Today's world is dominated by interpersonal relationships, most of which are digital. As a result, it is important to establish contact with colleagues that allow us to network extensively, whether to learn, share, inspire, find employment, and, ultimately, grow together in interests.
To understand the dynamics of people studying for a doctorate, with complicated schedules and limited time, technology is a perfect ally, because it gives us many options to cultivate networks instantly, opening doors to previously unavailable study opportunities, professional challenges, and social networks.
And it is that social networks, whether more personal like Facebook or professional like LinkedIn, allow us to stay in touch with everyone with whom we have shared our lives at some point in our lives and easily maintain relationships. Indeed, if you're only interested in professional networking, LinkedIn has over 3,600 results for Ph.D.-related groups.
If you want to stand out in your professional career, keep your networks up to date and strengthen your networking. To give you an idea of how important it is to start working on your public relations strategy, consider the following figures:
There are currently approximately 87,000 job openings on LinkedIn for PhDs in the United States.
And, according to a study conducted by the human resources firm Adecco:
70% of people looking for work use social media to find it.
In their job search, 80 percent of those surveyed say they trust employment portals the most to find job offers tailored to their profile, compared to 19 percent who say social media is their first choice.
64 percent of human resource professionals believe that candidates who use social media have more job opportunities, and one in every five companies claims to have rejected a candidate because they did not know how to use social media.
Don't even think about it; instead, focus on expanding your network of contacts. You will not be sorry!
If you want to improve your interpersonal relationships, here are some pointers to get you started:
1.- Attend events and conferences.
Go to as many conferences, talks, and presentations as you can. Better yet, volunteer and use the opportunity to listen and speak. Be patient and look for contacts to whom you can reach out.
2.- Attempt to expand your contact network.
Be the first to email or to contact. Begin a conversation about an interesting topic and request feedback from your colleagues.
3- Maintain contact.
Maintain contact with your friends and coworkers. In this way, you will cultivate friendships and weave professional networks. These suggestions are not limited to the Ph.D. field; every professional must work on their interpersonal relationships in order to develop connection networks that will benefit them both professionally and personally. Keep in mind that meeting the right person can lead to new opportunities and help you advance in your academic career.
There is no magic formula for success, but it does include the following ingredients: hard work, perseverance, and a lot of creativity.