"Know where you want to go and make sure the right people know about it." - Meredith Mahoney

Introduction

Hi friends, Do you ever wonder how someone is able to find opportunities when you are constantly thinking about a break or how someone ends up getting that role in the college which you wanted to get?

Do you also wonder how to get to know how can I improve my skills and how to get to know what skills I have to develop inside me to become ready enough to bag a job role?

Do not wonder now much!! Because I am going to share with you the secret ingredient which is going to change you a lot and help you gain more opportunities and relevant results. So let's wait no more and Let's get started!!

The Secret Skill

So here is the secret- Networking. Yes!!!! You heard it right. The skill that any professional should possess in today's time is indeed networking. Now, let's formally define it and I will show you how it is going to change your lives.

Networking is the exchange of information and ideas among people with a common profession or special interest, usually in an informal social setting. - Investopedia

So you basically have a network- a group of friends, some persons who have a common interests. For example, you can have a network of tech enthusiasts or same college community or network with Hiring managers in the company you want to be part of, Startup founders, network with community experts, network with teachers and those who are doing the job that you want to do in future.

How my network will help me become better?

You asked the right question. Basically, every person has a pool of friends and a knowledge background. And you will agree with me on this that all this persons are human and the instinctive nature of humans are to help each other and be social. So they share relevant things like career advice, what skills you should be learning etc. with each other. Now, when you have such people in your network, you will also get to learn and remain aware of what the industry demands of me as a professional.

Also, that is not the whole thing. In your network, you can also help or share your experience and knowledge with others and ultimately an ecosystem gets build up where we are growing all together. Also, you can showcase through various means what skills you have to offer and how you can prove valuable asset for an organization and that way relevant opportunities can reach to you based on your skillset.

Image Source: startuphyderabad.com

Think of this like somebody in your network is looking for a Digital Marketing Specialist and they know you have very good skills in this because of their prior interaction and knowing you as a person. They can approach you to inform you for the offer or may refer you for some other thing. Sometimes people also guide us by giving us valuable suggestions of how one can improve themselves. And that's how the networking functions.

I remember reading a book called "Give and Take" that you need not be a person who just hunts for opportunities but the survey results shows those who help and are of the nature givers (the people who believe in giving or sharing their expertise with others without any expectations in return) land up with more promising opportunities because they help others and also in a way showcase their personality and skills with others. This quote sums up this well:

"You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar

Where to network?

You: Okay, Aman. I got your point that networking is a very important skill and I should be doing this. But where to do networking?

Me: Well, basically you should start it from your own college - connect with like minded persons. If you are a programmer, connect with other programmers. If you like photography, connect with more photographers in your college. Connect with teachers who are into these things. Teachers always guide us on the right path to move forward in careers.

You: Okay, I got your point. But where else should I network for my career?

Me: Well, basically the number one professional site for networking and job opportunities for you is - LinkedIn. Yes, it is a social media type application where you can connect with Your college Alumni, Hiring managers, Students from different colleges, Domain Experts and learn from them with also showcasing your best self to apply for number of jobs that are posted on this amazing platform

You: Whoa! This is one great website. But is that it?

Me: No, this is not it. There are many more wonderful sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, Naukri, Discord servers, Slack channels, Open communities on Facebook, Linkedin and more where you can meet many amazing persons from around the world and believe me you will learn a lot from this.

If you want to know how to use LinkedIn properly, you can refer this video by Love Babbar sir : youtu.be/MD7yXwBwCV0

Thanks for being a supportive reader. I value your constructive feedback to improve myself to bring forth more cool content for you. Till then, keep hustling!