Interacting and connecting with people from different professions, nationalities, cultures, and fields will provide you with a broader life scope. Socializing with people from diverse backgrounds will increase your open-mindedness and experience. 

Networking is an incredible opportunity to think out of the box, start a conversation, learn from others, and become professional. Strong interactions will increase your confidence, and you will gain a flawless reputation. Think about it! Do you know what networking is? Or why is networking important? If not, you need an update. Let Radviser, your intelligent adviser help you with it. 

What Is Networking?

A network is a group of people who exchange information and contacts for social or professional purposes. A network must have a defined purpose. Using the network is a powerful way of researching your situation and expanding your knowledge about opportunities within it, accessing other people's experiences and perspectives. Based on this definition, what is networking? 

Networking is about interacting with people to exchange information and develop social or professional contacts. Networking is a certain act, and it does not happen by accident. Good networking is a two-way connection between how I can help and what I can get. 

Business networking is the process of establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with other professional people and potential clients or customers. Networking is all about building and maintaining relationships with people leading to a mutually helpful exchange. That will influence one's professional development. 

Networking increases the number of people you know and who know you. There will be more people to ask for their help and advice. Networking is a vast ocean full of opportunities, especially when you just started your career. It will also allow you to contribute something to others. These are some of the simple importance of networking, but why is networking important? Is it important for everyone? 

Why Is Networking Important?

It is a fact that most connected people are often the most successful. Good relationships can pay you back throughout your career. Networking will help you improve your skills, be aware of the latest trends, keep a pulse on the job market, meet professionals' mentors/clients, and access valuable resources that will lead to your career development. 

With good networking, you will have access to opportunities you might not be able to find on your own. Your network can provide you with details about different fields, insights into what employers look for, and valuable advice on improving professionally. Your network can offer you meetings or interviews. Effective networking will save you time, effort, and stress. Therefore, knowing why networking is important will be a powerful tool to plan professional development. 

There are three major reasons why networking is important, i.e., career development, job search, and the workplace. Let us find out more about them. 

Networking Is Important for Career Development

Career development is the lifelong advancement of your career. It is a roadmap of your career journey. It starts with your education and ends when you retire. This depends on many things, such as the job, experiences, career achievements, education, training, and the feedback you provided along the way. You must try and develop your career by yourself. 

The importance of networking for career development is that when you network with people in your company, industry, and outside of your field, you will find new opportunities to connect with mentors, advisors, and professionals, increasing your visibility, especially with senior managers, and eventually it will develop your expertise and skills. 

Networking is a great way to accelerate the pace of your career development. If you seek to grow professionally, career development is crucial for you. Try to identify those who can provide you with new skills and experiences. Stay in contact with those who work in great fields, those who can help you become more informed and skilled. Try to stay connected and involved.

Networking Is Important for Job Hunting

Networking is really important during a job search. Many jobs are filled using personal contacts. That is why networking is important during this time. Your network is your most powerful tool. With the right connections, your chances of landing a great job increase tenfold. If you want to change your career, a professional network can support you by providing information, offering new connections, or finding leads for new jobs. 

Take your time and build meaningful relationships with valuable professionals in your circle. When searching for a job or changing career, you can ask them for referrals, reference letters, job leads, and information. It is necessary to contact the network before sending resumes. 

One of the best ways to use your network for job searching is social media. When you share that you are looking for a job, the chances are that someone on your network knows about a vacancy. You can also send your resume to a specific contact who works in the field you are interested in. A close relationship with your contact will be your best chance for a successful job search or career change.

Networking Is Important in the Workplace

Many people believe networking is a powerful asset to connect with those who work out of the office or in different fields. This is true, but networking and connecting with people in your workplace is also important. Your workplace is the easiest place to start networking. Networking with your co-workers will be beneficial to your career growth. 

Try to find potential mentors and ask about professional development opportunities and job positions that were not publicly announced. Build relationships in your department and other divisions. If you give your time and effort to get to know your colleagues, they will help you in your current career or change to a new one. 

You can ask them for a letter of recommendation, inside information, and new employers. A mentor can help you gain maturity and experience. Self-improvement opportunities can happen in your workplace. It will make you a more efficient employee and a valuable candidate for a future job. Reach out to your co-workers and ask about their work history, roles in the company, and career goals. This way, you can find out how they can help you and how you can benefit them.

How to Start Networking?

Networking needs excellent communication skills, and initiating conversations based on these skills takes time. There is no fixed networking rule, and you have to try various strategies to find the best one. To start networking, you must have a few steps in mind. They are as follows: 

