Benefits and experience of developing a network

‘Yohani De Silva’ the most exciting and intriguing singer and is the first Sri Lankan to hit the hundred million YouTube views milestone (Wijewardhane,2021). How could she ever get noticed by the people all around the world if there wasn’t networking. A professional, student, entrepreneur or whatever you are, the networking is the best option you have, to advance your career. It’s not connecting to a large number of people but connecting to an audience to direct you towards opportunities or endorse your current skills. There are many talented and qualified people among us complaining about the unemployment, but it’s time to think whether they have unveiled themselves or they have made them visible to others. There could be entrepreneurs or politicians looking for publicity. The first advantage you get with a network is the publicity. According to the Oxford dictionary the term ‘networking’ means the process or action of interaction with others to develop social or professional contacts.

As per research done by Katri, Chapman, Glasby and Fitzgerald (2015) 80.8% of medical students around the world are using social media aiming the study recruitments. During the current pandemic almost, every student continued their studies with online platforms like Teams or Zoom classes. Unless for networking the whole education would have become of no use for almost two years. A student can participate in an overseas university class from home country. I still have the connection with my schoolmates who lives in miles away as they all connected with Facebook.

Most of the successful professionals recommends the social profiles. A person can get instant career advises by networking. There could be a contact who has taken the same path way. Discussing with an experienced peer would be a great advantage. There is and ability of adding expertise and the top-class people which you have never dreamt of. Perhaps it would take many days and take many waiting to meet someone’s own boss of the company, but if he is there in his network, he would be able to contact him directly. Sometimes by looking at a profile of a successor you can decide which carrier pathways you need to take or which courses you need to follow.

Social networking is building confidence in yourself. Once your every skill and qualification are published in detail you will never be shy to talk about it. There are many talented people who has the stage phobia, but apps like Tik Tok have given the individuals to show up their talent confidently. Adding more in to your circle will make you more comfortable once you are among a crowd. Talking to strangers from different parts of the world will brush up your communication skills. Further this would make you outstanding. You may find new interests and you will be up to date with what’s happening in the world. You will be the first one to hear a vacancy which an organization never advertised of. There will be numerous opportunities like scholarships, overseas working opportunities and the networking would be a great library to you. If you are the right person, you might even get invitations asking to join with certain organizations or institutes.

It’s not time for you to hunt the jobs but the chance of the jobs to hunt you!

References

Katri, C., Chapman, S.J., Glasby, J. and Fitzgerald, J.E.F. (2015)’Social media and internet driven study recruitment: Evaluating a new model for promoting collaborator engagement and participation’, PLoS ONE, 10 (3) DOI:10137/journal. pone01118899.

Wijewardhane, R. (2021) Yohani De Silva: Upcoming global star of Sri Lanka. Sunday Observer, 5 September 2021.