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Read time: 3 mins
You know networking is probably important for your career.
But it's often all too hard, right?
We're here to help.
Let's get into it:
Your next career move is directly related to your network: according to research from Hubspot, 85% of jobs are filled through networking.
In Issue #6, we broke this down into our Networking Equation:
LIKELIHOOD OF OPPORTUNITIES = SIZE * QUALITY * CONNECTION
Today we're focusing on SIZE.
Bigger isn't always better, but a tiny network won't help much.
But most people don't prioritise growing their network because they:
- Aren't sure where to start
- Are too busy
- Lack confidence
Do you fit into any of these buckets?
If so, we wanted to share our favourite tactics to overcome these challenges.
3 TACTICS TO GROW YOUR NETWORK NO MATTER WHAT
1- If you're not sure where to start
Look in your backyard.
You're sitting on a goldmine: your existing network.
If you have 10 people in your network, and they each know 10 people, your 1st order connections are 10 people.
Your 2nd order connections are 100 people.
How many of your 2nd order connections do you know?
This means asking a simple question within your existing network:
"Given my goal of (x), is there anyone in your network that I should get to know?"
And then,
"Are you willing to introduce us?"
People trust the advocacy of others, so growing your network this way is very effective.
2- If you have no time
We have 2 responses to this:
a. Start small.
Expanding your network can seem like a big task.
However, you only need 15 mins/week to really make a difference.
Narrow in on growing your network to a specific industry, organization, role, etc, and set a goal of creating 1 new connection per week.
b. Think longer term
When we don't think long-term, we tend to deprioritise important things that aren't urgent.
Growing your network is one of those things:
Try to prioritise it so you're not missing out on future opportunities for interesting and lucrative work.
3- If you lack confidence
Networking can be scary.
Putting yourself 'out there' puts you in a vulnerable position.
If this is something you struggle with, you're like 90% of people out there.
Try keeping this in mind:
You don't need to be confident to grow your network .
You need to take action.
Confidence will come over time; the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Of course, this is easier said than done, so if you're struggling with confidence, reach out to us for help .
For the action takers:
- Self-reflection: Assess what's preventing you from growing your network. Is it where to start, time or confidence?
- Use the tactics above to take 1 step this week to grow your network.
We would love to hear what you're going to try and don't forget to reach out if you get stuck.
Thanks for reading!
Speak soon,
Lynne and Steve
TLDR
- Most people don't grow their network for one of 3 reasons:
- Not sure where to start
- Being too busy
- Lack of confidence
- It can only take 15 minutes per week to really make an impact in growing your network.
- Doing a self-assessment and building your 2nd order connections are the quickest wins to increase the size of your network and your opportunities.
When you're ready to accelerate your career or business, here's how to ask about working with us:
We offer career coaching & mentoring to support leaders to build confidence and achieve their goals, and are developing career-building courses coming soon.