1. You need to know yourself. You should know your motivations, your targets, your plans, and your reasons. You must know what makes you unique? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your core values? What do you want people to say and know about you? What is the reputation you are looking for? What do you want to accomplish in your career 10-25 years from now? 
2. You should build your brand. When you know yourself well, you must try to create your brand; something that distinguishes you from others. Your brand is related to how people think of you when they hear your name. Some factors like written communications, actions, values, ethics, characteristics, attitudes, skills, maturity, work achievement, and verbal communication will build your brand and reputation. To build a successful brand, you must know yourself well. You need to achieve more skills by volunteering, attending conferences, joining a club, or starting a job. You should acquire primary (meetings, events, sessions, and interviews) and secondary (forums, discussion boards, reading, and LinkedIn) knowledge about your field. You must use all these to build beneficial relationships. 
3. Networking can happen online or in presence. You need to have a defined purpose for both. When you know your goal, you can manage the connection. 
4. You need to be prepared. Preparing for networking will help you stand out. It is important to start networking with an elevator pitch. Your elevator pitch can be your degree, year of study, discipline, technical skills, achievements, area of interest, or preferred industry. It is better to have about 5 to 10 questions to ask others. Your questions can be about knowing them individually or knowing the company you are interested in. You also must be ready to answer questions. Prepare acceptable answers to common questions. Try to be polite and positive. Grab the opportunities to help. Only use technical jargon.
5. Be confident. Introduce yourself to the chosen elevator pitch. Listen attentively and show interest. Do not talk too much and focus on commonalities to build useful connections.

How to Be a Successful Networker?

Networking is important, but how can you make sure that you are doing it correctly? Consider the following tips on how to be a successful networker and how to use your professional network effectively:

1. Identify your network. You need to reach out to people who can provide you with specific knowledge and help. Your network is not just the people you know. It is also the people your network knows, and so on. Try to expand your network and make sure you connect with people working in various industries and positions. You should know what the best strategy is for you. 
2. Try to be visible and productive. You need to maintain your connection with people regularly. This connection can be sending a short email to say hello, but it will help you stay connected and visible. 
3. Be aware of what you can give and take. It is important to know what your contacts can offer you. You need to keep track of people's current positions and projects. It is also essential to know what exactly you can offer to your connections. Networking should be mutually beneficial. So let your network know how you can help them. If you can help a friend in need, they are more likely to support you and return the favor.
4. Use the internet to create, cultivate, and communicate with your networks. Use social media platforms to reach out to coworkers, clients, professionals, and people in charge of your industry. Send them messages, help them remember you, and encourage them to establish a mutual relationship. 
5. Seek out the networking events. Socializing in person will increase your chances of creating a beneficial network. Plan to attend the corporate retreat, community events, company mixers, and other occasions that will expose you to various related contacts. 
6. Network outside the box. You do not have to stay connected to work people. Networking will allow you to connect with the field you are interested in, meet people you have common personal interests, and create relationships with those who have the same profession. 
7. Network with a specific goal. Each of your networking activities must have a goal. This way, you will be motivated and stay on the right track. 
8. Following up is the key. When you connect with people at an event, it is important to follow up afterward as soon as possible. You can do it by sending a LinkedIn connection request. When you have valuable information to share, this is the time to reach out to them with a thoughtful message. 

What Are the Benefits of Effective Networking?

When you do the right type of networking, it will bring you various opportunities to benefit your career and personal growth. Networking is a trustworthy long-term relationship, and when you know about its exact benefits, you will try your best to create the most effective one. Here are some of the biggest benefits that effective networking will offer you. 

1. More Business Connections

The undeniable benefit of networking is the connection it builds. Networking means sharing. You try to build trust and help one another toward defined goals. If you choose to engage with your contacts regularly and create opportunities to help them, you will have a strong business connection in the end.

2. Fresh Ideas

Expanding your network will offer you new perspectives and fresh ideas. One of the highlighted benefits of effective networking is that it will help you see things with fresh eyes. You can exchange information, experiences, and goals with your connections. It will help you gain new insights and challenge your old beliefs. Feel free to ask people for their help and offer helpful ideas in return. This way, you can build a strong reputation. 

3. Better Reputation

Gaining a flawless reputation is one of the incredible benefits of effective networking. Networking helps you be visible and get noticed by professionals. This can be achieved by attending social events or being active on social media. Value people, listen to them, follow conversations, remember names, and offer your knowledge whenever needed. You can build your reputation as a reliable and supportive contact by doing so. Once you raise your profile, you will be noticed by recruiters looking for talented and supportive team players.

4. Career Development and Job Opportunities

Being visible will help you to gain a better career approach. Being recognized by people will build your reputation, and this will bring you more chances. Widening your contacts also can open doors to new job openings. Many jobs do not get advertised, so it is important to be recognized in the network if you want to be offered a position.

5. Knowledge and Support

The last benefit of effective networking is that it will bring you more knowledge and support. You can exchange practice knowledge, learn about different techniques, and keep track of the latest trends. In case of a problem, you can gain advice from experienced peers, discuss your challenges, and ask for suggestions and guidance.

Roles of Social Media in Networking

These days, networking mostly happens online. There are many networking groups on social media like Facebook or LinkedIn. You should know that LinkedIn is a dedicated professional network with about more than 700 million users providing opportunities to connect with professionals. Everything we have mentioned so far can be achieved on LinkedIn easily. If you want to know how to create a LinkedIn account and connect with people, check out How to Use LinkedIn Effectively?

Final Words  

Believe it or not, "no man is an island", and it has been proved to be one of the main reasons for us to make a collective effort to achieve professional success. 

Most successful individuals satisfied with their career journey state that creating strong networking channels played an important role in their professional growth. 

In this article, Radviser explained what is networking and why it is important for our lives. We suggest you take a look at our Library to find more topics about this subject.