8 Ways Joining a Professional Network Can Advance Your Career

 

“Professional network” is a broad term that might include anyone from your colleagues at work to every person in your field that you may be connected to by one or two degrees of separation. It can also include professional associations. You may wonder whether it is worth paying the dues to these associations or taking the time to become involved in professional networks, but there are a number of potential benefits to your career.

1- Build Relationships

 

Relationship building is at the heart of networking, a critical skill for your success. Being part of a professional network means that everyone else you come into contact with is in the same field as you. It is an excellent way to expand your circle of contacts and create lasting relationships. This can help you throughout your career with everything from searching for jobs to recruiting new employees to striking out on your own as a consultant or freelancer and more.

 

2- Visibility

 

As a member of a professional network, you will become more visible within your field, and greater visibility means more opportunities.

 

3- Collaboration

 

The opportunity to collaborate with other organizations or individuals can produce big career breakthroughs. Through a professional network, your opportunities for collaboration can expand significantly.

 

4- New Developments

 

Involvement in a professional network means that you will be among the first to know about trends, developments, discoveries, and any other pertinent news. Staying on top of what’s happening helps you demonstrate knowledge and competence to others and can also help you make savvy decisions for yourself and your company.

 

5- Involvement

 

Joining a professional network demonstrates that you are serious about your career, but it’s not just about how things look. It gives you the opportunity to become involved on a deeper level, whether that is acting as a mentor, finding a mentor yourself, participating in seminars, organizing events, spreading the word publicly about positive developments in your field, and more.

 

6- Confidence Building

 

Exuding confidence in your abilities is critical for advancement in your career, and while the advice to “fake it until you make it” can take you a certain distance, you do eventually need to develop the belief that you are competent and capable. Working within a professional network expands your opportunity for accomplishments and positive feedback that can help build genuine confidence.

 

7- Access

 

Being part of a professional network can give you access to top people in your career field that you might otherwise not have.

 

8- Education

 

Not every professional field has formal continuing education requirements, but every career will be enhanced by more knowledge. Professional networks can help ensure that you are always learning more about the sector that you work in.

 

Whether you think of yourself as a “people person” who easily connects with others or you are someone who prefers to primarily work on your own, membership in a professional network can be invaluable in your working life. The rewards are both tangible and intangible, immediate and long-ranging, and your participation in such a network will be beneficial throughout your career.