Networking Advice for Beginners

Networking is a very important – and often misunderstood – element in building your professional reputation and developing your career. Building a diverse and supportive network could make a big difference to your future, and following our simple guidelines could help you to get more benefits from your next networking event.

Whether you’re networking at a conference, a work social occasion or a specific networking event, you will have the opportunity to make and develop new professional connections. Success at all of these events depends upon the effort you put in, and the potential gains are well worth the extra input.

Here’s how to get the most from your next networking event:

Developing good working relationships with colleagues, associates and competitors is all part of your career pathway, and these five steps will help to make the process easier and more productive:

Identify contacts beforehand. Simply turning up and checking out the other attendees is unlikely to be a successful strategy unless you are a particularly confident and natural speaker. For most of us, finding out who will be there and identifying the people you wish to speak to, is a very important way to begin.

Know what you want. As with most aspects of your working life, it helps to identify your goals and targets beforehand. Look at your aims and consider whether it will be mutually beneficial for you and those you wish to connect with to work together or to build a connection that works for you both.

Know what you can offer. The most surefire way to ensure that you can get the support you need when you need it is to be the first to offer. You should be clear about what you can offer and always be prepared to give as well as take. Building relationships that work for both parties is the most productive way forward for everyone.

Hone your basic skills. People skills often make a huge difference to the success of a meeting, and these can be developed. Practice looking other people in the eye when you meet them, giving a genuine smile, and offering a firm, friendly handshake. Having a good understanding of current affairs or some interesting topics of discussion can be very useful, too.

Follow up on connections. When you make a positive connection or build on an existing professional relationship, be sure to put the effort in to ensure that you reap the benefits. For example, if you want to arrange a further meeting, discuss this and exchange contact details, and agree a timescale that you will stick to.

Find Recruitment Agencies in Limerick

CareerWise is Ireland’s leading specialist recruitment firm, based in Cork, Shannon and Galway, and our professional team are experts in Technical and Executive recruitment.

Are you a professional seeking an exciting new role, or a business seeking dynamic new talent? Talk to us at CareerWise to make the most of your potential. Contact us online now or call us on +353 (0) 21 206 1900 to arrange a consultation.

Joe Robbins

(Director) BBS (Hons), MBPICS – Shannon Office

Joe Robbins is co-founder of CareerWise Recruitment. A graduate of the University of Limerick (Degree in Business Studies, 1985), Joe worked in the UK for five years where he specialised in materials management, production management and plant management for a number of companies.

He returned to Ireland in 1992 to become Operations Manager for a Cork-based start-up, FMC Automotive Division which was subsequently taken over by Snap-on Equipment. Joe managed the business re-location of this company to Shannon in 1997 before setting up CareerWise Recruitment in 1999.

He is a committee member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Mid-West region, and a former Director and Vice President of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce. Joe is former Chairperson of the Sixmilebridge Camogie Club and current Chairperson of the Clare County Camogie Board.

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