Do You Have A Healthy Network?

If you suddenly find yourself searching for one among the different executive jobs in Singapore, do you have a strong network you can turn to for help?

Building your network should be a continuous process. It shouldn’t be something that you do only because you’re in between jobs. In fact, maintaining your network should be an integral part of your overall career strategy, alongside working hard and impressing your boss. This applies to whether you have an accounting job, a position in a media firm, or a freelance finance professional.

So do you have a strong and healthy network? Here are some indicators:

• You have the contact information of your former colleagues. The more contacts you have, the better. You can also expand your professional contacts by browsing through LinkedIn and connecting with your former colleagues. With the Internet, it is easy to re-establish your connections with those people you’ve worked with – all with a simple click of the mouse.
• You communicate with your contacts. It’s not enough that you have their contact details and you’re friends with them on Facebook. How can your contacts recommend you if you seldom communicate with them (even if it’s online only)? You should spend some time to catch up with them, find out what they have been doing since the last time you saw them. That should get the ball rolling to beef up your network.
• You have a contact who can refer you. You need to have a handful of people you can write as your references when applying for a job. There should be at least six of them. So if you only have one, then you need to brush up on your networking skills.
• You attend professional events. Networking doesn’t happen online only. You need to suit up and be present in professional and other industry events. If you’re a PR director, you should attend local and international PR and Media Relations forums which are regularly held in Singapore. You can learn a lot from attending these events. Moreover, it is a great opportunity to be seen and to build a healthy network of other professionals working in your industry.
• You get to have lunch with somebody from your network. Now, this one’s a toughie. Why would you have coffee with someone who isn’t even your friend? Well, networking is all about reaching out to the people who matter to you as far as your career is concerned. So, go ahead and invite your former client to coffee. You’ll never know what’s waiting for you after you finish exchanging pleasantries.
• Other professionals contact you. This means that you’re within the “radar” of their network. If you are often asked to give reference, it means that you have a healthy network of executives whom you can turn to for help when you need it. Make sure you answer calls and you give worthwhile feedback about your contacts.

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