We meet numerous people throughout our life. With every person, you meet comes an opportunity to build contact for a lifetime. Under most circumstances, everyone you meet will bring something to the table and will have something to offer. So, how are you making the best of these chances?
Do you talk to them or do conversations exhaust you? Do you eat good food and leave the party or do you introduce yourself and look for people that match your wavelength? Every lunch, every annual function, every house party, every competition and every other underrated social gathering is an opportunity to work for your future if you act correctly.
Here are some reasons why you need to start networking if you have not already:
- Learning
If you have a growth mindset and want to move ahead in life, you’ll know by now that every person has something to teach you. Their experiences and their learnings when imparted to you, could help you work on yourself as a person. A large network of well-informed, interconnected contacts provides more opportunities to learn about fresh and useful knowledge. You get more ideas and some amazing and useful insights into people’s perspectives as well as their mindsets.
- Employability
Sooner or later, you and everyone you know will be looking for internships, part-time jobs, full-time jobs and more gigs. Networking helps everyone mutually benefit each other. Every person is resourceful and networking makes that happen. Remember that many jobs aren’t posted, especially as your career progresses. So becoming a recognised member of networks is a critical method to acquire access to possibilities you wouldn’t otherwise have.
- Mentoring
Imagine running into a person who serves at a senior position in a huge corporation. What if you talk to them and they give you advise that will help you for a lifetime? It’s not an impossibility and you know it. Sometimes you find the best mentors and guides even when you do not plan on. Whoever intimidates you, might also coach you the best way possible. So, do not keep yourself from talking to them. Most senior-level managers and good leaders are always willing to mentor people and give them the kind of advice they wish they had gotten earlier in life. Do not miss your chance.
- Healthy personal relationships
Not everything is work, we get it. Professional relationships aside, imagine finding your best friend for life when you’re sitting alone in a gathering and just looking to vent about your school life or work struggles. Networking helps find some of the best people in life, and we can a hundred per cent testify! Since you might share similar goals like the one that your networking contacts have, your professional support network is likely to merge into your friendships.
- Build confidence
Believe in yourself and shoot your shot! Go talk to that media mogul and the co-worker you thought hated you. Most of the fears and apprehensions are in our heads and are a result of our insecurities. The more people we talk to, the more we get over these self-created confidence issues. Since networking will eventually lead to you stepping out of your comfort zone, you will gradually build confidence.
Take the first step towards meeting new people (finding mentors is a bonus). Schedule a free session with EdLighten and get insights into profile building by our mentors and a team of education enthusiasts.
