networking Tag Archives - General Assembly Blog

Love your company but hate your job? Change Careers Without Changing Companies, Here’s How

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Changing careers can be daunting. However, sometimes a career change doesn’t mean changing companies. If you love your company but hate your job, you might be able to transition your role. It is often easier to change within an existing company than apply for a new role. 

This is especially true if you’re interested in pursuing a career in UX Design, Data, or Coding. Many companies are struggling to get the talent they need to fill open technical roles, even with rampant layoffs and a global recession. Gaining digital skills is one of the most effective ways to change jobs internally without leaving the company. 

With that in mind, keep reading to discover the benefits of making the switch and what factors to consider when changing careers internally. 

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Forget Networking: 4 Tips for Building Your Career Support System

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Networking Tips Community Building

Revamp your Rolodex with tips from this pro, Andy Whelan! Illustration by Rob Goodman.

Think about the people who have made the biggest impact on your life — the friends, family, and teachers who have invested in you as a person. They push you to be better, can be a sounding board for bold new ideas, and have your back when you’re facing life’s harshest challenges.

The road to professional success can be tumultuous, and as you navigate the highs and lows, it’s equally important to have these kinds of people in your work life, too. Rewarding professional relationships are critical to your career and need to be nurtured as authentically as ties to friends and family. If you find yourself floating around solo on your jobs journey, there’s a good chance you may be doing it wrong.

When it comes to building a reliable professional community, we could all benefit by taking a lesson from career guru, speaker, and teacher Andy Whelan, a career coach at General Assembly’s San Francisco campus.

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Looking to grow your executive network? Here’s what I’ve learned over 15 years.

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Executive Networking Tips Strategy

Don’t be afraid to take risks, like introducing yourself to someone — in person — on a whim.

I still remember the early days of networking, before LinkedIn existed to help organize your professional life. When you’re fresh out of college, networking typically means going to happy hours, checking in with former classmates, and keeping in touch with mentors from your summer internships. But it’s the people who decide to go above and beyond college or corporate happy hours — with creative approaches to introductions — who can really stand out.

After you’ve been in the workforce for 15-plus years like I have, your networking strategy needs to evolve to place you in front of the right senior executives at innovative, cutting-edge companies. Remember that you are your own best publicist and it’s OK to be forward, ambitious, and scrappy to open the right doors. Don’t be afraid to take risks like introducing yourself to someone — in person — on a whim. Don’t hide behind LinkedIn connections online. Instead, create real, long-lasting relationships that will connect you with the biggest opportunities of your life.

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4 Everyday Sales Techniques (For People Who Hate Sales)

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Startup-Sales-Strategies-Nailing-The-Close

Whatever your notion of sales and sales people, the reality is it’s impossible to survive in business without making sales. But all sales tactics don’t have to be pushy, or take advantage of the gullibility or ignorance of others. In fact, the best ones do neither.

Sales, at its core, is all about connecting to those who need what you offer, and building mutually beneficial relationships. You can do this without being sleazy or unethical; you just have to find sales techniques that are comfortable for you. Here are some you can start putting into practice today.

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