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8 Effective Ways Young African Professionals Can Start Networking for Career Growth

8 Effective Ways Young African Professionals Can Start Networking for Career Growth

  • Business Insider Africa presents 8 effective ways to network as a young African professional.
  • These tips were curated from reliable sources like Forbes, Indeed, Harvard Business Review, etc.
  • Networking is essential for career growth.

You must be familiar with the saying “no man is an island”. That’s right, we all need the assistance of others every now and then. This is especially true for young professionals who are interested in expanding their careers. A recent article by Business Insider Africa discussed four ways networking can be essential for career growth.

While networking is essential and we all know it, it is not always the easiest thing to do. A 2021 article on Psychology Today acknowledged that adults typically find it hard to start new friendships. The article also listed 40 reasons this is the case, including introversion, fear of rejection, lack of time, etc. Now, seeing as networking largely involves formulating new friendships, it’s understandable why a lot of people may struggle with it.

But not to worry, because there are tested and proven tips that could help you in your networking journey. We have curated eight of these tips from reliable sources like Indeed, Forbes, Inc., Harvard Business Review, etc.

Before we proceed to discuss the tips, it’s important to bear in mind that networking entails building mutually beneficial relations. In other words, these relationships are not meant to benefit you alone. You must also be resourceful and useful to those within your network.

Eight effective ways you can start networking for professional growth

  1. Know your value: It is recommended that you should figure out what you are bringing to the table before attending any networking event. As we mentioned earlier, networking is a give-and-take process. It would be difficult for anyone to take you seriously if you have nothing to offer but would only like to take, take and take.
  2. Have a goal/plan: Know what you are looking to get out of every connection and be sure that they align with every networking event you plan to attend. Also, knowing what you are looking for makes it easier for you to recognise the right people to network.
  3. Don’t look down on anyone: At a networking event, it is advisable to regard everyone as important. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing anyone as unimportant based on the way they look or your preconceived notions. Instead, have an open mind and be friendly. Oftentimes, the people that end up assisting you the most are the people you least expect.
  4. Be ready to network: When attending a networking event, it is recommended that you go with your business cards. If you prefer not to give out business cards, ensure you have other means to exchange contact information with your new connections.
  5. Look people in their faces, connect with them, and be genuine and confident: People need the assurance that you are interested in them for who they are, not what you can potentially benefit from them. So, keep your interactions as human and friendly as possible. Be genuinely interested in being their friends first before anything else. Also, endeavour to make a good impression.
  6. Stay connected and follow-up: After meeting them for the first time, the next important step is to follow up with your new connections and nurture the budding friendship. You can do this by either phone calls or friendly chats, depending on whatever communication medium would work best for them.
  7. Form your networking events: This is an important tip, especially for introverts who are naturally easily stressed by the idea of attending social events. You can be more in charge of the situation if you are the host. So, organise meet-ups, invite the people you already know and have them bring along a handful of their friends and associates.
  8. Use LinkedIn to form new networks: LinkedIn provides immense opportunities for professionals to network with other professionals. All it takes is your willingness to send that connection request. Also, based on what the new connection does or their activities on the social media platform, you can initiate a conversation with them.

Business Insider

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