Focus Magazine - Spring 2012 - 7

FROM THE PRESIDENT Carol Wells

Why Build Bridges Through Networking?
Having a network of connections
ultimately saves you in the long run, and will provide a more ful lling experience at work
aking connections and building relationships is an important part of establishing and strengthening one’s career. Networking is critical for all of us to continue to excel in our current role, as well as to potentially nd new opportunities. at makes networking a particularly valuable tool in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Research shows that networkers collaborate more and are more productive. From a job search perspective, whether internal or external, 70 percent of jobs are found through networking. Referrals get 80 percent more results than cold calls, hence, strengthening the case for networking being a need-to-do versus a nice-to-do focused activity. Networking allows you to work more collaboratively, sharing knowledge that is unique to the experience of the people you know and, in turn, their connections. When needing to get a speci c project done at work, your network allows you to have the contacts that can help you get things done more quickly and more e ectively. In addition, networking within your own organization helps you to build your own personal brand and create reputation for your good work. It also allows you to know what’s going on, both in your department as well as the organization. From an internal job perspective, knowing more people can help you identify new openings, nd contacts to recommend you for new openings, prepare you for interviews by getting inside information about a job and ultimately collecting information that will help you evaluate an open position. It’s important to motivate yourself to build and expand connections. Having a network of

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connections ultimately saves you in the long run, and will provide a more ful lling experience at work. As you think about your networking beliefs, it will be important to remind yourself of the following. Be persistent, but in a very diplomatic way. As you build your networks, reach out with con dence. People respond to strength. Many of us work in big, busy companies, and creating visibility is important for people to know what you can o er for future opportunities. Make it easy for people to help. Ask for speci cs when you are reaching out to others, and let them know what unique talents and skills you o er. Networking is always a two-way street. If you feel uncomfortable, ask people you know well to refer you to people they know. Find mutual interests, listen to others and what they have to say and o er. People always appreciate good listeners. If you haven’t spoken to people for a long time, it’s okay to reach out to them. People understand about being busy, and appreciate you reconnecting. Commit now as you’re thinking about your 2012 goals to bring down silos and bridge to connect. Share your resources, gain information from others and achieve better results than ever. Continue to expand your awareness and expertise through others, and help others across your organization. Use the power of informal networking for your career development, organizational objectives and department needs. You could be a leader in creating a practice community within your organization around a particular area of expertise by inviting others to come and share best practices. I

Carol Wells is president of SPBT and senior director, commercial training and development for Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group. Email Carol at wells.carol@gene.com.

FOCUS | SPRING 2012 | www.spbt.org

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Focus Magazine - Spring 2012

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