Do a Technically strong person need Business Networks like BNI? (1 Viewer)

[prabha_friend]

Please Share your thoughts. I never have been into any.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

The issue with BNI or any other business network is to get business referrals. It's a way to put yourself out there to be hired, if you can present yourself reasonably. It is never wrong to network unless you are currently in an iron-clad employment contract that forces you to get married and have kids just so they can threaten to confiscate your first-born child as a way to coerce you into honoring your contract.

 

[Isaac]

Please Share your thoughts. I never have been into any.

Well, I learn something new every day. Never heard of BNI until just now. I suppose that means I've gotten by without it right?
Honestly, I'm not huge on networking as compared to some people. I always carefully craft and groom the people who will be my 'references' if and when I have to move on to the next job, but that's about it. My experience, skills, interviewing abilities and simple references (2-3) have been sufficient for me to do alright. Probably I'd have done better if I WAS really more into networking with people.

So to put it more bluntly: I've found that for those with strong technical skills and a track record of results, career progress tends to come more from competence than connections. Networking has its place, but it often becomes a lifeline for those who lack the hard skills to stand on their own. In my experience, networking is most vital to those whose résumés/CVs aren’t.

Or, shall we say, it's more vital also in industries and career paths where hard skills are simply difficult to identify. Sales, perhaps. So because it's difficult to immediately quantify and commodify ones hard skills (if sales even has any), you have to network with other people extensively and rely on the "it's who you know" system. In contrast, in the technical world, I find hard skills to be much more easily quantiable and fungible. You either have 5 years of SQL experience or you have 15. You either have made a Tableau report (God forbid) or you haven't. You either have made an ETL package or you haven't - and so on and so forth

 

[Pat Hartman]

Some of my best clients have found me on this forum by simply happening on some answer I posted. Others are referrals or from contacts at local groups.

 

[prabha_friend]

Some of my best clients have found me on this forum by simply happening on some answer I posted. Others are referrals or from contacts at local groups.

Okay. Let me start answering then

 

[Pat Hartman]

The more valuable your help is to others here, the more likely they are to reach out to you for paid jobs.

 

[prabha_friend]

The more valuable your help is to others here, the more likely they are to reach out to you for paid jobs.

okay.