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March 2014
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Just do it. That simple instruction means so much. It pushes me to overcome my fear. As someone in the marketing and communications field, I am expected to be an extrovert, but my fear is how do I walk out of my space to make connections? You know that feeling. You enter a room full of people you don’t know and you feel awkward and uncomfortable to approach anyone. Unfortunately in the world of work, networking has become a fundamental part of life and career longevity. Once you understand that it is really about developing mutually beneficial relationships and not so much about making friends, you might be able to let go of some of the personal inhibitions. You don’t have to be the life of the party or the typical extrovert. But if, like me, you want to move up the ladder of success, and if you share my insatiable desire to learn, then you have to make some compromises. For me, it means stepping out of my comfort zone to start a conversation that can go in any direction. It might inform me of a job opening or give me a contact that can possibly provide sponsorship for an upcoming project. It might just be a tip about how to remove the wine stain from your jacket. The challenge is to step out of your comfort zone. The UWI and Republic Bank World of Work programme helps with that. It focuses on outfitting students with the right tools for the world of work. WOW took more than 100 students out of their comfort zone in the practical aspect of the Networking Workshop. This added element was a simulated cocktail reception where students tested their skills in managing a wine glass, conversation and an appetizer. The result was that there was a complete refrain from the wine glass and appetizer just to get it right. The feedback they received was that in the real world you need to relax, act normal and just flow. At the end of the session that’s exactly what we saw, our students demonstrated a drive to just do it…. to go out there, extend a handshake and start a conversation. In time, the leading strings will come off and they’ll be doing it for real – and nailing it! |
