The Power of Connections

Thursday 30 March 2023

“Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas and people with opportunities.” - Michele Jennae.

Have you ever been to a networking event? Many assume networking is only for a certain industry or if you are looking for a new job. However, this is not the case.

Networking is essential for your career. Ideally, you should start networking as early as possible in your career, or even at university before you have chosen a career path.

I was introduced to networking on my first day at university. The university had organised for the IOD to speak to us about attending networking events. I was quite shy and when they mentioned attending events, it sounded quite daunting.

Fast forward to my third year of university and everyone was starting to talk about jobs that they had secured for after university. This scared me a little as I hadn’t even thought about looking for a job. I asked around and was surprised to find out many of my friends had found jobs through LinkedIn. After this, I decided to take my first step towards making connections by making a LinkedIn account – click here to connect with me.

After graduating from John Moores University, Liverpool in 2021 with a First-Class Honours Degree in Business Management, I was feeling very lost - as many others do after university. I had no idea of what career path I wanted to take, nor did I have any experience relating to my degree.

I was also interested in going travelling. I had always wanted to travel Australia and with the borders having just opened, I booked my flight for December to Sydney, so that I would arrive for the Australian summer. With 6 months to go until my flight, I thought what a better way to use my time than to get experience in a field that I was interested in – marketing. This is where I reached out to my first connection.

Edel Doherty is a close family friend and what a successful businesswoman she is! Edel started her business “Beyond Business Travel” in 2010 and it has gone from strength to strength, with over 25 employees in Belfast and Dublin offices and a turnover of £16 million. Edel also received Women in Business’ “Businesswoman of the Year” award in 2019. So, I couldn’t think of a better person to help connect me with local companies.

Edel put me in touch with Women in Business in July 2022. After a Zoom call with the team, I had been offered work experience with them. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to get some work experience with WIB as I had heard of their great a reputation.

I started my work experience with WIB a couple of weeks later, coming into the office 2 days a week, whilst also working part-time at a local convenience shop. I spent most of my time learning all things marketing from their Senior Marketing Executive, Marguarita. After 1 month, I realised I had a passion for marketing, in particular social media. As I discussed my progress with senior management, I was offered a full-time role as Marketing Intern, with a contract that took me up to the days before I left for Australia.

What an amazing 4 months it was to be part of such a supportive team. From attending my first networking events to going to all-island entrepreneurs' conferences - I was involved in so many fantastic events.

December came around rapidly. With it being my last day, I was treated to a leaving lunch and gifted an Apple AirTag for my travels (which came in quite handy when my bags were lost on the voyage). It was bittersweet to be saying goodbye to the team but to be going on a new adventure. The bittersweet feeling didn’t last long as I was delighted to be asked to come back when my travelling adventures had finished.

All in all, from my time at Women in Business, I have learnt that connections are key. The next time you hear yourself say “I don’t need to network” think again. You never know just how powerful connections can be.

Want to strengthen your connections further with the WIB Young Women’s Network? Join us on Wed 26th April at Glandore, Belfast for the Power of Connections – free for members to attend.