Benefits of Joining a Professional Network

There are many benefits of joining a professional network, for one, it’s an important part of a successful career.  Whether it’s connecting with others in your industry, or connecting with others in parallel industries, networking has the power to bolster career growth and development.  In this article, we discuss what networking is, its purpose, what to expect from it and some common benefits professionals and business owners enjoy from joining and expanding their professional network.

The Purpose of Joining a Professional Network

Joining a professional network is the process of building beneficially mutual relationships with other professionals so you can find career opportunities or provide opportunities for others.  Employers find it easier to fill job vacancies, business owners typically see a boost in their revenue, and professionals often grow faster in their field.

Having a diverse network can be extremely beneficial for people.  We have a saying, “You never know who you are going to meet and how you can help them, or how they can help you.” 

A few years ago, I had a friend who was looking for a career change.  She was in a difficult position whereby she was a single mom and needed flexibility so she could pick up her daughter from school or stay home with her if she was sick.  While she had been in a certain field for a length of time, she had different employers. Unfortunately, the employers didn’t want someone who couldn’t be in their office from 8 am to 5 pm.

She reached out to me and asked if I knew anyone providing a more flexible job opportunity.  As luck would have it, a business owner who I’ve known for several years had reached out looking for a flexible part-timer with the option of advancing into a permanent full-time position.  I connected the dots, and to date, she’s been working with him for over three years.  It was a perfect fit!

Aside from filling jobs, there are several other benefits of joining a professional network.

The Benefits of Joining a Professional Network

Despite the fact that some people shudder when they hear the term “networking,” forging long-term relationships and establishing a good reputation over time can get you to the point where your clients and job applicants come to you.

• Strengthen your business network.

Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know?”  Business networking is about sharing, forming trust, and helping others toward their goals.  If you help another person become successful, naturally they want to help you back!  It’s the law of reciprocation.  Mind you, you don’t want to help someone JUST so they help you back – that’s kinda icky.  Helping another professional is rewarding in and of itself.

• Raise your professional clout and profile.

If you’ve ever heard the term “authority marketing” then you’d know what this means.  Being visible, getting noticed, and becoming the “go-to” person in your industry can catapult your career to new levels.  The law of propinquity states that the greater the physical proximity between people, the greater the chance that they’ll form stronger relationships.  This could be why many married couples (22% in the United States) met at work.

• Grow your personal brand.

This is definitely one of the benefits of joining a professional network. If people recognize your face, this can help build your reputation.  You become knowledgeable, reliable, and supportive to people you both know and don’t know.  In essence, you ARE your brand.  And if people know you, or have heard of you, that is a very good thing!

• Get career advice and support.

Gaining the advice of more seasoned and experienced peers is another benefit of building your business network.  Instead of reinventing the wheel, you can avoid pitfalls and mistakes and grow faster by taking advice from mentors who have been where you are and currently are where you want to be.

For example, when I decided to launch We&Co, one of the first things I did was reach out to someone I KNEW could help me.  I had met him in passing whenever he came into town, but I actively sought him out on LinkedIn.  I was direct and honest with him in our correspondence. I told him that I was starting a networking company and that I was seeking out a mentor to guide me so I could become successful faster. 

Not only did he start mentoring me, but I supported him in starting a chapter of his company in my town (we live around 3 hours away from each other).  Now, not only have I helped him back, but instead of zoom calls, I get to see him face-to-face once a month.  It became a win/win situation.

• Build your confidence.

By putting yourself out there, meeting new people, and stepping outside your comfort zone, you naturally grow as a person.  The more you grow, the more you build your confidence! Not only do you build invaluable social skills, but you build invaluable relationships as well!

• Develop long-lasting relationships.

Some of the strongest most long-standing friendships and relationships are born from business networking.  Some of my closest friends came about from the result of professional networking, and my significant other came about as a “referral” from another connection. 

I’ve introduced people who ended up getting married and having children, and I’ve introduced others to their biggest investors or clients.  Developing these long-lasting relationships isn’t just rewarding in and of themselves, but they have a way of continuing to keep paying dividends over and over again.

• Find & provide career opportunities.

Looking to hire someone?  Hit up your business network.  Have a friend who is hiring?  Hit up your business network.  I can’t tell you how many times someone would wander into a We&Co event who didn’t have a job, and would have a few interviews set up before the end of the day. 

• Become the “go-to” resource for your clients.

One of the things I love is getting a text from a client or friend asking, “Do you know anyone who (fill in the blank).”  Chances are I do, and chances are I met them while networking.  Not only am I helping out a client, but I am helping out someone in my network whom I know, like, and trust.

• Gain perspectives and insights into other industries.

While I am no expert, I would say I know more than the average person in industries such as residential and commercial real estate, logistics, and construction to name a few.  Mainly because I network with professionals in these industries often.  Not only does it help me start up conversations with other professionals in similar industries, but it makes me look like I ACTUALLY know what I’m talking about!  I’m kidding of course.  It is nice to stay ahead of certain industry trends though.  You can gain an insight into the market before a peak or dip happens.

• Boost collaboration with other professionals.

I can’t tell you how many fun and exciting projects I’ve gotten to be a part of or started because of who is in my network.  I have a dear friend who owns a marketing company, and he had a large client who wanted to do a massive rebrand on their river yacht.

He approached me and asked if I’d be willing to find 80 influencers who would be willing to go on a sunset cruise with dinner included.  At the end of the cruise would be a free concert put on by a popular local band.

Myself, one of my partners and my friend collaborated and put on “Sunset Sights & Sips Cruise.”  Not only was it a free invite-only event, but this made me look amazing to my own network!

•  Resources are more readily available to you.

Again, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten free tickets to gala dinners, sold-out shows, and concerts or freebies due to my business network.

I had a couple of friends who were going to see Rob Snyder perform one evening, and naturally, it was a sold-out show.  I figured that I’d walk them to the comedy club and if I could get in, awesome.  But if not, no biggie.  The minute I got to the door the owner of the club locked eyes with me and asked, “VIP?”  I laughed and said I didn’t have tickets to the show, but he led us all right in and I got to see Rob Snyder live.  It was awesome!

In summary, joining a business networking group isn’t just beneficial for your career, it can be rewarding in so many other ways as well.  Don’t be fooled though!  There’s a reason why some people shudder at the thought of networking.  They may associate it with cheesiness, awkwardness, or being backed into a corner and hard-sold a product or service.  I get it!  I’ve had lots of experience with this, and it never feels good.  I’ve heard some people talk about why professional networking doesn’t work for everyone, but we disagree. Joining the wrong business network however, can hurt your business.

Be sure to check out The Downsides to Joining the WRONG Business Network.  Here we cover some nuggets on how to identify and avoid this kind of networking. Finding the best professional network for you is essential for not wasting your time and money!

About We&Co and The We&Co Huddles

We&Co is a professional co-oping & professional networking business that was founded in Springfield, Missouri in 2020.  While there are many professional networking groups in and around the United States, We&Co focuses on creating small industry-specific groups with five to ten professionals who all have the same target audience but offer different products and services.

In essence, professionals come to us when they want to save time while making more money.  These industry-specific groups are essential pods of professionals surrounded by their ideal referral partners.

These small groups of referral partners (called “Huddles) meet up twice a month for an hour and talk strategy on how to become that one-stop-shop for their clients.  If you are a professional who is interested in joining or launching your own We&Co co-op (or “Huddle” as we like to call them), feel free to shoot us an email at info@weandco.org and a representative will get back to you shortly!