Episode 33: #SquadGoals: The Importance of Networking Across in Your Career

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Hey Career Girl Nation! 

Today I’m coming at you with another episode about networking.

I want to talk about the importance of networking across. This is something that is often overlooked when it comes to networking. People are quick to network up--looking to people who are above them in their careers. But I want to talk about why you should be networking across.

This episode is inspired by an interview that Issa Rae did. In this interview, she talked about networking with people on the same level as her. People who were ‘in the trenches’ at the same time, and how that helped elevate her career. This is networking across!

In today’s episode, I’m talking about how you can strategically place yourself around people who are on the same level as you, and how to make this an important part of your networking plan.

If you’re ready to get serious about networking, then you don’t want to miss episode 33!

P.S. If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, rate and review on iTunes.

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Episode Gems You Don't Want to Miss:

• How you can use networking strategically to propel you forward in your career.

• The three types of people you should be building relationships with when you’re networking across.

• Why you should be thinking about networking with people on the same level as you, and how these people can help motivate and elevate you.

• How to shift your perceptions of networking from feeling fake to building genuine relationships.

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Links mentioned in this episode:

• Get your free Salary Exploration Call. If you’re a top-performing woman ready to climb the corporate ladder and increase your salary, then I want to talk to you! Schedule your Salary Exploration Call so we can chat about how I can take your career and salary to the next level.

• One of my favorite quotes, ‘A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats’.

• The Issa Rae interview where she talks about the importance of networking with people on your level, and how that helped her career.

• Episode 17: How to Leverage Relationships to Get Ahead in Your Career.

• Episode 22: How to Create Your Overwhelmingly Successful 2018 Career Strategy.

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• Your Career Girl Twitter

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• Join the Your Career Girl Private Community

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If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate and review on iTunes. This is how we can spread the word about the Deeper than Work podcast and have as many women as possible join the Career Girl Nation!

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4 Realistic Ways to Steer Clear of Office Drama (Without Being a Goody Two-Shoes)

 

Working with people you like and enjoy speaking with—especially about non-work related topics—makes the eight hours most of us spend at our jobs every day more enjoyable. There are so many aspects of work that can be a little bit (or very) irritating. Things like having a long commute, working irregular hours, or dealing with a difficult boss only scratch the surface of the many reasons people hate Mondays.

This is why it’s like a breath of fresh air when you wind up in a situation where your colleagues are easy-going, normal human beings—people you can not only collaborate with on a work project, but also debate your thoughts on Sunday night TV. People to grab a happy hour drink with or vent to about the latest annoying thing your boss said at Friday’s team meeting.

But, how do you know when you’ve crossed the almost microscopic line of sharing personal frustration and observations about work to the dark side of gossiping?

Read the rest of my article over at The Daily Muse!

Let me know what you think!

-Dorianne

How to Make Friends at Work In 3 Easy Steps

There are so many things about having to work that can be irritating. Whether it's working for a boss you can't stand or having an extra long commute, even those who are lucky enough to have found their dream job   can admit there are still one or two things about work they can do without.

With all the many ways your job can suck, the one thing that's the most unfortunate is when you don't have a friendly relationship with your coworkers.

Liking and trusting the people you work with goes a long way in making the hours between 9am and 5pm more enjoyable. Not only can you speak freely with your work friends about work related topics, but also about current events, TV shows and your plans for the weekend.

Although most people agree that it's important to have friends at work, for some it can be difficult to let their guard down enough to allow this to happen. Reasons for this range from feeling shy about building those relationships to not even knowing how to start.

Here are 3 things you can start doing right away to go from the loner in the corner cubicle to Ms. Popularity in no time.

Insert Yourself Into Relevant Conversations (But Don't Overdo It)

How many times have you heard a group of coworkers having an open dialogue about something you know about and/or are interested in and you kept quiet? This is the exact opposite of what someone trying to make friends does.

Group conversations are the perfect way to build rapport with your coworkers and since it isn't a one on one chat, you don't have to feel pressure to find something to say the whole time. Next time you see an opportunity to join a conversation already in progress, find a non-awkward moment to insert your opinion into the mix.

Go To Lunch With Your Coworkers 

Believe me, I am the first person to use my lunch hour as a time to get some much needed alone time. With all the distractions that happen all day long at work, it can very often be the only chance you get to have some peace and quiet.

While I'm not saying you have to spend every lunch break with someone else, challenging yourself to go to lunch with a coworker at least once a week is a great way to ensure you're getting face time with the people you work with - away from the desk. Some of my best work relationships have started while waiting in line at the deli across the street from the office.

Make Friends With The Most Popular Person 

This is probably the easiest (and laziest) way to make friends at work. The most popular person in the office has already gone through the process of getting to know people and building work relationships - why not capitalize off of their hard work?

Once you've gotten to know this person pretty well, it will only be a matter of time before s/he starts bringing you into the fold with all of his/her connections. Use these opportunities to begin creating your own friendships and you will soon have a long list of work buds.

Most people will spend 1/3 of their adult lives at work.  Why not make the time more bearable by creating friendships with the people you will spend most of your day with? No one is saying you have to be BFFs with everyone in the office, but I definitely couldn't imagine working along side people I did not like.

-Dorianne

The 8 BEST Networking Tips Ever Written!

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about 5 easy and natural ways to network for #boss women who want to build new relationships in an organic way. One of the ways I mentioned to do this was to build your network before you actually need it.  This way it wouldn't seemed phony or forced when you are reaching out to your contact to help with a job search, introducing you to a key person, etc.  It's always easier to build a relationship with someone when you aren't asking for favors from the beginning.

I received a few questions after I wrote the article on how to actually spark a new relationship and build your network.

Here are 8 great ways to excel at the game of networking:

1. Be authentic.  This should go without saying, but hey - I've said it anyway.  No one wants to build a relationship with someone who comes off as fake and insincere.
2. Be prepared to exchange contact information.  Seems obvious, right?  But I can't tell you how many times I've been in situations where I've just met someone in person and they don't have a business card to give to me or a thorough email signature online.  How do I get in contact with you, honey?
3. Own the room (or meeting, conversation, lunch, etc).  No matter what type of networking situation you are in, OWN IT!  Be confident in what you have to offer and in the reason the other person should want to get to know you.
4. Don't be a mean girl.  NEVER judge a book by its cover - or by its profile pic and bio.  People are so much more than what you see on the surface.  Take the time to actually get to know each person you meet to find common areas of connection.
5. Don't make it all about you.  Always approach a budding contact as if they are silently asking "What's in it for me?".  Look for ways to get to know and add value to the person you are meeting.
6. Let conversation flow naturally.  While you should always be ready to spark and maintain interesting and thoughtful dialogue, don't force anything.  Begin with lighthearted conversations and let things expand from there.
7. Be able to explain who you are and what you do.  The foundation of building a new relationship is to introduce yourself, right? Make sure you have an interesting and concise personal pitch to help frame the initial meeting.
8. Follow up.  This one is a big deal - NEVER, EVER offer or take contact information if you have no intention of actually using it. A good rule of thumb is to reach out within 48 hours of the first meeting to stay in touch.

Whether you love it or hate it, networking is a HUGE part of career success. With so many ways to connect with people these days, there's no excuse to not get into it.

Try out a few of these tips and let me know how it goes!

All the best,

Dorianne