Building and maintaining a professional network

Abstract

How many professional colleagues, beyond those you currently work with, do you have contact information for? Whom would you contact if you wanted to change jobs or were laid off? Are you comfortable meeting new people and do you seek them out? A professional network is a group of colleagues whom you know and are able to contact for a variety of issues. Networking is a mutual give and take that results in a winning situation for everyone involved. People who network give and connect without expecting anything in return, except assistance when they need it. Every pharmacist must have a professional network to be truly successful. It can, for example, provide contacts who can ... ... Start building a professional network as early in your career as possible, even as a student. Always carry business cards with you, even at work. If your employer does not provide them, either have some printed or use a program like Microsoft Publisher (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) (comes with Windows XP Professional) and buy sheets of blank cards from any office supply store and print your own. Another option is www.vistaprint.com. Be sure your cards list your name, degree, title, employer, phone number, e-mail address, and complete mailing address. Every time you meet new people, give them your business card and ask for their card. If they do not have one, ask them to e-mail you so you have their contact information and the correct spelling of their name. Keep these business cards either in a business-card box or in plastic sheets that fit in three-ring binders. Be sure your professional e-mail has an autosignature that gives your contact information (the same information as on your business cards).