This Becomes Important After You Turn 20! 6 Must-Do Things for Building Your Network
It really is an essential life skill~
Once you enter your 20s and 30s, there are plenty of milestones to face: graduating from college, landing your first full-time job, and seeing the classmates and close friends you used to spend every day with become your coworkers and bosses. As your focus shifts from school to your career, life is filled with unfamiliar changes. Whatever career you pursue after graduation, building a network is an important part of it, because there will always be times in the working world when you need help from others. Building a network from scratch is never easy. Whether you’re new to the workforce or have been working for a while and still haven’t learned how to deal with people in the workplace, don’t miss these 6 essential things to keep in mind and do when building your network!
- Related reading: Is work-life balance difficult? 5 simple ways to say no to being a “corporate drone”
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1. Build a contact list
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Whether you prefer the traditional pen-and-paper method or a digital one, keep a record of everyone you meet at work, including their email addresses and phone numbers, and update their information regularly. In time, this list will come in handy when you need help from someone in a particular field.
2. Build relationships first
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Think about it: If you suddenly received a request from someone you barely knew, what would you think? Would you be happy to help? Likewise, people may feel put off if you only reach out when you need something. Before you need their help, make an effort to maintain the relationship so your request won’t feel too abrupt.
3. Make good use of social media
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In addition to career-focused platforms like LinkedIn, mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can also be useful. They can help you learn about the interesting things happening in someone’s daily life, making it easier to start a conversation the next time you meet.
4. Offer a helping hand at the right time
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Sometimes the other person may be the first to ask you for help. Before you need their help, don’t hesitate to lend yours. If you’ve helped them before, they’ll find it harder to turn you down when you make a request later on~
5. Introduce friends to each other
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Even if you can’t directly help with what someone needs, or they haven’t asked you for anything, you can still do something for them. For example, introduce a magazine editor to a freelance writer. They don’t necessarily need to form a working relationship, but their professions may require each other’s help someday. Expanding their networks can also strengthen your own, so why not?
6. Don’t damage relationships
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People are easily swayed by their emotions, but it’s important to remember to leave room for future encounters. Giving in to a moment of anger may soothe your emotions, but you never know how someone you’ve offended may affect your future. Unless things are serious enough that there’s no way back, don’t damage the relationship. Even if you don’t need their help, at least you won’t undermine the efforts you’ve made.
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