Approaches to developing your network

One of the most important factors in developing your career is to cultivate a strong network.

Doing this will enable you to meet new people, introduce and connect with people and learn from others. It can also help to motivate you.

In this video, Anas Nader, CEO of Patchwork Health, Steve Crabtree, Executive Producer at BBC Studios, and Lu Li, Founder & CEO of Blooming Founders share their advice and tips on the best approaches to developing a network. The main approaches for networking that we will focus on are:

• engaging at network events
• seeking mentorship
• using technology.

These are just a few of many possible ways for you to build and enrich your network. They are all strong approaches and can work very effectively when combined and nurtured.

The more you practise meeting new people and building your network, the more you will learn to identify which individuals, organisations and platforms are key to your personal network and growth.

Along with the lessons you’ve learned from our speakers, it’s also important to remember that the best relationships are born from mutual benefit. This is even more important for professionals who are at the beginning of building a new network.

In summary, you can look at networking as an opportunity to share. Share yourself, share common points of interest, and share contacts that could also help others with their careers. Remember to be consistent, make sure you connect with the right people, and follow up to show your interest and commitment.

Now it’s your turn:

You can make a start by networking with other learners in the Comments section. What information do you think would be useful to share?