The Power of Networking

The employer series continues with Robin Kim's take on the importance of networking.

When I was in college, mentors and peers always talked about the importance of networking. I’ve always enjoyed meeting new people, but I remained skeptical. How important is networking, really? Some studies say that at least 60% of jobs are discovered through networking, and a recent study by Stanford University sociology professor Mark Granovetter cites that 70% of jobs are discovered through networking. 70 percent? Doesn’t that seem high?

As I look at my own team, the power of networking becomes more real. On our five-person Branding & Communications team here at Adayana, all of us found our jobs through networking. Two had worked with current Adayana team members in previous jobs; one had gone to high school with our recruiter’s husband and reconnected through Facebook; another’s relationships at Purdue University brought her to us; and I had known part of the Adayana team through my FFA experiences. Even outside our team, two of our five most recent new hires came through networking!

So we know that networking is important, but how does it happen? Successful networking depends on your personal brand, which is the perception others have of you based on their experiences with you. In Karl Speak’s book Be Your Own Brand, he says “a strong personal brand will help you succeed because it means you are communicating the sense of purpose, vision, and values that reflects and embodies the real you.” When your personal brand is developed consistently with everyone you meet, you can capitalize on the power of networking. Social networking vehicles such as Facebook and Linked In can simplify networking and increase the importance of consistency in your personal brand, for potential employers have more ways than ever to learn about you!

Networking begins from the first time you greet someone at a job fair and continues through your summer internship and how you maintain relationships with those you work. It includes the relationships you build with your classmates, or those you meet in leadership organizations such as FFA and AFA. Once you’re working in your first career, those mentors can serve a crucial role in securing future job opportunities. Even if you find your job through traditional methods, networking makes your professional life more fun as your business connections turn into friendships and professional meetings become like reunions. Networking is important, and it can be your strongest advantage to getting the job of your dreams. The relationships you’re building today, and those you’ve already built, may be more beneficial than you ever realized.

Robin Kim brings experience in communications and a passion for the agriculture industry to her role as a Supervisor of Branding & Communications Associate at ABG. She works with organizations to define and brand strategies and develop targeted marketing tactics, and her internal communications initiatives at ABG have earned Regional NAMA awards. Robin served as a National FFA Officer and earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business at Iowa State University, where she also minored in Journalism.