When you choose a subject and a school to study the subject at, you have in mind a very clear idea of what you want your future to be like. You know which field you want to engage in, and which companies you want to work with. You are aware that you need to study very hard and come up with top grades to make the future ever brighter, and that you need to hone all your soft skills and learn some more to get an edge in this competitive world. But, apart from all this, something else is equally important: networking. In this article, we will discuss how the right kind of networking can make or break a career.
Will help entrepreneurs
There are many different things that capture the interest of the MBA students, but you will certainly come across a few people in your class or in the school who will be aiming to start off their own business venture. In fact, these people take up the MBA course to ensure that they learn the necessary skills that will be needed when they start off as young entrepreneurs. If you are one of those people, then you will certainly benefit from networking with others like you. This way, you might come across someone who shares your vision and might be a potential partner. It is only through networking that you will be able to build up a relationship with someone who might have good access to angel investors and hedge funds, and so will be able to direct you in the right path and introduce you to the right people to give your career that initial boost.
You get better employees
Networking in a business is important not just for financial reasons. It is equally important to get more people interested in your business, and to draw in potential employees and partners. Through networking alone, you have the best chances of employing people who are exceptionally creative, or people who have outstanding professional skills and a great track record. Some might even come up with a highly lucrative business idea you have not thought of, and you will diversify in their partnership. You might also get those qualities in a person who has applied for a job with you, but the best way of drawing them in is through a casual conversation, when there is no lure of an employment and you are speaking as equals.
It boosts your career
Of course, it is a given that not all of the people who go to business schools- or any school for that matter- will want to start off an young entrepreneurs. It is more than likely that many of them will be more interested in carving out a successful career for themselves by being employed in top organizations and making a meteoric rise up the career ladder. Being in college is the best time when you can talk to and intimately mix with a motley group of individuals, and thus will be able to gauge a variety of career opportunities. Of course, it is unlikely that the people you network with back in school will be the same people working as your colleagues after you join the career force, but you will certainly come across people in your class or elsewhere in college who will be interested in working in the same field or industry you plan to join. They will come armed with their own set of data about this industry- ranging from unconventional career opportunities and best companies, to the most rigorous training procedures and possibility of further education to better your chances. By networking, you will be able to make your way up the career ladder smoother.
It’s smart investment
Through networking, you will come across all kinds of people. No all of them will be like-minded, but many of them will, and you will do good to stay in touch with them and keep each other updated. You will be discussing new ideas and gain a lot of knowledge from different quarters. This way, you will be able to disc career aspects and share your stories and experiences in a way that will not be possible with a close friend or a casual acquaintance.
And when you network in school, and stay in touch with them even after you have started off in your career path, it will do you a world of good later on. You never know when a contact will come in handy, and staying on good terms with people will minimize your chances of being turned down when you need a favor or a piece of advice from someone knowledgeable in the pertinent field. Each time you increase your area of networking, you are basically putting down some deposits in a lifelong investment scheme. Think of it this way: the people you network with in college or at the beginning of your employment will help you get your first investors when you decide to branch out and start your own business.
Business schools- and most other schools for that matter- very much encourage the process of networking. They have alumni networks through which the students can stay in touch with each other. Networking in schools is encouraged throughout the academic career and even after the students graduate. This is because networking can lead to some very consequential interactions that have a highly positive effect on a person’s career.