EXT-PRO-003 | Connect on LinkedIn | Extra Credit Assignment
When considering professional growth there is no question that one of your primary personal objectives is to increase your access to opportunity, or said differently, increase you opportunity threshold. I am convinced there is no better way to do this than to leverage the power of networking. With so many perspectives and approaches available to research and implement a networking strategy it can be overwhelming and people tend to dismiss its value. Ironically, all of these approaches ultimately end with the same conclusion which is to establish and maintain professional relationships with sincerity and commitment. I researched countless ways to network while at the same time my network began to grow. All I was doing is connecting with people on LinkedIn and focused on establishing work relationships through being a positive, trustworthy, outgoing, and accountable team player. When I think about networking I believe there are two disciplines that work together in determining one’s opportunity threshold. There are the external and internal activities.
The External Networking activities are more commonly known side through which you connect with people you meet, know from brief encounters, or have skillsets that could eventually prove to be of value to each other. This type of Network can provide opportunities such as a spot in an interview lineup, an answer to a perplexing question, and of course potential opportunities. This type of networking has great value and is very important, but it is dry and only provides both persons in the connection with a shallow perspective of each other. While valuable this type of connection never establishes a relationship with someone that would fully advocate you, or take a chance on supporting you in a way that would put themselves at risk. The Internal Network takes much longer to establish, but is what will provide you with the greatest opportunities that will impact your reputation, industry value, and opportunity threshold.
In my 20 plus years of experience one thing I comprehended and implemented quickly was the power of “Networking” through meaningful relationships. I proactively worked at establishing strong professional relationships with people I respected. Ultimately, most times, it does take a village to get things done and being the Mayor is a great way to ensure you will be able to deliver. What I mean by being the Mayor, to be clear, is that you have relationships by meeting people through gaining their respect and establishing a friendship that also includes a confidence; a relationship in which both contributors become strong assets in their support systems.
Complete the following steps to complete a LinkedIn profile and connect with your Professor:
- Create a Linkedin Profile, if you do not already have one. (https://www.linkedin.com)
- Complete as much of the information in your profile as you can at this point.
- Connect with your profess. (Brian Savage Linkedin Account)
- Search for 5 of your classmates and connect with them.
- Submit the link to your LinkedIn Profile and then share it with the class in the Introductory Forum.