5 Benefits of Networking at Work

5 Benefits of Networking at Work

Networking at work is a vital pathway to career growth and there are many benefits to it. Sometimes networking can be confused with selling, but it actually means creating long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial. This in turn, leads to building a good reputation over time.

Networking is not about trying to meet as many people as possible, but rather it is trying to meet the right type of people that will be able to endorse your specific skillset, show you opportunities and point you in the direction of other well-connected people.
It is an essential process that should be implemented throughout all stages of your professional journey. Here we take a look at 5 benefits of networking at work.

Did you know? Networking Benefits
  • 85% of job positions have been filled through networking.
  • Almost 100% believe that face-to-face meetings build stronger long-term relationships.
  • 70% of jobs are never published publicly. 

Here are 5 of the biggest advantages of networking:

1. Raise Your Profile

One of the first benefits of networking that is extremely important in career building is being able to raise your profile, you can do this by being visible and getting noticed. The way you can do this is by attending as many social and professional events as possible which will help get your face known.

When you are attending these events, you must provide value for other attendees (it’s not all about you), long lasting relationships are built on trust and providing value to each other. You can create value by listening carefully, following up on conversations, remembering names, and offering your knowledge and expertise.

2. Advance Your Career

Having the ability to go out and network with people within your industry can hugely benefit your chances of climbing the ladder in your industry.

You can advance your career and build your reputation by being knowledgeable, reliable, and supportive by providing useful information to people who need it.

3. Strengthen Business Connections

“Sharing is caring”, for lack of a better term, is what networking is all about. You must be willing to share the information you have and not just take information from other people. It is about forming trust and helping each other reach your individual goals. Staying in regular dialogue with your contacts and finding ways to assist them will help strengthen your relationship. This will plant the seed for a long-lasting relationship and for when you need assistance to achieve your goals.

Making connections in business, benefits of networking.

4. Access to Job Opportunities

Having the ability to expand your contacts can lead to many new opportunities for business, career advancement or for personal growth. When you are actively networking it keeps you at the forefront of people’s minds when new job openings become available, and it will increase your chances of being introduced to relevant people or potentially even a referral.

As your career advances a lot of jobs do not get advertised, so being recognised in the right network of people can open the door to more career opportunities that you may not have otherwise.

5. Career Advice and Support

Receiving career advice from experienced people within your industry is another important benefit of networking. When you are discussing your common challenges and opportunities this can lead to important suggestions and guidance. When you can offer good advice and support to your contacts this will set a strong foundation when you need support in return.

So why not get networking and soon you’ll be climbing up that career ladder in no time!

View all our current vacancies on Recruit Island that can help you get your foot in the door and start networking.

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Cian McGoey is part of the Digital Marketing team within Servisource Workforce Solutions.

Are You Sabotaging Your Job Search?

Are you sabotaging your own job search by engaging in self-destructive behaviour? We would like to share some warning signs to help you.

Do you rule yourself out?

When job searching, do you often ‘rule yourself out’ if; when reading a job spec, you don’t have a certain skill?

“I didn’t apply for that position because it states in the job spec they require  “X” skills, and I don’t have that”.

Just remember, managers are not always trained in writing strong job descriptions and can sometimes include anything and everything they ‘want’ within the job spec.

Generally, job seekers should apply the 80:20 rule:

Apply for positions where you meet about 80% plus of the job requirements.

Do you find self-doubt and self-elimination prevents you from applying for roles?

Oftentimes, low self-esteem, insecurities in a role or feelings of ‘not good enough’ to apply for a role stops you from opportunities in life; even applying for your dream job.

job search
job search

Do you have a clear career focus?

Focus is the “key to job search success”

Focus isn’t just a mindset: it’s an act of doing, an action that, when used properly, can propel your job search.

Think about it – you need to:

  • Internal focus to identify strengths, weaknesses, passions, core values and skills, target industries.
  • Focus on your cover letter (generic cover letters don’t “cut the mustard”
  • Focus on your CV
  • Focus on your interview skills / prep
  • Focus on your mindset; maintain positivity, maintain curiosity
  • Focus on your behaviour & productivity levels

Another crucial aspect of the job search is knowing what you want from a role and company. Are you able to define and communicate what you want for your next role to potential employers?

Read our blog: Be Successful in Your Job Search – Tips for Success

Do you fear change?

In life – In your career – Financially?

People associate change with a loss of control, money or pride; fear of being outside of their comfort zone, feelings of uncertainty and dread. It’s the unknown.

The majority of the time, it’s not the change itself, but rather our interpretations of it, that make the situation appear negative.

Is it better to embrace change rather than letting fear get in the way of happiness?

Force yourself to interpret the fact of change from a wildly different perspective, don’t let past experiences skew your mindset.

If you are unhappy in your current job; do something about it! Contact Us Today

Do you avoid Networking?

It is commonly said that 80% plus of available jobs never get posted whereby recruiters or hiring managers fill roles through referrals (SO GET NETWORKING!)

Yes, it can be intimidating and scary but remember, you network every day; everywhere you go!

Professional networking is about making contacts and building relationships that can lead to jobs or other work-related opportunities.

  • Get Social

We don’t just mean go on Facebook all day! Become an influential expert in your field, an influencer who adds value, a unique hidden resource. Build your brand.

Adopt a networking lifestyle.

  • Attend Industry Events and/or Job Fairs

Industry events and job fairs give you the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, be asked a lot of questions (a months’ worth of interviews in one day!) and are also a GREAT place for networking & an opportunity to learn about your chosen industry and make new contacts within that industry.

Do you use the same CV to apply for all roles?

If you are submitting the same CV for all roles, this can be seen as lazy which may lead to the recruiter or hiring manager to presume you are applying to many positions at once.

Customisation is Key!!

Both your CV and cover letter should be updated specifically for the position you are pursuing. Job descriptions are a combination of requirements (needs) and wants (would be nice to have) therefore highlighting and relating your relevant experience for the specific role is important.  Quantify your achievements in any given role. Showcase your value and how you can help the company.

It is becoming common-place, especially if your CV is online (such as LinkedIn or online job boards), the recruitment process is streamlined. This means your CV will be pre-screened by algorithms; signifying the importance of optimising or customising your CV to include core keywords from the specific job spec.

You could even earn bonus points if you research the company values and include aspects of these within your CV & Cover Letter. Your cover letter is an opportunity to demonstrate a personal connection between yourself and the company, similar to an elevator pitch when you are networking.

Make yourself accessible to recruiters and hiring managers.

Did you know that our recruiters don’t just post their open vacancies on Recruitisland.ie?

They also actively look for people to fill their vacancies by searching through our Candidate Profiles.

Create a candidate profile and we can help you find that dream job – let’s get you hired 😊

Do you feel you are a failure if you are not successful at interview?

Oftentimes, candidates lose self-esteem as they go into interviews believing that there are two outcomes: pass or fail. You are qualified or have specific experience; if the hiring manager doesn’t get you, they don’t deserve you!

Example: When you go on a date with someone and there’s no chemistry, do you feel like a failure?

No – because if you are not a match, you are not a match.

So don’t let one or two rejections get in the way of you finding your perfect career.

STOP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!

Basically, if you are engaging in these behaviors, take a step back, analyse what and why you are engaging in such destructive behavior and take action.

STOP avoiding or doing all of the above. A behavior change in all of these areas can have big results in your job search.  Never give up trying to do what you really want to do.

If you can dream it, you can do it  🙌

Recruit Island is ‘an island of opportunity’ where your goals can be achieved – have a look at all available jobs and lets make those dreams come true!

Contact Us Today!

Article Written By:
Donna Farrell