Saturday, January 13, 2007

Networking a skill that pays


By CHARLES FERNANDEZ
charlesf@thestar.com.my

NETWORKING is a skill that will help you at any stage of your career development.

It can help when you are looking for a job or considering self-employment or just keeping your options open.

The key to success in networking is to stay active and no matter which outlets you choose to tap, the bottom line is to keep your networks working for you.

It may not sound an easy proposition though to build contacts through networking but it is worth a try as the Lions Bangsar networking team has pointed out.

They are a small group of enterprising individuals; each involved in their own individual business and willing to share their knowledge and expertise with those who care to network and exploit their full potential.

Lunch Actually executive director Leng Chan, who coordinates open-networking among her fellow Lions members feels this is an opportunity not only to interact socially but also to stay connected with members while understanding their scope of business.

“Here we have members who are successful in their own right and are willing to share their business acumen with those who want to venture into their own business,'' said Leng Chan.

During a Christmas open-networking event held at the Right 4 U Cafe in Damansara Jaya, both members and new recruits took the opportunity to interact with each other over dinner at the cafe which is also owned by a Lions Bangsar member.

“This is an open concept which Lions Bangsar does on a regular basis, most often over dinner. Those present are willing to pay more for their food and the money collected is then channelled to a needy organisation. This is part of the social responsibility of Lions Bangsar towards the less privileged,'' said Leng Chan.

And also as part of their social responsibility, Lions Bangsar has made visits to homes to lend support in areas where their expertise is needed.

“One of our projects was to take pets along with us when we visit homes as children tend to open up better with animals than people. During our previous visits to these homes, children were either too scared or shy to come out to meet strangers, but it is different when we bring our pets along,'' said Leng Chan.

The Open Networking works on a similar concept, where new members are willing to come forward provided there is something they can benefit from.

The Star

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