, what makes someone successful in their industry and career is eliminating the idea that everyone surrounding you is your competition. You’d be surprised to see how far you could get when you learn to collaborate with those around you. Helping those around you not only benefits you and those involved, but it also builds upon establishing those relationships that level up your career sometimes from a simple start-up to a fortune 500 company.
You get what you give
When it comes to networking and creating relationships, you get what you give. You have to be able to bring something valuable to the relationship—especially if you are expecting the same in return. Whatever career field you are in, you can find several ways to bring value to your relationships. Remember this, regardless of where you are in your career—you will always have something to share.
Let us know in the comments below how you’ve leveraged networking to help take your career to the next level!
