Working Remotely? Here are Ways to Expand your Network

Working Remotely Here are Ways to Expand your NetworkA person’s success in career may be attributed to a number of different factors but it’s largely a result of the information and knowledge they have pooled over the past. Whatever knowledge you acquire over the years of your employment, however, doesn’t just come from your training and hands-on experience. It is also a product of the ideas you have collected from the people you network with. Yes. Your professional network plays an important role in your career success. But what if you’re working remotely and you enjoy the flexibility of working from home? How do you expand your network so you don’t get left out in terms of creating opportunities for yourself?

 

Attend conferences and industry events
Companies would usually fund the up-training and education of their employees. But if you’re working from home, you rarely get the chance to join these training and conferences. However, you may want to consider asking your remote employer to sponsor at least a few of the industry events, conferences and classes. Find the ones which you can get the best benefit from, something that would not only build your professional network but also equip you with added knowledge and skills related to your industry.

Make use of opportunities to show people your value
Another excellent way to endear yourself to more people is by showing how you can add real value by making use of every opportunity that comes your way. For example, if there are people who are struggling in areas you’re doing good at, maybe you can offer your skills to help their business. If they are looking for an expert in their industry and you’re not the best person to help but you know someone who can, you can be that person who can put them in touch.

Leverage Facebook groups as well as LinkedIn and when the opportunity presents itself, you can go ahead and jump on it. However, if you want to succeed in this strategy, there’s one important rule you need to follow - be genuine. Don’t just help out people because you’re expecting them to return the favor.

Schedule regular meetings with your colleagues
If you’re working remotely, you know for a fact that speaking to a human isn’t something that happens very frequently. But keeping lines of communication open is extremely important not only for building networks but also for your own sanity.

Determine a time that’s convenient for you and your colleagues and schedule a weekly touch base. Do this even if you don’t have work-related stuff to discuss. The important thing is that you have the opportunity to interact with the other members of your organization and have some valuable facetime.

Working from home offers several different advantages especially if you’re someone who’s not into working on a 9am to 5pm fixed schedule. But it also presents some downsides such as limiting your chances of connecting with people. But don’t worry. With a little effort and these strategies, you can still work on building and growing your network within the comfort of your home.

 

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Alan Carniol

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.