Five networking tips for women graduates - Women's Agenda

Five networking tips for women graduates

After surviving the grueling and highly competitive world of university life, young professional women with their newly minted diplomas move on to the grueling and highly competitive world of the workplace!

Unfortunately, university courses often fail to include practical work skills, such as dealing with clients, self branding and maintaining an organised workspace. Skills that are particularly critical to career success are effective communication and networking.

Here are five networking tips for graduates starting out on their career paths:

  1. Establish your personal brand. This involves cultivating your image through your attitude, mannerisms, work ethic and appearance. How do you want to be regarded by others? Integrity is everything in the business world, whatever profession you’re in.
  2. Build networks. Don’t rely on your school or university networks (for many people, these barely exist). Get out there! Join a professional organisation and attend events. Volunteer to join committees and work on projects. This is how you meet people and forge new networks. Every person you meet could be a potential colleague, client and/or friend. Maximise every opportunity to meet new people. Remember: every dollar we will ever earn must come from another person.
  3. Make first impressions count. If your workplace doesn’t provide them, invest in your own professional business cards. Create a LinkedIn profile. Ensure your personal email address is professional, as opposed to [email protected] Pluck up the courage and introduce yourself to at least one new person at each event you attend. Aim to exchange business cards and follow them up via email or LinkedIn, ensuring you always send a personalised message or invitation. Avoid sending invitations on LinkedIn to people you don’t know; at very least, send a customised message.
  4. Go the extra mile. Make yourself stand out from the crowd by sending articles of interest to your contacts, introducing them to people you know and always sticking to your word if you say you’ll do something. Develop a reputation as a reliable and diligent person who is genuinely interested in assisting others. That’s how good things happen to good people.
  5. Try new things. Regularly get out of your comfort zone. Volunteer to help a different area or project in the office, learn new skills where you can, nominate for a scholarship opportunity, try a new sport or hobby. Keep challenging yourself in order to bring out your best and develop the ability to work effectively under pressure. Taking calculated risks and adopting a positive approach will give you the confidence that exudes from within, and makes you an invaluable asset to any team. And all the people you meet along the way will form part of your network.

As a recent graduate, the world is your oyster. Now dive in and make the most of it!

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