NETWORKING- THE RELATIONAL SKILL THAT NEVER GOES WRONG! Monday Musings- Why network By Waturi Wamboye As this post muses on all matters relational, I intend to share my experiences on the power of networking! The Why? Where? When? Who? Some people,because of their temperament or personality, find networking relatively easy. They are sociable, think on their feet and relate easily with almost anyone. What if you prefer to be behind the scenes, to watch and observe? Well in this life you need contacts because they are the very lifeline in terms of work. In the working world, people operate on the base of trust. Trust is built through relationships and networks over time. This was a lesson I learnt while at campus and post campus that have shaped the path I am on and the bright future that I dream of and live every day! So I share some of the nuggets I have learned about networking being an introverted individual myself. Well being a part of the ATB group is to help you prepare, position and transition into the working world and corporate life. So the top question on your mind would be: how will I get a job in a competitive environment? Networks! People! Networking is simply the interaction with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. This means, that you need to be proactive to meet people. You identify people in your industry or successful people and you look for opportunities to meet with them or engage with them. Why? You never know what doors of opportunity will open through such contacts. Most impactful people have contacts to other people you would not be able to reach on your own. Can you think of that one place you would like to work? Start building your networks now! I got my first job immediately after campus through a network I made at my youth fellowship. I had interacted with them severally and then wrote to them and asked for an internship opportunity at the organization they worked for. Voila, I got the internship and was later confirmed as an employee of the company. Secondly, networking is crucial because stepping out and approaching someone to talk to (even if it is a question after their presentation at your campus) makes you visible. It makes you stand out from the crowd! Once you have the person’s attention you are at the fore front to introduce yourself, to share your opinions and in the process get new ideas and insights. Being an ambassador to ATB took a talk at the University of Nairobi, front row of the Maktaba Hall in 2011. After Miriam Mukasa’s talk ( founder of ATB) I approached her with my colleagues to ask questions and thank her for the talk. She took notice of us and we were later approached to be Brand Ambassadors at our university. Being a Brand Ambassador opened doors of opportunities through career fairs, cocktail events with blue chip companies and above all interacting with fellow brand ambassadors who enriched my knowledge immensely! Having knowledge in various industries widens your scope and opportunities of places to work which gives you the freedom of choice! With choice comes growth and development on your part! Finally, networking helps you attracting the right mentors. Experience is the best teacher and the wisdom of a mentor is because of experiences they have gone through that have led to their success in one way or the other. This does not mean that you need to have a CEO as a mentor. No, it can be a relative, a lecturer, a coach anyone that keeps you inspired, challenges you and above all is honest about not only their successes but failures as well. They should believe in your dream and help you get there. I tend to like many things and so at times I would like to venture in all of them at a time. However my mentor will calm me down and get me focused to one task that will either open doors to the other interests I have or build on the skill I have then move on to another skill later on in life. You spend most of your life working so why not take the chance to spend it wisely and in success! With that, I hope you are inspired to look for a networking event to gain contacts for you future! So next week, we will tackle, where do you network?
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 07:30:01 +0000
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