Networks can
be used for a variety of different things, both for self-advancement and for
support and collaboration. Facebook being my main network is used, as I
mentioned before, mostly for recruiting and finding jobs but it also has other
uses. In the promotional groups people ask for help with tax, opinions on
different employers and general discussions about the industry and people in
it. I think it is great that people normally competing against each other for
jobs can also be so helpful and generous to other people. Some people are in
the groups just for their own gain which is also fine, promotions is a
competitive industry and it is not always beneficial to help others. I think
that when it does no harm to you however you should always be generous,
especially in this industry. You never know when the person you just helped
will need an extra member of staff.
My ideal
network would be made up of friends and professionals. I know some people do
not like to mix their social and professional lives but I enjoy work so much
more when I carry it out with my friends. I have hired quite a few of my
friends to my company and find the promotions always go better when we work
together as we know each other and have a good time, which in turn makes the
people we are talking to enjoy themselves. To make the network useful there would
have to be people at a higher level than me involved but I would still want it
to be informal. I think Facebook groups are the perfect way to do this. You can
select the members and make it private so you know discussions are private. I
am going to start my own group, first of all starting with people I work with
directly, but hopefully expanding to people in similar fields so we can swap
advice and tips.
I need to
research more into my industry so that I know where to find these people and
how to attract them to my network. I don't know where I want to go next with my
career so need to include people from similar but different career paths so
that both I and my current colleagues can see in what direction our lives could
move. I think there are a lot of people in the same position as me with no
current specific career plan so helping each other and finding others to help
us is something I would really like to do.
