Over the past 4 years I’ve walked the halls with students who have gone to class day in and day out working to get the best grades they possibly can. The hope is to leverage the degree and the knowledge we gained in a suitable role we will be interviewing for.
While that may be the case in some professions, it can be argued that the size of your network can play a much more impactful role for your future. The more I speak with different individuals, the more I realize that grades have nothing to do with who a company will hire; it’s just one of many elements on a resume. What will matter however, is the experiences you’ve had, the jobs you’ve worked in, and who helped you get into the position you’re in now to receive a face-to-face (or zoom) interview.
A stat I recently heard astounded me; within the first 5 hours of Shopify posting a job position, they will receive over 1,000 applications! How do you set yourself apart from so many different people applying for one position? It’s going to come down to something extremely special that will have to set you apart, and many times, the person hired was recommended by some other individual within the organization.
So how do students or young career professionals grow their network to meet more people, find greater opportunities, and learn from experienced professionals within different industries?
The Christian Business Harvest Network (CBHN), among other things, focuses on helping aspiring young professionals refine their skills, develop different perspectives, gain industry wisdom and find job opportunities.
Different Perspectives
Gleaning from experienced professionals helps maturing young minds develop stronger understandings of how to evaluate and navigate situations. Learning about strategies for dealing with scenarios, focusing on new markets and opportunities will lend to growth. What’s key for me, are the invaluable solutions generated through Christian perspectives that provide invaluable training and inertia.
Industry Wisdom
In school, and the early years of your career, many companies teach you how jobs are completed, but don’t help you develop the strategic thinking skills or the understanding necessary to complete varying and sometimes more complicated tasks. You begin a trades career as an apprentice to a expert. In business, you need to seek out your own Mentor and hope to find someone. And then there is CBHN…
Networking
Building relationships in these groups can lead to well-respected professionals becoming part of your network. How they play out in your short-term and long-term journey comes down do the way you shape yourself and the impact you have on them. Listening, learning, and adding to discussions with industry professionals provides invaluable opportunities, and it is exactly what is provided by the Christian Business Harvest Network.
So the only question left to ask any aspiring young professional is, what are you doing to grow your network? It will have an impact