Is Networking Helping or Hurting Your Career?

Business professionals are often encouraged by their peers and mentors to develop a network of contacts who can offer advice or information to further their careers. However, networking sometimes results in missteps that can have a negative rather than a positive impact on your career. Here are some things to consider as you develop a network to support your career.

Avoid Too Much Networking

As you build a stream of contacts in your professional realm, don’t rely too heavily on your network team for job tips and references. Asking favours of other employees that you know will encourage them to seek the same from you, even if you lack knowledge about their job skills or faith in their abilities. Examine their online profiles or background experience to decide if you would work for them if they were hiring someone. Request support only from those for whom you can return the favour if requested.

Screen Your Contacts

One of the most critical factors to keep in mind is to seek references or testimonials from well-credentialed members of your network. Words of praise from someone in a position that is lower than yours or who has a questionable reputation could hurt rather than help your job goals. Make sure the people with whom you connect can comment favourably on your capabilities and have positive professional reputations themselves.

Don’t Request Extensive Support

When you have a professional connection whose recommendation is valuable, don’t keep asking the same person to serve as a reference, which can be frustrating for the person. You could request a letter of support that can be added to your career portfolio and used when needed. When you change jobs in a few years, you can ask the person to update the letter by including your new skills or certifications. Asking too often or for in-depth support may strain your network association.

Never Ask Someone to Provide Misinformation

Your network team should be kept updated about your job experience and skill set. When applying for a position where references are required, your colleagues can provide an accurate, informed letter that details your hiring suitability for a given position. Asking someone to provide falsified information or to write a general reference without knowledge of your skills is unethical if not illegal.

Be Careful with Oppositional Associates

Assuming your network of past or present employees and supervisors know of each other, avoid asking people who don’t get along to provide professional support for your career. If they don’t know each other, that should not be a problem. But if Associate A holds rancour against Associate B for quitting a job without giving notice, for example, Associate A might give you less enthusiastic support when it becomes known Associate B is in your network. It may be a good idea in some cases to keep your network connections unknown to each other.

Be Ready to Provide Reciprocal Support

When requesting network support, be ready to reciprocate if asked. Networking is a two-way street involving critical factors that can impact someone’s career. Handle the request for a reference letter or phone call as well as other forms of support carefully and responsibly. If you cannot speak favourably of a network associate, don’t give a half-hearted or negative reference; just say you are unable to provide one. Also, don’t ask that person to help you out if you cannot reciprocate at some point.

Networking is a valuable tool for building your career. Establish your network thoughtfully in the spirit of being a mutually supportive colleague.