In the world of business, who you know is often at least as important as what you know.  Networking with other professionals in a variety of environments is essential to moving up the career ladder.  In my blog and in my upcoming book, Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail, I share many ways in which your relationships with other people can be leveraged to the benefit of your own professional advancement.  The interaction is almost always beneficial to both parties, with the other person receiving feedback, mentoring, or a new list of contacts from your conversations.

Last week, the CNBC website featured a great article entitled “Network Your Way to Your Next Job!”  I loved the definition the author of the piece used to describe networking, because it fits perfectly with the attitude I recommend in my book.  She writes that,

“Networking is about being authentically interested in finding out about a person and honestly wanting to know them well enough to positively affect their business, their lives, and their interests.”

I could not agree more.  We need to take an authentic interest in the people around us.  You never know what their insight might offer you in your own efforts towards career advancement.  Additionally, the more that you give to a person in terms of your time and attention, the more likely he or she will be to offer something in return.

The article goes on to provide several great tips for those who are unsure of their networking skills.  These include asking open-ended questions that allow the other person to do the talking and always acting like things are going well because “positive attracts positive and negative repels.”  People will be drawn to you if you present yourself as someone with confidence who already knows success.  In other words, Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail!

I recommend that you read the entire article.  I also hope that you will signup to receive a preview chapter of my book and that you will obtain a copy of the book as soon as it is available.  The strategies I detail are proven to help you get that promotion and a bigger paycheck!  I look forward to hearing how Act As If It Were Impossible to Fail worked for you.

For more on this topic from some of my most popular posts:

• Still working? Why aren’t you networking?
• Keith Ferrazzi Tells of the Importance of Building “Lifeline Relationships”
• Let’s Get Started on Accelerating Your Success!

And from others that I respect

• 8 Questions to Assess Your Professional Network’s Strength
• Book Review: 7 Days to Online Networking from Miriam Salpeter @Keppie_Careers
• Learn the Top Networking Strategies Right From the Experts

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Career Acceleration, Get Promoted, Networking