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What is a strong course of action(s) to practice that will maintain a healthy connection with your network?
I am student at Npower of the Harlem location in the Technical Field. #IT #student
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Jose’s Answer
Hi Marquis! This is an awesome question. One can not overemphasize the importance of a network - I have personally gotten every single job I have ever had via a person in my ACTIVE network.
Maintaining an active network takes a bit of planning and a bit of work but there's got to be an organic element to it. With that, I suggest a few tips:
- First, follow those around whom you feel elevated and around whom you feel really proud and free to be yourself (that's the organic part)
- Second, invest in the relationships with those above: call them for birthdays/anniversaries, let them know about your challenges/successes, and proactively see how you might be able to help them in a tangible way
- Do have an expanded network but beware not to overreach
Maintaining an active network takes a bit of planning and a bit of work but there's got to be an organic element to it. With that, I suggest a few tips:
- First, follow those around whom you feel elevated and around whom you feel really proud and free to be yourself (that's the organic part)
- Second, invest in the relationships with those above: call them for birthdays/anniversaries, let them know about your challenges/successes, and proactively see how you might be able to help them in a tangible way
- Do have an expanded network but beware not to overreach
Updated
Nicole’s Answer
Hello,
I am a network engineer for a telecom company and I can definitely attest to everything Shyam listed above.
The world of Network and IT is usually pretty small. People who have been working these positions have been in job for several years and generally have long standing with the company. We also all have run into one another at some point, and you work with several contractor companies on a daily basis so even jumping from one corporation to the next you may see a lot of familiar faces. Hence why it is really import to respect the workplace and your colleagues because you never know who may be your boss or a person that your boss may know and trust well.
Everyone I work with has a large knowledge base and is always willing to help each other. In the world of network it is very important to be on the team player side then the individual shine side. If you can get your team rallied and collaborating on projects that can really benefit the network, company or each other, your boss takes a lot more notice of your efforts then if you found and purposed a solution on your own. Since everyone has a wide array of knowledge, experience, and background it is always good to run over results, numbers and solutions with your team as well because you never know if you might have over looked a solution that could be easier or save costs.
With that in mind, I always recommend letting colleagues help you or look over your work while you are new in job, even if you are a straight A student because in the world of IT and network there is never a time where someone will say, "no don't worry about rechecking your work, let's just see if it works" because it can cause an outage, downtime and or cost the company and its customers a lot of time and money to repair errors. So for good measure I would recommend always checking your work with others when you start and for several years after until you can do the task backwards and forwards. I was even told by one Network Assurance Engineer that he wasn't comfortable doing work on his own until he was 3 years in job. So never feel behind the curve when you start. It's all a learning and growing experience and everyone is pretty supportive of the process.
Highly recommend getting certifications, especially if you are considering pursuing a network career. The technology is always growing and changing and certifications mean you are caught up with the latest know hows. I did my CCNA and am completing a Data Certification now. AWS cloud guru is a great one too for Amazon Web Services but it's really what you are interested in as to what you start with. Knowledge is ever growing in network though so be prepared to learn on the job and always take interest in new certifications or areas of study. It will build your knowledge, background, and make you a very flexible employee and management loves that! When you are flexible you save the company cost and time so training is so valuable!
I am a network engineer for a telecom company and I can definitely attest to everything Shyam listed above.
The world of Network and IT is usually pretty small. People who have been working these positions have been in job for several years and generally have long standing with the company. We also all have run into one another at some point, and you work with several contractor companies on a daily basis so even jumping from one corporation to the next you may see a lot of familiar faces. Hence why it is really import to respect the workplace and your colleagues because you never know who may be your boss or a person that your boss may know and trust well.
Everyone I work with has a large knowledge base and is always willing to help each other. In the world of network it is very important to be on the team player side then the individual shine side. If you can get your team rallied and collaborating on projects that can really benefit the network, company or each other, your boss takes a lot more notice of your efforts then if you found and purposed a solution on your own. Since everyone has a wide array of knowledge, experience, and background it is always good to run over results, numbers and solutions with your team as well because you never know if you might have over looked a solution that could be easier or save costs.
With that in mind, I always recommend letting colleagues help you or look over your work while you are new in job, even if you are a straight A student because in the world of IT and network there is never a time where someone will say, "no don't worry about rechecking your work, let's just see if it works" because it can cause an outage, downtime and or cost the company and its customers a lot of time and money to repair errors. So for good measure I would recommend always checking your work with others when you start and for several years after until you can do the task backwards and forwards. I was even told by one Network Assurance Engineer that he wasn't comfortable doing work on his own until he was 3 years in job. So never feel behind the curve when you start. It's all a learning and growing experience and everyone is pretty supportive of the process.
Highly recommend getting certifications, especially if you are considering pursuing a network career. The technology is always growing and changing and certifications mean you are caught up with the latest know hows. I did my CCNA and am completing a Data Certification now. AWS cloud guru is a great one too for Amazon Web Services but it's really what you are interested in as to what you start with. Knowledge is ever growing in network though so be prepared to learn on the job and always take interest in new certifications or areas of study. It will build your knowledge, background, and make you a very flexible employee and management loves that! When you are flexible you save the company cost and time so training is so valuable!
Updated
Shyam’s Answer
There are simple things that go a long way in keeping good relations with a network
- Be proactive. Once you're able to gauge the general makeup of those in the network be the initiator of activities of common interest.
- Don't overdo it. The personal space of people in any network needs to be respected. Give enough space and another member might initiate an activity they are interested in.
- Be honest. You might not always be able to be in another's good books but you certainly will earn their respect even as you agree to disagree.
- Share more than compete. Pay it forward. Knowledge is meant to be shared and being transparent about it only makes the network more resourceful.
- Be humble. We are all always a part of something. While our identities need not be compromised on we can all agree that the needs of the group are more important.
- Listen more than talk. The more you listen the more you understand the circles that you're moving in. The more you listen the more you learn too.