We have a special guest in salon today! Long-time friend and peer in the HR world, Maleka Jackson. Maleka has over 10 years of experience working with diverse student/candidate populations and leading teams that focus on the career and professional development of recent graduates with the goal of assisting them in obtaining full time opportunities in their degree/field of study. Maleka is consistently leading change management, process improvements, creating career development programs, managing performance, and career/performance coaching. Enjoy her thoughts on the importance of networking for HER!
by Maleka Jackson
Women trail their male counterparts in building networks that help propel their career and grow their businesses. We’re great at social gatherings, but as a whole, we can be timid at gathering for a purpose. Networking.
Many women struggle with the balancing act. We look at networking as a social outing and not a business imperative.
“Happy hour. I don’t have time to grab wine, when I could be _______” “I am too busy to hang out.” “This is just one more thing to do, when I could be taking care of something that really needs to be done.”
Some women wonder why they are so talented – yet stuck in the same role over time as their male counterparts pass them by. It could be your network, or lack thereof. It’s not just about who you know, but more so who knows you.
We see networking as a social activity and not a business must. We see asking for help with our careers as weakness, when partnerships are what we need. We see speaking of our accomplishments and achievements as bragging. You can’t garner the necessary partnerships, if you don’t have the partners in your network. And your partners won’t think of you when opportunities come along if they don’t know how you can contribute.
Showing up matters. It’s not enough to just be in the room. You need to be present in the moment. When we don’t purposely show up, the next person will. Being great at what you do is not enough. Shrinking yourself is not an option. If you want to progress in your career, you have to be deliberate and purposeful in your actions. Don’t be a missed opportunity. It’s okay to be transactional. It’s okay to have “an ask” in mind. Going after what you want professionally takes nothing away from the many other titles you wear or your femininity. Nothing comes to those who wait, except for what the go getters leave behind. If male counterparts, hold the door open for us, then that’s great – but if not, we have to be comfortable, opening our own doors and walking through them…And making the most of the networking event.
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