Importance of Professional Networking in an Online Setting
If you are working in a corporate setting for some time, you must be well-aware of the importance of having a sound network in and outside of your professional work circle. Your ability to communicate ideas with your connections can be a deciding factor in your career’s success. This is also true if you are a business owner, willing to raise money for a project or are seeking new job opportunities.
Over the years, the rise of internet-based platforms has made a paradigm shift in the way professionals make connections online. This also includes the obvious pros and cons of meeting someone online—the trust factor is always a matter of concern.
On the other hand, if you are using social networks like LinkedIn, Angel.com, etc., you might have noticed certain traits when you accept a new connection. It’s always a good idea to take a look at the potential new connection and check if the profile suits your career path. The idea is to see whether the connections you are making are beneficial to you and the career and business goals of the other party. It is also important to note that all the above-mentioned mediums require a different networking approach.
For example, you can share blogs, have a following, and at the same time have multiple networks. Since a typical professional social network works on the basic principles of social media, you have the same construct of likes, comments, and shares under usual circumstances.
Having a strong professional network can help you in a lot of different aspects of your career, then be it finding the job of your dreams or expanding your business. Let’s take a glance at five ways you can leverage your network to advance your career or grow your business.
Finding new opportunities
A versatile and elaborate professional network can help you find jobs, new ventures, and business ideas. For example, if you are from the sales domain and have specific client requirements to deliver on some marketing role, you can quickly post a short message on your online profile for interested and suitable candidates. This can include freelancers as well.
The beauty of a strong network is in the fact that even if your immediate network does not have a candidate the networks of your networks might have someone. The same is the case for finding a job, if you are open to opportunities, let your networks know via simple and crisp notes mentioning your expertise and need.
Onboarding or Hiring
Great companies are a result of great teams, and having a strong professional network makes sure that your team is never out of skilled professionals and great talents. This has a lot to do with having a network of people and letting them know that you are on a lookout, especially if you are a recruiter.
Keeping track of your network and being active on the platform also increases the chances of you acquiring the right talent for the job. Yes, it is an ongoing process, but how do you learn to master it? The answer is practice, till you figure out how to efficiently, without wasting valuable time in the processes, get meaningful talent for your firm.
To Know a Potential Employer
If you are someone who wishes to use your professional network to find a job, then it can be a great place to know about your employer too. Social networking platforms offer a plethora of insight about your potential employer with their social media activities.
It can be easily done by going through their profile and reading through their past work and area of excellence. You can then use this to match your job profile and see if you are a good fit for the role. It can also help you to be at ease during interviews.
Pitching your Ideas
If you have a great idea you know that you have to market it to the right people to monetize it. This is also true if you want to gain potential customers for your services, or want to attract investors to your projects and businesses, and having a strong network just makes it a bit easier.
Pitching was never this easier as you can simply write a blog about your idea. It can be quickly shared on an online professional social media platform for your networks to read and share it. It’s a great way to also test the viability of your ideas and check how many people are interested in it. Moreover, it can bring engagement to your profile, and your venture can be more visible to potential business partners, recruiters, or like-minded people.
Personal Recommendation
If you have the talent and skills to get things done in your career path, you are going to get a job sooner or later, but having a personal recommendation from one of your networks will just speed up the process. You’ll land opportunities faster than anyone else for the same thing.
In a lot of cases, a personal recommendation can directly get you to the interview stage, this is true for all forms of professional endeavors, for both internal and external recommendations.
Professional networking sure has its benefits, especially when you want to accomplish your career goals at an increased pace. It can also work wonders for the popularity of your project and businesses. However, there are always two sides to a coin, and like any online interaction, you have to be vigilant when accepting new networks to your professional circle. For anything else, we will suggest to keep reaching out to new networks and build a great circle.
On these lines, we will also like to introduce to Workmob, our innovative professional social media platform. We have been developing this for quite some time now, and it acts as a key enabler for your networking goals in a fun and engaging manner. Give it a try, we bet you’ll love it!
Workmob allows you to make connections online, engagingly share your professional stories, all the while offering an awesome user interface. It is a fast-growing venture with new companies adopting it every day around the globe. It lets you form company-centric workplaces, make groups, and outstanding campaigns to motivate and inspire your professional circle.
October 10, 2020