How Networking Can Help You Become More Commercially Aware of Your Sector

Know your sector Learning outcomes: LO1 & LO3
How can networking help you become more commercially aware of your sector?
Networking is an important career management tool. One way in which networking can help in
becoming more commercially aware of the industry is it is helpful in providing access to hidden
or informal job markets within the industry. It therefore provides information on where some of
these opportunities are and what they entail. It may be a useful way of getting informal referrals
for job offers. Also, networking provides an opportunity for knowledge share in that the people
that are found in a networking event are able to provide you with the information you might need
for a project in the industry. One is able to get information on best practices in the industry. Also,
networking is a means by which one grows their professional network. This means that an
individual is able to get a depository of skilled individuals in one networking session. Further,
since people have the tendency to trust people they know, networking is a way to get your face
out there and open doors for more opportunity.
Reflect on the networking experiences you have attended and discuss what skills you used
during these events.
In the networking event I attended, one of the skills I used was Emotional Intelligence.
Emotional intelligence was an important skill in order to understand the motivations of the
person one is talking to, it may also tell someone when the other person is bored in the
conversation and therefore the need to change tact. The other skill I used in the networking was
public speaking. It was important to provide a coherent story line to another person in the work I
am doing and the work I plan to do in a way that reveals only what is relevant to the other

person. Further, courage was also a skill I used since I was able to walk up to strangers and hold
meaningful conversations with them.
How you can use your overall degree programme to help develop the skills set required for
your desired career. Use specific examples.
The degree program can provide skills that prepare me well for my career. The beginning
courses will prepare me with preliminary skills I need for the profession. For example.
Accounting skills, business law and computer applications. Other skills also help me to make
meaning out of data for instance statistics and economics. Specific to the oil and gas industry,
learning about procurement will be helpful in terms of obtaining best practice policies for
procurement. Learning about oil production and mining in different countries will help me
understand the market trends and opportunities in the market. Also, my course has content in
international energy markets and pricing which is of importance when learning how to monetize
the oil and gas which has been mined. Further knowledge about renewable energy and
environmental conservation will help me keep environmental concerns in mind while executing
my tasks in my career (Badiru and Osisanya, 2016).
Analyse a professional qualification you could acquire alongside your degree and explain
the rationale for undertaking of this qualification to meet your career ambitions.
There are no professional qualifications required for this career line. This is because it is a
relatively new course and therefore no professional qualifications have been developed yet. I
however think that having a master’s degree will be crucial in helping one show the level of
commitment that they have in the industry and the career (Williams and Muller, 2014).