How to Build your Professional Network (Udemy.com)

How do you feel about your professional network?

Is it big enough? 

Is it filled with industry influencers and overall interesting people?

Do you feel like you could reach out at any time and get help when you need it?

If you said yes to those previous questions, you are in a very small minority. The majority of people, unfortunately, feel as though their network is inadequate and ineffective for their goals.

Did you know that 85% of new job hires come from personal connections?

Did you know that 74% of new partnerships started with founders that knew each other for at least 3 years?

In this course, we're going to talk about how you can grow and improve your professional network today. By first starting with the existing connections we have, we'll show how virtually anyone in any situation can actively increase their network size and reach.

In this course, we'll cover how you can:

• Build your first relationships and start your network

• Develop the right skills to talk and interact with people

• Look beyond your company to evolve your skills, career, and relationships in your industry

• Raise your profile and take leadership roles at work

• Grow your influence using tools and platforms online

Why would you want to expand your professional network?

1. The more people you know, the more opportunities you'll have. That applies to starting a company, finding interesting internal projects, and even to being promoted at work.

2. A larger network means more opportunities to gain guidance and access to mentors. Guidance in your career and life is a hugely under-appreciated tool for success.

3. Networks provide support when times are rough. If you lose your job,new applicants get hired 55% faster when they apply through a referral.

4. More access to influential people means more access to career tips and tricks. Being effective at your job is as much about learning on the job as learning from others in comparable positions.

5. The more people you know the more your perceived status. Being well connected is more often than not considered a respectable trait. 

In this course we have over 14 video lectures, 10 class handouts, and a large collection of external resources designed to help you grow your career.