What comes to mind when you think of "networking"? What can it do for you? Short answer: A LOT!
What is networking? Let’s start with what it is not. It is not social media, although you can use social media strategically as ONE networking tool. INSTEAD professional networking involves a broad set of strategies that help us purposefully connect with others having similar or complementary interests and goals.
Adegbola described networking as creating an aerodynamic lift for one’s career. I've been interested networking for some time. I've presented CE programs on the topic and authored an article entitled Effective Professional Networking with Dr. Joyce Knestrick in 2017.
What can you gain from a strategic network? The ability to communicate with a group with shared interests, allowing for shared of expertise and knowledge, and contacts. Such a network mutually supports the involved persons’ career growth. It would support YOUR career growth.
The graphic at the top of this blog depicts how expanding your professional network from 2, 5, or 8 people (counting you) increases the number of meaningful and mutually beneficial connections significantly. A network of 5 =10 possible connections; a network of 8= 24 lines of communications.
Adegbola, M. (2011). Soar like geese: Building developmental networkrelationships for scholarship. Nursing Education Perspectives, 32(1), 51–53. https://doi.org/10.5480/1536-5026-32.1.51
Goolsby, M. J., & Knestrick, J. (2017). Effective Professional Networking. JAANP, 29, 441-446.