2017 Issue

58 T he civil engineering industry continues to expand both horizontally and vertically as new information and technologies develop. In order to meet the demand imposed on today’s civil engineer, it becomes necessary to develop a broad, diverse and reliable network of relationships from which the civil engineer can efficiently pull information and support. Professional networking is the practice of expanding or improving professional or social relationships in order to create or act upon professional opportunities. While many may content themselves in having moved beyond the ancient days of the Rolodex into the modern age of an Outlook Contact List, professional networking is more than simple contact information. Under- standing and implementing its practices will return a much broader level of benefit. It is purposeful, requires work and is a skill learnable by all. Professional vs. Social Networks During the last decade, ease of communication has grown immensely and access to the internet has literally come within our finger tips. The popularity of networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have grown im- mensely demonstrating our society’s affinity to being connected with others, or in other words, our affinity to networking. The two main purposes for networking are (1) social and (2) professional. In 2012, business-networking site LinkedIn and global-mar- ket researchers TNS conducted a survey titled The Mindset Divide. The survey was given to over 6,000 social network users in attempt to “more deeply understand the moti- vating factors for how and why people use personal and professional networks.” The survey concluded that there was a significant difference between social and profes- sional networking usage. When engaging in social network platforms, the mindset is to passively spend time, while the mindset when engaging in professional network platforms is to actively invest time. The study found that nostalgia, having fun and distraction were common emotions experi- enced by social network users, while achievement, success and aspiration were more commonly experienced by pro- fessional network users. (TNS, 2012) Forms of Networking There are three main forms of networking that play vital roles in the development of our career. These forms are Operational, Personal and Strategic. While the first two forms, Operational and Personal, are more apparent in the workforce, the Strategic form appears to be underutilized. (Ibarra & Mark, 2007) Operational networking involves building relationships with others who can help to perform a specific job. These relationships are often internal within a workplace and will ensure the cooperation and coordination needed to successfully complete an immediate task. However, these connections are less likely to translate to value beyond the immediate task at hand. (Ibarra & Mark, 2007) Personal networking extends beyond the limited focus of internal networking to relationships outside our organiza- tions. These relationships may include different disciplines of engineering, product vendors or technology experts. The success of these relationships will enable quicker and more effective solutions to problems. Failure to further en- gage this form of relationship, however, prohibits one from harnessing the full potential of professional networking. (Ibarra & Mark, 2007) Strategic networking is the final form of networking and concerns itself with broad strategic issues. Purposeful rela- tionships begin to play a role in achieving ultimate profes- sional goals. This form of networking requires a thorough understanding of where to go and who to enlist to get there. (Ibarra & Mark, 2007) Benefits to Professional Networking There are many benefits to professional networking for both a company and its individual employees. Payoffs for a business include: 1. Higher efficiency (not “reinventing the wheel” with each project) 2. Alignment of people and processes (coordination of latest information, designs and tools) 3. Ability to make fast, accurate decisions (big decisions are often needed quickly) Professional Networking: A Deliberate and Worthwhile Skill