Networking by Kaveeshan Gnanarajah

 Networking by Kaveeshan Gnanarajah

Have you ever been put in a group with people you have never talked to? The loud silence, the quiet “hi”, and the overall environment are SO awkward to deal with. Networking is often an overlooked skill, but it plays an essential role in building connections with people that could help you down the line. I'm not saying I am good at small talk at all, but I have been trying to interact with people I don’t know more and more each day. I’ve seen decent improvements, but there is still so much for me to improve. But why is this even important? Most of the time, these people you don’t know will have no importance to you. With that being said, I have learned that in my specific field that I want to pursue, the ability to actually get these connections is one of the most important things you can do. For any of you that are in the business industry, or atleast want to pursue it in your future just like me, this ability could be the difference between you landing your dream job and not landing your dream job.

The reason why these are so important is that they are so real. They let the person you are networking with actually see who you are as a person, rather than just seeing your resume. If you’re reading this, you might think that this seems to easy. Just by talking to some people, I could make my application just that much more powerful. Well yeah, it sort of is. Although connections are extremely helpful, you can’t hope that these will single-handely get you wherever you want. You should still make sure you are actually interested and have a good understanding of your industry's topics.

 

I hope this article can teach you that networking isn’t just a random thing adults call “conversations.” Rather, it should help you understand that this is something that can genuinely shape your future.