Danielle Fatzinger is the current PGR Office Intern and in the third year of her PhD in Celtic & Gaelic, studying late-seventeenth century Gaelic manuscripts written in Kintyre, Argyll, their scribe, and his patrons. In this post, she shares feedback and ideas from the PGR Townhall on Building Professional Networks.

On 20 November, the PGR team held a PGR Townhall focused around the theme of ‘Building Professional Networks’. PGRs, research staff, and non-research staff gathered to share ideas and brainstorm ways to facilitate and improve network-building for PGRs.

Some of the ideas, advice, and perspectives focused upon good networking practices and things that PGRs themselves can do to get started on, or improve, their networking journey. So, while other feedback is making its way through the official channels, here are things that you can take away, think about, and develop right now.

‘Networking’ by any other Name

The way we tend to think about networking can make it seem intimidating: your career rests upon it, the people you’re talking to are more ‘senior’, you need to be poised and intelligent, but also funny and likeable. The truth is, though, that networking isn’t usually the business-formal gatherings we tend to think of.

Participants in the townhall described networking as communities with active involvement, a reciprocal way of helping others, and professional relationships (i.e. relationships formed in a professional environment). Networking is, indeed, all these things, and it takes hundreds of forms.

You can check out a paper about communities of practice in doctoral education whose findings were shared at the event by Dely L. Elliot, one of the paper’s authors. They found four communities in which doctoral research spend their time, all of which are important to your network.

Good Networking Practices

One of the things highlighted during discussion is that good networking is a practice: it takes some time and effort to get started and requires consistent work. The effort is worth the benefits, however, and if you’re engaging with people and organisations of interest to you and/or your research, it will be easier and even fun.

So, what are some good networking practices?

Use Social Media

Some of you may hate to hear this, some may be wondering how to use social media to network, and others will think this is an obvious point (it’s not). Social media use varies from individual to individual, and it’s important to use it in a way you feel comfortable. It is still, however, important to use it.

Learning how to use the major social media in your subject/field/target career (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) can keep you more informed of events and opportunities and give you a space to share research and experiences. Check out slides from Anna Henschel for inspiration on why social media is useful for networking, and see this blog post for some Twitter tips.

Know that Everyone is Valuable

It can be tempting to consider someone as NOT a part of our network if they don’t seem to be directly connected to our research or professional life. This includes colleagues in other subjects, administrators, those in industry, and the people you meet briefly who are working on different things than you. Resist the urge to disregard them.

Our networks basically consist of everyone we have ever met (although our active networks are narrower), and that means that everyone is valuable. Connections between people, careers, opportunities, etc., aren’t clear until suddenly they are, so value everybody within your network regardless of job title, hierarchy, location, company, etc.

Follow Your Interests

It’s difficult to be good at something if you don’t like it, so one of the keys to good networking is to try to enjoy yourself by following your passions and interests. Take opportunities that intrigue you, talk to people who said something thought-provoking, go to events both at and outside the university that appeal to you, and keep your mind open.

Suggested Actions for Us, the PGRs

Networking Actions for PGRs: Map Your Network, Be Proactive, and Know Yourself.

So, what can we do as PGRs, without relying on supervisors or university events? Besides following the good practices listed above, PGRs can:

Map Your Network: Who do you know, and how? By mapping people currently in your network, you can see who you already know, where your networking gaps are, if your network lines up with your goals, interests, & skills, and identify where to start and/or continue your networking journey. You can also do this with a friend and discuss your results. Check out these slides from postdoctoral researcher Carla Cebula on mapping networks.
Be Proactive: Take advantage of events, workshops, and conferences on offer (both within and without your field). Share ideas on how the PGR community could be made a more supportive and helpful environment in surveys and through emails to your college, and join (or even plan) PGR groups/activities. Search for organisations related to your field/research, both for events to attend and possible outreach. Be willing to look outside your supervisors and search for people, groups, or organisations that can help get you the information or opportunities you need.
Know Yourself: Knowing your skills and knowledge strengths and weaknesses can guide your decisions about opportunities to take and highlight how you can contribute to an organisation, group, meeting, etc. Knowing how you work and socialise best will allow you to position yourself to be your best self at events and in meetings. Reflecting on these things, and how they’re changing over time, will allow you to keep making the most informed choices you can.

You can find more advice on networking as a researcher from the University of Bristol and Carla Cebula’s presentation from the event (Thinking Strategically about your Network).

What are your top tips for networking? How do you feel about it? What would you like more information about? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter or Instagram @UofG_PGRblog.