How to plan and grow your professional network ryla 2012 27012012

How to plan and grow your professional

networkPresented at Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

Conference 2012 Conference (RYLA 2012)Gulu Uganda, 27 January 2012

David Lambert [email protected]

Outline

»What is networking?»Why does it matter to you?»How (not) to do it?»How to do it online

What is networking?

• It’s about building meaningful relationships with people

• It’s about looking out for each other

• It’s not collecting 100s of business cards and phone numbers of “important” people

Why does it matter?

• Meaningful relations can help you achieve a lot:– Provide vital information about opportunities– Promote you and your business– Support you solve your problems

• But it depends on the quality of the network

How to do it effectively

Check list for a good start:– What are your strengths ? Are you worth

knowing? – Do you know what your networking goals are?– Can you identify the people that can help you

achieve your goals? – Do you know what it takes to reach out and build

relations with them?– What will you do to grow your network

3 things you need to do

1. Excel at what you to and give a reason for your network to promote you

2. Look out for the opportunity to meet your network. Be in the right place and the right time

3. Develop a network that cuts across your personal growth and development needs

Become a CONNECTOR . This is your contribution

*What will your network remember about you?*

Source: http://www.proactivenetworker.com/index.htm

Types of Networks you need

1. Operational Network– Helps you learn to do the right things right e.g best

practices in your industry, new skills

2. Developmental network– For career guidance, professional training advice and

mentoring

3. Strategic Network– Helps you identify opportunities for your long term

growth e.g new and bigger job or businesses

Where to find your network

• Among your PEERS-workmates, schoolmates– BUT there is not a lot of new and different things

• Among the people you meet at events like RYLA 2012– Always look for people that are not in your PEER

network

Building and nurturing your network online

• Facebook• Twitter• YouTube• LinkedIn• Slideshare 360o Campus

Remember:

• When you meet someone don’t think about what that person can do for you but think about what you can do for them personally

Our mission is to bring people together to interact, share knowledge, opportunities

and to have fun.

JOIN US!

www.the360network.com 1204/10/23