When I started college, I tried to find as many opportunities as possible to help boost my confidence, so that I could be a reliable member of the workforce.
Networking is a wonderful way to boost your confidence, as your transferable skills like communication are put to the test constantly to build professional relationships.
By Sakina Abbas
Member of our Youth Advisory Board
Unfortunately, I realised that networking isn’t taught at the same depth as other employability skills, such as problem solving or creativity. Even though it’s a great tool for finding jobs or developing your career. That’s why I applied for the Career Ready programme.
Career Ready hopes to empower young people by providing them with a mentor who will guide them and share their experiences. My mentor has not only become an important connection, but presented me with opportunities I never would have received otherwise. Here are some of my tips on how to create a network, by making the most of those opportunities.
Connect with your mentor
Make sure you stay in regular contact with your mentor. Be honest with them, tell them about your goals and interests. This transparency is the first step to building a relationship where you can both trust each other.
I was able to discuss many topics regarding the world of work with my mentor and understand how to stand out from other candidates.
Stay in touch
Whilst on the programme, I stayed in contact with my Regional Manager Emma Rose. and I was presented with multiple chances to advocate the programme at presentations within my college or at icebreaker events.
This meant I could hone my skill set but more importantly make new connections.
Create a strong LinkedIn profile
I created my LinkedIn profile with the guidance of my mentor, and this has helped me expand my network, creating diverse connections and how to utilise those new relations.
These professional relationships can increase your chances of success when looking for work. Creating your own list of contacts within your industry helps because those firms can feel more comfortable hiring someone they know and can testify to their skills. These relations can also teach you a lot about the world of work.
Stick with it
To conclude, even though building connections can be difficult, and some professions may seem irrelevant to you, any opportunity presented is essential to your growth as a person and as a member of the workforce.
A quote that I learnt when I was younger and has stuck with me throughout the years, which I have been using since then as my life motto; “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” this was popularised by Edward Hickson.
Do not be afraid of creating new connections or fear failure before you have even tried to build relationships. Start small with people close to you, this could be teachers or career advisors. They can then guide you to professions you might or might not be interested in, at the end of the day you never know which contact may be useful.
My question is, are you ready to branch out and create new lifelong relationships?
