Networking: Colleagues and Professional Associations

This article explores the benefits and drawbacks of networking with colleagues and professional associations. It discusses the importance of networking for career success and provides insights into how to get started. The article also highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, including the potential risks and rewards.

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NETWORKING: COLLEAGUES AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Name of student
Professor
Institution
Course

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PART A
Networking is an activity undertaken to facilitate exchange information and ideas among
individuals or groups who share common interests, for social or occupational purposes. This
process is aids in development of the professional contacts which is responsible for enhancing an
individual’s future career and business prospects. Business networking entails establishing
mutually beneficial relationships with other business people or with potential customers (Österle,
Fleisch, & Alt, 2016, p. 243). This provides an essential opportunity of gaining new clients or
partners, joint ventures and the necessary gap which promotes expansion of the business.
Networking is a fundamental for career success, it more beneficial to begin building
networks by attending and actively participating in the networking events. There are several
potential networks, but for the purpose of this task we are going to analyze colleagues and
professional or occupational associations as opportunities of networking. Exploring the strengths
and weakness of each of the opportunities employed to develop contacts (Bennett, Owers, &
Tucke, 2014, p. 143).
Colleagues; these are a group of people who work together to achieve common a
common objective. Networking with colleagues is essential for professional advancement: it
easier for some people to freely interact with their fellow workers but for others it is an equally
challenging endeavor. It is wise to begin with your existing contacts as it provides probable
opportunity for expanding the network. Then next step entails moving from the people you know
already to those you have not met yet (Baule & Lewis, 2015, p. 217).
Networking with colleagues within an organization has been the game changer in-terms
of the unfolding opportunities. It helps an individual to get on top of their career by receiving
information and ideas from different co-workers from different levels and departments within the
organization. The risk of time wastage is attached to this opportunity of networking (Bennett,
Owers, & Tucke, 2014, p. 142).
Professional association is a body comprising learned occupation who are devoted to
supervising and safeguarding the practice of the occupation. They pay attention to the public

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interest by ensuring legitimacy in the occupation practice. Some professional bodies are also
entrusted with the task of developing and monitoring education related to the particular
profession (Burt, 2015, p. 347).
The professional associations provide the students with an opportunity of learning more
about the career fields and also securing internships and job opportunities (Hage & Aiken, 2017,
p. 87). Better understanding of the industrial requirements. The members of the professional
associations also receive updated and latest policies and codes of ethics requirement. One major
disadvantage associated with this nature of networking is that it requires payment of membership
fees and other expenses. It is also time consuming as requires an individual to attend the
meetings (Hage & Aiken, 2017, p. 92).
PART B
Currently I am an active participant in two different networks. Namely: colleagues and
professional association. Herein are the details, reasons for joining these particular networking
and the inputs and outputs contributions; colleagues networking employs both formal and
informal relationships between groups of colleagues with an aim of improving career. In school,
academia sector, it equally important to adopt the techniques of interactions and creating
liaisons. It encourages maximization of the rising opportunities like conferences when you meet
fellow academicians. Some of the best reasons for joining colleagues networking is that it gives
updates on job opportunities. Fellow student can possibly tell you informally about upcoming job
and invites for the application (Burt, 2015, p. 346). It also enhances collaboration or joint
research projects. Students with same interests in a common field of study can work together to
conduct a study.
An individual does not need to wait for the graduation to begin benefitting from the
resources, wide knowledge base and unfolding opportunities of the professional associations.
The first key step entails the student joining a relevant profession body as a student-member. The
benefits of student membership is reduced membership fee, increased opportunities for attending
events, conferences and other related professional development programs. Insightful research on
areas of study and innovation (Kuh, 2014, p. 683). There I have gained the indispensable
information necessary for specialization in the industry.

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Finally, I take this opportunity to invite fellow students in my class to join professional
association. This will provide the student with a wonderful opportunity to develop their resume.
The members are given professional memberships identity, there are series of significant
professional development courses and other relevant contributions to the industry, all these are a
positive indicator the employer on an individual’s commitment to their field of study hence you
will gain high chances of employability. There are also scholarship, awards and prizes available
on merits. Members are able to assess the overseas job qualifications and various jobs listings in
the industry. There are mentorship schemes, industry information and career advice available to
members only of the association. Come join our association we develop your career to suit the
job market.

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References
Baule, S. M., & Lewis, J. E. (2015). Social networking for schools (2 ed.). California:
ABC-CLIO.
Bennett, J., Owers, M., & Tucke, M. (2014). Workplace impact of social networking.
Property Management, 28(3), 138-148.
Burt, R. S. (2015). The network structure of social capital. Research in organizational
behavior, 29(3), 345-423.
Hage, J., & Aiken, M. (2017). Relationship of centralization to other structural properties.
Administrative Science Quarterly, 1123(3), 72-92.
Kuh, G. D. (2014). What student affairs professionals need to know about student
engagement. Journal of college student development, 50(6), 683-706.
Österle, H., Fleisch, E., & Alt, R. (2016). Business networking: shaping collaboration
between enterprises. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media.