But the question of who you network with and their relevance to your career matters more. This way, you don’t have to network with everyone. Rather, first study how you can contribute to their success, in addition to how you stand to benefit from their knowledge.

Here are some reasons why networking should be an essential aspect if you truly want to build your career.

An avenue to exchange ideas

You never can tell how much you know without listening to other people. Success in a career is largely attributed to the pool of information or ideas you have garnered over the past. When networks have been created, it fosters a trade of ideas to sustain long-term relationships and mutual trust. When you are receiving ideas, it helps both in your place of work and out, in addition to instilling best practices that soothe your career.

It makes you noticeable

Individuals that seek publicity either for business, politics or even fame leverage more on networking. People quickly notice others that have stronger capabilities to make them relevant. When you stand out in both your expertise and the services you offer, it creates room for partnership which in turn builds a career. Many professionals have been able to understand how to nurture their networking strength and create more visibility for different associates and clients in their career path.

Avenue for newer opportunities

When people start noticing you, it opens the door for newer opportunities. Business and career-minded individuals who have networked over time have been able to expand with minimal effort because of the avenue of newer opportunities opened to them through networking. Opportunities like meeting the right clients or even meeting people that are superior to your career path could be a stepping stone that could change your life for the better.

Improves your creative intellect

Aspirations and great innovations are most times form the external factors around where we find ourselves. The intellectual ability in different careers is significantly improved upon from contacts we have built with other persons over a period. Even a simple interaction with one person can transform a year-long research work and result in a breakthrough.  Likeminded people that have been able to share ideas have strongly developed their intellect to foster growth in their career path and unleash the creative talent in them. I love to collaborate on ideas. When a really great “category 5 brainstorming” session is completed, I feel accomplished.

An extra resource library

Some websites are built specifically to address different questions under different niches. These avenues can be used by an individual as an extra source of information. The same thing applies to networking. A platform that is designed specifically aligned to your career can be an extra resource library for you. This provides you with updated information on the latest business trends relevant to you. This network resource also grants you access to tap into them whenever the need arises.

Develop long-lasting relationships

If networking is a mutual relationship, then having a right networking channel can help build your career.  Though networking might not be an easy and fast approach to building a long-lasting relationship. But making it a two-way process of giving and taking and can open the door for a firmer relationship. People that look at networking as an opportunity to develop relationships rather than just get more business are the ones who truly succeed.

I hope to see you at one of the events on the calendar. Whether it is breakfast, lunch or an evening mixer, let’s make the most of what we have.

Here’s to your success!

Mike