Armed with their new degrees and buckets of optimism about the future, fresh graduates are often advised to ‘network’ in their chosen fields so that they can land good jobs. Many of them reach out to friends and acquaintances to ask for references or to inquire about job vacancies in their companies.
But one thing no one tells young people trying to ‘network’ is that networking isn’t about asking for favours or job applications. To be effective and to yield benefits in the long term, networking has to be about what you can give, not what you can get from the other.
Giving isn’t only about money or material possessions or professional recommendations on LinkedIn. We all have something to offer of ourselves. It can be our intelligence, our skills, our talents, our personality, our history, our story, even our family connections or background. It can be our knack for public speaking or knitting, or our love for animals. Each human being has unique traits and gifts, and there’s always someone out there in the universe who needs exactly what you have.
The best way to build your network is by being generous with your gifts, your time and yourself. Offer support for someone’s cause, or pitch in with their personal or professional endeavours. Help connect people who may benefit from one another. Spend a few hours a day being of use to someone else, or towards a cause greater than yourself. Just make sure you do it with heart and sincerity of purpose.
It is best if you start this kind of genuine networking while you’re young, but it’s never too late at any age or stage of your career. People remember favours, and feel morally obliged to help you if you have supported them in the past. So, by the time you reach out to them for employment, they are already aware of your work and commitment, and they are more likely to give authentic recommendations to others about you. See it as building a network of your personal brand ambassadors.
After a while, it becomes a matter of habit to give your time, talent and attention to those who may need it. Since the universe mirrors your own inner life condition, the more you give, the more you get, and there’s always abundance in your life.
Besides, jobs and careers are but means to live our lives to our fullest, to find meaning and to create value in the world. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” You’ll notice that in the selfless giving of yourself, you will receive so much more than you could have asked for. Instead of being a means to an end, networking then becomes an opportunity to shine your light in the world and a natural expression of who you are and what you are capable of being. Now, isn’t that a position worth applying for?
Coralesque 
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