by Kevin Meyers, Kunkel & Associates, & YP Vice President

In today’s business world, networking has become an absolute necessity. We’re all familiar with the saying, “It’s not what you know, it is who you know.” I am fortunate to have been given many opportunities for growth and advancement throughout my professional career thus far, which I credit [in many regards] to knowing how to grow my professional network. I’ve been tasked to provide you with five easy tips (or steps) to help you grow your professional network. These aren’t “by the textbook,” but they have all worked for me and I hope they can work for you too. 

Get Involved. Whether you are new to a job, new to a town, or find yourself caught in the same mundane schedule, the best thing to do is to get involved. Find a club, a group, or an organization in your community and become active within it. Joining an organization does not mean simply adding your name to an email list or a roster for resume-boosting purposes. My tip is for you to completely submerge yourself into whatever it is you enjoy doing. I believe that you get out what you put into things, so you might as well go all in. By doing so, you will form relationships with other members (whom you may have not met otherwise), learn more about the organization’s mission, and will find your purpose within the organization. 

Social Media. Social media can be a wonderful tool but also a massive crutch. You need to be wise in how you use it. One advantage of social media is that we can connect with people faster and more efficiently than ever before. Most importantly, we can get connected to individuals who hold the power in helping us advance in our lives and careers. I’ve been at Kunkel and Associates for nearly five years, and I got here initially because of LinkedIn. One day, I received a message from the HR Director at Kunkel. The message stated that she had come across my profile, and that I looked like someone who would fit the needs of a position that was currently open at Kunkel. From that message, we arranged an interview, and the rest is history. It’s important to be aware of how you portray yourself on social media. You never know who is going to come across your profile and where that connection could lead. 

Building Relationships. This might be one of the most important things to know how to do. Without building relationships, it will be extremely hard to advance in your career [or in your personal life for that matter]. Just as you focus on building relationships with those outside of your network, for the purpose of growing your business or adding new clients/customers, it is equally important to strengthen your relationships with your current coworkers and people you already know. I believe that you need to get to know your coworkers on a deeper level than someone you see at the coffee station or in the parking lot every day. Open up to them and they will open up to you. You’d be amazed what opportunities can come from true friendships that are formed through the workplace. Connecting with people from other companies and industries can help bring new ideas into your company. People outside of your current network also have a higher likelihood of being able to introduce you to a future client that you didn’t even know was interested or in need of the services your company provides.

Help People. People were created to be good and kind. We are intrinsically rooted to want to help others. While helping others, your brain releases hormones that boost your mood and counteract stress. This extra boost of energy and positive emotion may allow you to put more effort into helping others in the workplace. By doing so, you show that you are a “team first, me second” person. Your boss likes that! Others see you being selfless, which leads to them wanting to do something for someone else, thus you’ve created a chain reaction of people helping other people.

Look at the Big Picture. Networking is not something that you will notice benefits from overnight. You will swing and miss many times in your career. You might develop relationships with the wrong people or invest time into the wrong situations that never pan out to anything, but you will at least learn something in the process. There is no rhyme or reason to how things work from a timing perspective, but patience is key. Continue to connect with people, as you never know who will most greatly impact your career ten years from now. Trust the process and be patient.