Your Network: A Living, Breathing Thing!
BY TAYLOR PHILLIPS
When it comes to your professional career, networking is a crucial part of the job. No matter what industry you’re in or how high you’ve climbed the corporate ladder, growing your network can offer great benefits for your current position, your future career, and even your personal life. But a lot of us have deprioritized this skill because it can be time-consuming, draining and even a little awkward. Not to mention that the benefits aren’t always immediate or obvious, which can be discouraging. But as workforces change and grow, there are always new people to meet and new opportunities on the horizon.
5 reasons to grow your professional network throughout the entirety of your career:
New people bring new opportunities: The obvious benefit of networking is that you’ll meet new people who could potentially help you in your career. Whether they want to work with you, work for you, hire you, mentor you, be mentored by you or connect you with someone in their network, fostering these relationships will likely lead to mutual benefit. Never underestimate the power of a personal relationship in a professional setting.
Diversifying your network offers fresh perspectives: If you’re a C-Suite executive, you may already have an impressive network. But the workforce is constantly changing. Big names in business are retiring, young hopefuls are diving in, and your network should evolve and grow with those changes. Having a diverse network can offer new and unique perspectives, inspiring you to push the boundaries of what you can do with your career or company.
Networking gives you a finger on the pulse of the job market: If you’re on the job hunt or looking to hire, having a strong network can keep you in the loop regarding potential job matches. If you’re employed and satisfied, be a connection for someone else! Professional relationships should be mutually beneficial, and helping someone out now could bring you new opportunities in the future.
Your connections help you stay on top of the latest industry trends: You may want to do your own due diligence when it comes to researching the latest news and developments in your field, but consulting with your network can help you diversify that information even further. Not to mention that being knowledgeable about industry trends will give you plenty of talking points at your next networking event.
Complacency leads to missed opportunities: Networking is a skill you will continue to finesse throughout your career. If you don’t continue to flex that muscle, you will miss out on great opportunities.
Networking doesn’t mean you have to attend every conference, seminar and cocktail hour that blows into town. Networking opportunities are all around you! Strike up a conversation while waiting in line for your morning coffee. Ask the person next to you on the plane what they do for work. Introduce yourself to someone new at a barbecue. No networking opportunity is too small. We all want our peers to succeed, so make a lot of friends and let them help you out every once in a while.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance
While networking is crucial to a successful career, devoting every free moment to industry events and cocktail hours will only exhaust you. Taking personal time and investing in your relationships helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance, which reduces stress and helps prevent burnout in the workplace.
We asked a few members of our hardworking team how they manage their work-life balance. Here’s what they had to say:
"You have to learn how to compartmentalize and be present. When you’re at work, be at work. When you're home, be fully there. I’ve found that letting stressful situations sit for a bit while you allow your mind to be elsewhere actually relieves stress. It frees your mind to think on its own. And somehow in the middle of a run or a shower or a glass of wine with a friend, a solution emerges effortlessly. It’s like magic!"
- Andy Cunningham, Founder & CEO
"My spouse and I share our work calendars with each other so we can coordinate and find time to spend as a family."
- Henry Hwong, Principal
“I’m a freelancer who works predominantly from home, so thank goodness for my dog. He's great at reminding me when it’s time to trade the laptop for the leash."
- Lauren Cuthbert, Editorial Advisor
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? Let us know in the comments below!