FM Resolutions: Start Networking

There’s an old saying about it not being what you know, but who you know that matters.  Personally I still believe that skills, knowledge and experience count in the long run but…. developing a good professional network is a great way to supplement them and boost your progress.

FMs are usually people-people, so developing a professional network should be a fairly straightforward task: meet new people (from within the industry), talk to them (about the industry) and exchange details.  Of course there are lots of techniques to learn along the way to make your networking more effective, but I won’t cover these in detail here as there are already plenty of online resources available for those who wish to know more.  I will however say that; you’ll be amazed at how exponentially your network grows once you start.

Networking for knowledge, confidence and professional connections

The reason a good network is so useful to your development, is that it gives you access to the knowledge, expertise and contacts of a pool of other professionals. FM is one of those broad (and exciting) disciplines where new stuff comes up all the time and FMs often find themselves having to up-skill at short notice. At times like these being able to get advice from somebody more experienced can really help. In fact, even if no one in your network has the answer, you can bet they’ll know someone who does. 

The flip side of networking for knowledge is that no matter what your experience level is, you’ll find yourself engaging with people who need and value the knowledge you have and can share with them. Your confidence will be rapidly boosted through this validation.

And once a professional network has been established it can be put to work for your longer-term aspirations.  For example, phone calls with recruiters are a lot easier to initiate when you’ve met them socially and job interviews go a little smoother with some insider information about the interviewer or the employer.  In fact, there’s even something referred to as the hidden job market: vacancies which get filled by recommendation and referral rather than marketed: A good network can keep their collective ears to the ground and send these valuable opportunities in your direction.

Getting started

With all the benefits above, I’m often still surprised when FMs tell me that they aren’t really interested in networking. The most frequent reason expressed is a lack of time. If that describes how you feel, I would encourage you to look at it like this:  For 40+ hours a week your efforts mostly benefits other people – by comparison an hour or two a month of networking mostly benefits you. No brainer.

The BIFM make it easy to get involved in networking.  Groups of volunteers organise events across the country where professionals can meet and exchange knowledge, ideas and contacts. Being able to attend these events is one of the best perks of BIFM membership.  Check out the events calendar at: http://www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/events

The other thing that often puts people off is the daunting first-time feeling of walking into a room full of strangers (and experts).  I understand this (I had a first time once too), but trust me when I say that it’s really not like that at all; FM people are a warm and friendly bunch and members go out of their way to make newbies feel welcome. If you’re really nervous about attending an event, try contacting the organiser –they’re usually happy to arrange for another member to look out for you and introduce you to a few people.  There are even a couple of Specialist Interest Groups (SIGs) aimed at running less traditional events to help people through those first networking experiences: My own SIG, the Rising FMs focusses events around having fun and the social aspects of networking and the Women In FM SIG (not just for women by the way) run events with a real spirit of inclusivity and support.
So, if you’ve been putting off getting involved in networking for some time, I strongly encourage you to take the plunge by making it your FM Resolution of 2015.

This blog was originally part of the BIFM's 2015 #FMResolutions series of guest blogs, published on LinkedIn and www.bifm.org.uk. I've published it here as it appears in those locations, for those of my readers who might not have come across it otherwise.