Connecting Begins With You

Connecting with others working in your field (both inside and outside your company) adds value to your work life. Do you work with people? Do you assist customers or clients?

Sometimes, having trusted colleagues can help you sort out stressful circumstances as well as celebrate victories! Consider how professional collegial relationships bring value:

1. Professional Development: Networking with others helps you develop your professional skills and knowledge. You can attend conferences, workshops, and other industry events to gain new skills, knowledge, and insights, and meet mentors or potential collaborators. Sounds like NHRMA and your local SHRM chapters, right? And you can catch a glimpse of NHRMA’s strength on LinkedIn if you use that tool for networking.
2. Career Opportunities: Networking with others in your field can uncover new career opportunities. Not all jobs are posted publicly. You can learn about job openings, get referrals, and find out about other interesting opportunities. Check the job board for the NHRMA area: https://careers.nhrma.shrm.org/ for some leads.
3. Knowledge Sharing: It sounds silly to say, but what you don’t know, you don’t know. By connecting with others who manage human resources, you can learn from their experiences and expertise, and share your own knowledge and insights in return. This can help you stay up to date with your field's latest trends, best practices, and innovations. Conferences and events happen year-long at NHRMA. Mark your calendar for the September Conference! And for students, consider the HR Leaders of Tomorrow Conference set for April.
4. Emotional Support: Working anywhere in any role can be challenging, and it's important to have a support system of people who understand your work and the challenges that come with it. By connecting with others in your field, you can build relationships and support each other through the ups and downs of your work. If we are serious about workplace well-being, we can show it by personally connecting for support.​

Overall, connecting with others can be extremely valuable for your personal and professional growth and help you stay current and connected in your industry – locally, and in your region.

Connecting with others working in your field is important regardless of whether your workplace provides services to people or to businesses. In fact, connecting with others working in your field can be even more important in service-oriented fields, where relationships and networking are often key factors in attracting and retaining clients. And remember, clients can be internal to your company, or external, such as customers or job seekers who want to work for you.

For service-oriented fields such as healthcare, education, or social or personal services, connecting with others in the field can be essential for staying up-to-date on the latest research and best practices and building a support network of colleagues who understand the unique challenges of working in these fields.

For service-oriented companies that provide services to businesses, such as marketing, consulting, or financial services, networking with others in the industry can help you learn about new opportunities, stay current on industry trends, and build relationships with potential clients or partners.

In both cases, connecting with others working in your field can provide valuable opportunities for professional development, career advancement, and emotional support. Think about how you can give as well as get, perhaps by becoming active in the work of NHRMA. Interested in serving in a leadership position? Review the roles and submit your interest statement. 

NHRMA professionals look forward to connecting with you!