In my last job, they always told us to go to networking events as often as possible. We should connect with a lot of people so that they can help us in the future with something.
Because when you once need help then you will know somebody who can help you. You don’t have to do everything by yourself and you shouldn’t. Because there are people out there who can do things better than you and are faster. Through that, you can achieve something faster by asking somebody for their help or you hire somebody.
You can save so much time and stress by knowing the right people for the tasks which you don’t want or can do.
But networking is much more than finding a helper.
By getting to know people you can learn so many new things and through that, you can learn something faster than by reading a book. You are then connecting the topics with people and stories.
You are learning from the mistakes and stories of other people.
Each person has a different view of life, the world, and things. Expand your perspective by listening to other people.
Absorb all the knowledge of others to avoid the same mistakes and to question and change your own view of life.
Help each other!
What is the best opportunity for networking?
When I moved to Vienna two years ago, it was hard to meet new people. I had colleagues at work but they were older than me and also had their own life with kids.
Even though I’m a little shy, I went to a meetup, where different groups are meeting for an evening to talk. Or they go hiking.
There are different opportunities to meet new people:
- Meetup
- Online forums
- Facebook groups
- Company events
- Parties from friends
- Readings or presentations
- …
For example, I was with a group from Meetup hiking and I met a lot of new interesting people and heard interesting stories.
There are already so many Facebook groups for everything. For example, I’m in a group for minimalism or plastic-free.
Company events are also always a good opportunity to meet new people. There I met two new friends whom I still am in contact with.
If you already know individuals, then you could meet new people at their parties or you could go out with them and meet their friends.
At first, you have to spend time networking but in the end, it will be worth it. Even though you don’t find friends immediately, you still had the guts to talk to people. And you heard a lot of new stories and you gain experiences.
When you need help then be confident and ask your new friend for help.
A lot of people are pleased to help somebody with their own knowledge. (I’m always pleased if I can help somebody)
So have the guts and talk with other people. You will not regret it.
Thanks for reading!
