Building a Network

Chapter 7

Building a Network

This chapter summarizes the importance of intentional relationship-building, emphasizing that professional interactions with colleagues, instructors, and others can significantly influence future mentorship and employment opportunities. Additionally, it highlights key strategies for maintaining these relationships after this project.

Building a Network: Outcomes Based on Interaction Level

Student Level:

Meet as a team weekly (or more often as needed) and review progress
Identify existing problems and potential problems
Make a plan to build your network

Professional-in-waiting (All student level outcomes, plus):

Update overall work plan and refer back to it during team meetings
Align all tasks with deliverables
Contact the sponsor (liaison) and report on accomplishments
Confirm project direction with the sponsor (liaison)

Professional Level (All previous level outcomes, plus):

Manage all tasks on a weekly (or more often if needed) basis using an action register and a Gantt chart
Intentionally build your professional network on a regular basis.

Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to intentionally work on building your professional network. The way you choose to interact with your teammates, sponsor, instructor/TA coordinators, and others in your education and work, will determine what kind of relationship you will have with those people once your Project-Based Work Experience is over. If you can create a strong, trusting, professional relationship with the people around you, you will have greater opportunities for mentorship and employment.

Articles to Deepen Understanding

The following articles give advice about forming professional relationships and the benefits that can come as a result. Read these articles and reflect on your own team and other valuable relationships.

All the elements that are talked about in these articles are shown to be important if you want to succeed in your career. Strong professional relationships can really shape where your career goes and how fulfilled you feel in your job. Both articles together give us a full picture of how to build relationships that last, mixing professional strategies with general tips on human interaction. They suggest that whether you're trying to improve your network or just want to create stronger personal bonds, the key is real, empathetic communication and truly valuing others. By embracing these approaches, we can better handle the complicated aspects of our work and personal lives, creating a supportive, respectful, and connected environment for ourselves and the people around us.

Reflection Questions

What relationships have helped you to arrive where you are today?

What did you learn from the articles that you could apply in your interactions with your teammates, company sponsor, and others you interact with regularly?

What things can you do after your Project-Based Work Experience to maintain those relationships?

What qualities would you want to be highlighted in a future letter of recommendation for you from someone you met during this Project-Based Work Experience? What can you do now to demonstrate those qualities?

This content is provided to you freely by Ensign College.

Access it online or download it at https://ensign.edtechbooks.org/projectbasedinternship/building_a_network.