What Is Networking?
What Is Networking?
Networking is the exchange of information and ideas among people with a common profession or special interest, often in an informal social setting. Professionals use networking to expand their circles of acquaintances, find out about job opportunities in their fields, and increase their awareness of news and developments in their fields.
Networking is one of the main benefits of joining a professional organization or attending a trade fair or convention. However, networking most often occurs spontaneously when two or more like-minded professional’s cross paths.
How Networking Works
People join networking groups based on a single common point of interest that all members share. The most obvious is a professional affiliation, such as stockbrokers or social workers. Many find effective networking opportunities in a college alumni group, a church or synagogue social group, or a private club.
For professionals, the best networking opportunities may occur at trade shows, seminars, and conferences, which attract a large crowd of like-minded individuals. Networking helps a professional keep up with current events in the field and develop relationships that may boost future business or employment prospects.
Needless to say, it also provides opportunities to help other people find jobs, make connections, and catch up on the news. Business owners’ network to develop relationships with people and companies they may do business with in the future. These connections help them establish rapport and trust among people in their communities.
Successful business networking involves regularly following up with contacts to exchange valuable information that may not be readily available outside the network.