By Amelia Chan, CHRP

Put simply, networking is is vital to building and maintaining connections. 

People who don’t understand the ongoing need to stay in touch will discover that they have missed out through omission of opportunity.  Networking strengthens our relationships with the outside world and enmeshes us with the greater reality. This is a lesson that is often overlooked until something unexpected happens to shake us from our more isolated daily routines.

When an unfortunate downsizing or tragic life event takes place, we are pitched into turmoil because without proper nurturing of our support network, we lack a support network.  During such times, the value of networking becomes starkly apparent.  You can’t tap into the power of the network if you don’t work within the network regularly.  Engaging in pseudo-network activity in a superficial way will not be sufficient when you truly need it.

Positive networking is about relationships.  These bonds are solid and genuine and take time to build and effort to maintain.  There are countless ways networking can help you in your life, career and relationships.  To explore the core reasons for networking, I have grouped them into several main categories:

Connecting with your Community
No matter how independent we are, humans need contact and interaction with others.  The sense of community and belonging to something larger gives us security in our own identity (and how it fits into the bigger picture).  Community is what networks are built on; that we are not alone in our beliefs and pursuits is both equalizing and re-assuring.  Networking has always been one of the most effective ways to find work, but until the tougher economy forced people to get creative in their searches, it was amongst the least tapped.  Networking within your community is a good way to expand your horizons (and round out your life) within your own backyard.  There are communities everywhere which are beehives of activity with common interests and goals.  It is easier to meet others when you plug into your existing community network because of its built-in links.

Education Self-Serve
Tapping into your network is an amazing way to explore and grow your career.  Networking for career development isn’t only about generating job leads, it can be a source for exploring a different direction or a way to practice new skills.  The tools and resources needed to figure out your options are endless when you know how to leverage your contacts and their relationships.  However, it is important to have a specific goal in mind. 

People can be very generous with their assistance if they know what you need from them.  The mistake that most make is assuming that others know what that is.  Remember that it is your life so no one else can take charge of it for you.  The responsibility of the network is to support you, but you have to direct that aid. 

If you are looking for a new career, there are numerous ways to ask your network for help – from researching the options, developing new skills, finding mentors, to obtaining job referrals – but you have to drive the effort by planning ahead and asking for the right things.  Before you can mine your resources, you need to figure out your own goals and aspirations. 

Grow support and develop positive energy
We all need support at some time because life would be uneventful and meaningless if we experienced it completely in isolation.  The highs and lows would be neither high or low because there would be no basis for comparison.  Far from being judgemental or frivolous, sharing our trials and tribulations with our friends helps to cushion a crisis and better manage our emotions and actions.

It is the sharing of the experience which usually dissipates the negative energy and generates the positive flow again.  Another advantage of utilizing our network connections is the amount of time which you can save.  Instead of working on our own to generate what we need, we could create more assistance/invitations/popularity/interest – just by utilizing the people in our network properly. 

Taking a leadership role in networking is a way to foster benefits for all and in the long run this will benefit you.  In the spirit of reciprocity, this support eventually becomes the gift that keeps giving.  If you start the cycle of support with the right intention, the larger benefits will come back.  For those individuals who are only driven by self-interest and self-preservation, this narrow focus becomes damaging because they lose sight of the bigger picture and the need for promoting the greater good. 

This is by no means implying that all individuals have to be selfless or martyrs.  There is a difference between friendly competition and apathetic strife – self-serving parties who do not support the greater good eventually isolate themselves and lose out when communal action is necessary.  Although this may sound very abstract, the practical notion of ‘you get what you give’ comes alive with as a result of thriving networks. 

Networking is the most effective and rewarding when a group of people who collectively contribute to something bigger than themselves because progress is made when it’s not all about ‘me’.  When you take the focus off yourself, the opportunity for connection opens up.

Strong network connections will give you what you need when you need it – if engaged properly.  It is essential however, to direct the flow of network energy or it doesn’t work.  When engaged properly, instead of hoarding and feeling the need to remain closed in, networking helps open up the possibilities and opportunities for sharing and growth.  Networks move you out of scarcity and into abundance – because there is an abundance of resources, information and people waiting to be tapped into and connected up.

This is part two of a three-part networking series. Read part one now. And, learn about how to network in part three—coming soon!

Amelia Chan, CHRP, CICC, is an HR and immigration consultant who specializes in skilled foreign workers. She can be reached at amelia@hr-options.com.