The Role of Networking in Professional Life

 The individuals whom we often or sporadically interact with can influence our behaviors, decisions as well as beliefs. Economics as a discipline is essentially dependent on networking, for example, for decision-making. Networking on economic activities is pervasive and abundant and aid in information transmission, political opinion, technologies, and new products. There are two significant facets of studying networking from an economics perspective. Firstly, is to aid one understand and comprehend how network structures influence economic activities. The second critical aspect of studying networking is that economic tools are essential in the analysis of both network influence and network formation, and these tools correspond to those from other social disciplines. This paper, therefore, describes the role that networking play in professional life as well as what to do to keep a “professional brand” consistent across social and professional platforms.

Networking plays an essential role in career advancement even though some may see it as less appealing, time-consuming, and awkward. Networking would help me to connect with other people, be vocal about my career goals and interest as well as build relationships with individuals I would have not have otherwise met. It would also provide me with a significant source of connections as well as open the doors to meet highly influential individuals. It is important to note that building relationships and rapport can establish a business. According to Aaboen, Dubois, and Lind (2013), relationships matter because customers always feel comfortable transacting business with people they trust. Additionally, networking also helps businesses to stand out, attract, and retain customers. 

In the same token, networking will raise my profile. It is important to note that getting noticed and being visible is a significant benefit or impact of networking. Attending social and businesses events will make my face known and also enable me to showcase my potential in the profession. Networking would enable me to build my reputation as a supportive, reliable, and knowledgeable person by providing essential tips or information to persons in need. As a result, I would be able to get more referrals and leads. With networking comes an abundance of new ideas as well as opportunities (Ford & Mouzas, 2013). A successful networker always gets an opportunity to obtain new ideas or business opportunities as well as decision-making skills. As such, networking would generally widen my scope of economics study. 

Similarly, Networking would increase my confidence, which is very essential to a business manager because business growth significantly depends on making connections and talking to people. Networking acts an important way of tapping expertise and advice from the right people – persons who actually know more about what I need. Moreover, networking would help me stay current and share knowledge and experience. In this ever-changing economic and business environment, attending workshops and associating with business associates and peers will aid me to stay current. As aforementioned, networking is equally ideal for knowledge expansion by taking advantage of prior experience and others viewpoints or opinions. 

According to Ford and Mouzas (2013), economic language and concepts carry on to be broadly used in various professions to analyze different situations ranging from political turmoil to environmental pollution. In the current economic environment, every economist tries to be consistent and relevant across the professional and social platform. As an economist, I strive to develop softer skills, for example, handling conflicts and emotions in the workplace and communication skills (Bloor & Bloor, 2017). Management skills are an absolute priority since they help someone to climb the career ladder. Similarly, I benchmark on the job market because when someone is too busy, he or she is likely to lose sight of some of the changing requirements of the profession. I also consistently update my information technology skills to enable me to remain relevant in the job market. Knowledge update is also important because economics need a particular amount of development. Moreover, I take time to read professional articles, research papers, books, and journals. Most importantly, I undertake critical courses such as Certified Public Accounts (CPA) and strata to quip me with accounting and data analysis skills. 

On the other hand, developing a professional connection with carrier couch or mentor is quite essential and requires critical steps. I would use five primary steps to develop a professional carrier mentor including first assessing my needs. Assessing my present state of mentoring, for example, the kinds of relationship I have and how the relationships compare in regards to diverse types of functions being offered are quite significant (Eller, Lev & Feurer, 2014). I would need to identify the particular mentoring functions which the relationships offer to provide insight and help me target my future efforts. 

Secondly, I would set objectives and clarify expectations. This would involve thinking about people I have had contact with both outside and inside my working organization. It also involves setting certain objectives in regards to what may be missing and how the gaps may be filled. Notably, this would help me keep track of my actions as well as be realistic in my plans. Thirdly, I would center on cultivating a relationship. This would encompass finding out what may be significant in the chosen individual’s life or carrier (Eller, Lev & Feurer, 2014). I would work toward understanding the interest and needs of the chosen person. Fourthly, I would seek opportunities or chances to maintain contact and lastly develop a mentoring network.

In conclusion, networking is currently an essential tool in advancing a professional career. Besides exposing people to prominent individuals and places, it also increases confidence which enables one to assertively talk in forums and educational discussions. In order to keep my professional brand as economist, I strive to develop softer skills, for example, handling conflicts and emotions in the workplace and communication skills. 

References

Aaboen, L., Dubois, A., & Lind, F. (2013). Strategizing as networking for new ventures. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(7), 1033-1041.

Bloor, T., & Bloor, M. (2017). How economists modify propositions. In Economics and language (pp. 153-169). Routledge.

Eller, L. S., Lev, E. L., & Feurer, A. (2014). Key components of an effective mentoring relationship: A qualitative study. Nurse education today, 34(5), 815-820.

Ford, D., & Mouzas, S. (2013). The theory and practice of business networking. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(3), 433-442.