Ryan Barclay shares his experience of networking in the housing sector and explains how stepping outside your comfort zone can help build confidence and support your career.
As a young housing professional, networking can appear daunting. However, there is a way to reap the benefits of these spaces and make the most of the opportunities they offer.
I recall the first time I attended a networking event. I wondered whether I had enough knowledge or experience to draw upon to enter into conversations with other professionals in the room. The true value of these conversations is not something you can fully understand before you enter into them. It is also worth remembering that the professional connections I have within my network today were, at one stage, strangers, whom I did not know.
Indeed, speaking with peers at networking events has proven valuable in other areas of my professional development. For example, it provides an opportunity to increase your confidence in communicating with different audiences. This can be particularly advantageous when you are asked to deliver presentations to other staff members or board members.
In a hybrid world, where some peers may work remotely or spend less time in the office, networking offers the chance to come together, tackle shared challenges and learn about different areas of the housing sector. Through these conversations, it may become clear that what you once thought of as an obstacle to your career progression could actually be an opportunity to harness your different perspective and what you “bring to the table” to solve a challenge. In this sense, networking can be incredibly helpful when planning your career.
Networking also offers the chance to step outside your normal role and learn about different areas of the housing sector. This can be incredibly useful if your attendance at events is limited to a particular housing department. Networking could involve all areas of housing, from HR to rent arrears and repairs, and that is what makes it so powerful for a young housing professional. While other events may ask you to focus and specialise, networking allows you to build connections outside your area of expertise and learn something new.
Ultimately, networking does not have to mean attending a large conference or making a room full of new contacts. It can be as simple as meeting someone and having a conversation about their area of expertise. That one conversation could introduce you to a new perspective, encourage you to try something different or leave you feeling inspired and enthusiastic about taking the next step in your career.
I recall that, at the end of a networking event, the host said: “If you thought before today , that networking was not something that you could do, but you have attended networking, there is no reason why you can’t be successful at the next thing that you want to achieve.”
That is something that has really stuck with me.
The Young Housing Professionals’ Network is open to anyone with less than 10 years in experience in the housing sector as a place to network, collaborate, develop and grow.
Join us on Thursday 3rd December from 2pm-4pm at Malmaison Glasgow for our final Young Housing Professionals’ Network of the year!
