2023 continues to move forward into the month of February. Hopefully, those of you who made New Year’s resolutions have made good progress and with the prospect of a new month comes renewed determination and enthusiasm. February could be an excellent time to capitalise on your good intentions and put some time into expanding your network.
Broadening your network of contacts is useful whether you intend to stay within academia or are considering alternative roles. Networking (when done well) can lead to new opportunities and collaborations. Think about setting some time aside to practice your networking skills this month. You might have a conference on the horizon that you were planning on attending or indeed an industry or professional event. Practice is key to helping you develop your skills in this area and becoming more effective. For example, it’s important to take the time to follow up with those individuals’ that you meet in order to deepen and strengthen the initial connection. It is also important to be clear what your Unique Selling Points are and to keep your online profile up to date. For further hints and tips on how to network effectively see my recent THE article Networking Tips for Academics.
Remember that 1:1 Career Development Consultations are running throughout the month so if you want to discuss your goals and strategies in more detail book a slot using the People & Money Learning App.
This blog was written by Eleanor Hennige. Eleanor is the IAD’s Research Staff Careers Consultant, supporting fixed-term research staff at the University with their career planning and options. In addition to running our 1:1 appointments, she also delivers our suite of career workshops, career discussion groups and works with Schools/Research Staff Societies on career specific events and workshops. Eleanor works on a part-time basis (5 mornings a week) and can be contacted at ResearchStaff.Careers@ed.ac.uk
