If you lost your job tomorrow, or if changes in your workplace made your job unpleasant, do you have what it takes to secure a better position? To get the job you want, you need both qualifications and contacts. By focusing on your work-related relationships, you can a pool of supportive connections that can greatly increase your ability to move jobs.
The most common way for Hong Kong
people to secure their career futures is to study. This strategy makes sense.
One of Hong Kong’s greatest assets is having people who
value continuing education and who spend a lot of time upgrading themselves. However,
more credentials and qualifications are not the only way, or even the best way
to secure your career future. Your latest studies make up only one line of your
resume, and yet studying consumes a lot of time and energy. Is there a more
effective way to use this time?
One of the most important investments you can make for a
solid career future is in relationships. When times are tough, good
relationships will help you more than anything else to survive and thrive in a
rapidly changing business environment. That’s because the quality of the
relationships you form throughout your career are a good measure of your
quality and value as a person. And when anyone makes the decision to hire
someone, they are hiring a human being, not a set of credentials. A friend of
mine likes to say “All business is people business,” meaning that you should
never underestimate the importance of human connections in doing business of
every kind.
There are several specific ways that strong relationships can
help you to secure your career future. First of all they are living proof of
your integrity and interpersonal skills.
They can provide you with inside information into
organizations when you are seeking a move. They can be a source of referrals to
new job opportunities or new business connections. They can provide you with feedback
to help you understand what you might be doing wrong. They can also give you
moral support and encouragement when you need it.
Strong relationships are formed through small investments
over a long period of time. There are many small steps you can take on a daily
basis to make the most of your relationships.
For example, you can spend a few minutes every day talking to people in
your workplace. Get to know them personally and allow them to know you. Keep in
touch with former classmates, colleagues and family friends that interest you. Pay
particular attention to the people you like and respect, rather than those in
powerful positions. The people you respect most are more likely to share your
values and thereby make recommendations or referrals that are useful to you. Be
approachable and helpful when people contact you seeking advice or friendship.
With so many excellent online networking services readily
available, you can easily keep in touch with larger numbers of people. Facebook
and Linked-In are two good examples for online networking tools that can
efficiently keep you in touch with former colleagues. However, having a smaller
group of quality relationships is more important than having thousands of
people in your network connections.
Social, charitable or business meetings are also excellent
opportunities to build useful relationships. You can take part in reunions and
get-togethers or initiate your own gatherings to bring together people you respect
to discuss topics of mutual interest.
Simply by being friendly, open and generous to people that
interest you, you are building a foundation of relationships that can help to
secure your career future.
