 It doesn’t matter who you are or what your title is, networking is a critical skill for professional success and career advancement.
Building powerful relationships with others in your field can help you to stand out, both as an individual and as a company. If you’re an employee or candidate, those relationships might help you to land a great new job. If you’re a hiring manager, those relationships could allow you to identify and hire the company’s next great employee—or perhaps help you find a new position, as well. So, how can you get started? Below are five tips for improving your networking skills. Tip #1—Don’t rely on your computer. Sure, (just about) everybody is participating in social media these days, and maybe you’re a LinkedIn whiz. However, the Internet will only take you so far. To truly maximize the effectiveness of networking, it will eventually have to be conducted on a face-to-face basis—in spite of the pandemic. Tip #2—Make networking an acquired behavior. For some people, networking does not come easily, and that’s okay. As with everything else, you’ll become better over time. The key is to not become discouraged to the point where you quit. However, if you’re persistent, not only will you improve, but networking will also become a habit. Tip #3—Prepare your personal “elevator pitch.” Your “elevator pitch” is your 60-second speech about who you are, what you do, and the unique value that you offer. The best way to hone this speech is to practice, practice, practice. The good news is that if you follow tip #2, you’ll already be doing this. Tip #4—Understand the people with whom you’re networking. If you’re attending a networking event, be sure to conduct some research beforehand if you can. There is usually plenty of information online about people (including on LinkedIn), and this information will better prepare you to engage them in a meaningful way. Tip #5—Pay more attention to influential contacts. Networking is like anything else: you must focus your energy on those areas most likely to provide the results you’re seeking. It’s advisable to segment your contacts into different categories based upon their influence and then interact with those groups differently in a way that makes sense. Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field! Comments are closed.
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