Networking

As I head into the corporate working world, I've been thinking about networking--what is it and what is its place in the working world? I've had a little taste of the benefits of being networked and wanted to know how to maintain these professional relationships.

I attended a workshop on it at uni today, and the two big things I took away from it was:
- networking is relationship-building and
- networking is a two-way relationship: what can you offer? How can the other person help?

In a sense, that's a relief because my background and experience has taught me a lot about relationship-building--I just wasn't sure how to apply it in the corporate working world.

I've also learnt that if you show a genuine interest in people, they're often willing to help or give advice over coffee.

Here's some further reading:
7 Tips for Surviving & Thriving at Networking Events
Why Networking is NOT All About Who You Know