The Power of Networking

While, I interact with my young students of Hospitality, one thing is common to all.  Everyone wants to grow quickly in their professional careers.  With my 20 plus years of experience in nurturing young minds, I have witnessed that few of them have reached the top positions in the Industry and many are yet to establish and create an identity for themselves.  What is the difference?  Is it luck, or hard work or someone who has worked smartly to his way up. I believe it is all to do with knowing the right people, creating the right impressions at the right time. In simple words, its known as Networking. The best jobs in the world are not advertised.  They get filled up through good and powerful networks.

So what is this networking all about?

Networking is about connecting with people internally and externally to share information and build mutually beneficial relationship. Networking is all to build the right connections with people. No person in this world can be underestimated. All human beings are important and can be of great help and support. Never know when the tables turn. Networking is a two way relationship. Its a relationship of giving and receiving. The more one gives the more one receives. The most critical part of any networking is to build relationships. All relationships need to be nurtured as we nurture a small sapling. If we ignore this, the relationship fails .Many fail to understand this. They assume that once a contact or a connection is established, it stays for life time. Sorry! This does not happen in the real world.

How to network.

The best way to network is to audit one’s current contacts. Nurture these contacts. Leverage on social media and technology to connect and reconnect. Build new contacts. Its important to prepare on a 30 seconds introduction. A quick introduction that can make an impact. I once met a person in a flight while I was travelling from Delhi to Bangalore. As we were nearing Bangalore, I quickly introduced myself and we starting talking. As the flight landed, this gentle man handed over his visiting card. He happened to be a senior bureaucrat in the government and we are still connected till date.

Where can I meet the right people

Its is good to prepare well for a networking events. Most conferences, workshops, conventions, training progammes have networking lunches or dinners.Also,one meets many people in these events. It is good to go well prepared. Carry enough visiting cards if you have or one can make personal visiting cards. Another place to meet the right people could be social gatherings, industry and trade exhibitions & events, college alumni association events, neighbor hood associations, gyms and sports clubs, residential apartments including every day transport mode like the local trains and the metro trains in Mumbai.

Being connected

Once the network is established, its important to keep connected. Today, it is much easier as technology is a great enabler. Wish the person on his birthday. Send greetings on important festivals and occasions. Speak to the person at least once every quarter. Record this in your personal diary. This is the way to build and nurture relationships. Always remember it is out of sight, out of mind. Keep letting the world know that you exist and you can add value to the world.

No person wants to do business with strangers. People like to do business with known acquaintances and friends. Same principle is applied to jobs as well. If you are in touch, the other person will be comfortable to recommended or suggest your name for potential jobs, business or any assignments or offer a job in his or her organisation. It is important to be grateful and reciprocate when the times comes.

Most jobs are offered to known people. Almost all organizations do the reference check .It is important to be known as person of integrity and value driven. Remember, the world is small and it is a network of networks.

For professional advise connect with me @: gmbhuvan@gmail.com

Sir, Iam Confused !

Every day, as a practice, I meet about five to six students in my office and speak to them on academic and non academic issues. I focus more on non academic issues and give them inputs that matters to them in their professional and personal lives.  While, I meet the final year graduating batch of students of hospitality, We generally discuss on the career and choices that exist for them. Some of them are very keen to join the hospitality industry and some want to move out of the industry. Most of them are confused. Few of them want to pursue their higher studies either in India or abroad and few are keen join their family business or start their own venture. Its their decision. Whether the decision is the right or wrong, only time can prove.

I go deeper into the conversation and ask them a question. On what basis did you arrive at this decision? I learn that it’s based on their perception and imagination. Everyone wants to grow quickly and earn more money. Most decisions are influenced by their peers and seniors in college. Many are choosy about their careers. There is no career plan or strategy. Most parents are unable to guide as many of them are not from the industry. They leave the final choices to their kids. Any wrong decision at this stage will have an impact on their careers. Most of them are just 21 and they have a long way to go. At least for the next 40 years they need to work .


Everyone wants a position as a management trainee in a reputed brand. If not, they are unwilling to settle down for any other positions. Management Trainee positions are good but very few hotel groups in India offer a structured programme. Compared to the number of graduates passing out, the number of management trainee positions is very limited and hotel companies have a stringent selection practices for the same. Very few make it into a good management training programme.


Next option, that exists would be to settle down for a non management trainee position. May be at a supervisory position or join the industry at an associate level. The salary would be much lesser than a management trainee but in the long run it pays off .It all depends on one’s commitment to the job.


Now coming to higher studies. Would it be in India or abroad. This only depends upon one’s affordability. Indian higher education is good. What matters is choosing the right institute and excelling in higher education.
Which course is best suitable for them. Master’s in Hotel Management or Hospitality or  an MBA  .My personal opinion is a general MBA is much better than Master’s in Hospitality as MBA offers wider scope and a hospitality graduate can join any sector  besides the services sector where there are ample opportunities. Hospitality Masters is good but the hospitality industry find difficult to accommodate in hotel operations and generally offer them position in sales and marketing.


Entrepreneurship is one more option. One need to have a concrete plan, funds and risk taking ability to succeed. Experience also matters in the business .

Family business is good when one has an established business and can take the business forward with new ideas and knowledge.

Taking informed decision helps. Speak to the experts. Meet more people from the field. Decisions cannot be taken in the four walls of the classrooms or through one's imagination or in isolation. Grassroots realities are different. Its difficult to undo a wrong decision. It involves time, money and effort. Finally, it’s the hard work with the right attitude, commitment, patience and being value driven that leads to success in personal and professional lives.
 
 
 For Professional advise connect with me @ : gmbhuvan@gmail.com 

Being Relevant !

I always wondered Iam I relevant to this world today ? What is the difference between two human minds. One has excelled in all spheres of his life and other is struggling. One dies and the world mourns and other remains as a mere number. What make someone to excel and grow. Why is that they are more accepted than others. Is it any thing to do with the human body ,the hard ware or the human brain, the software.

It is all to do with the mind. All of us receive the same or similar hardware. Some look after them and some don’t. It matters to some extent. All that matters is the software. Our human mind is like a software. I compare this to the ever changing technology. Technology is not static. Its highly dynamic. It is the outcome and manifestation of creative minds. In the year 2011,I switched from a normal mobile phone to a smart phone. It was a great smart phone. The charm lasted about 2 years. I moved to Android. Still managing with it. May be will buy a new one soon. I always think, why should I change my smart phone. But ,we change due to better specification. We always look for new features.

Most of us who have crossed 40 or nearing 40,completed our Graduation and may be Post Graduation almost 20 years ago. Have we upgraded our software ? I mean ,have we updated our minds or we still exist in version 1990,the year we Graduated and stopped studying. Most of them are highly contented with one qualification. They expect the qualification and their work experience would take care of them and their families to the rest of their lives.Most get into their comfort zone and become obsolete over a period of time. The world needs highly talented, educated and creative minds.  I have witnessed that the greatest competitor to us is not our peers. Its someone who is almost 10 years younger to us. They take away our jobs as they possess the right specification as on that day.

It is the matter of survival. The only way to be relevant to this world is through education. Acquire new knowledge and skill sets. Change your attitude and perception. Learn form anyone who can add value to your life. Enroll for new courses. Attend Seminars, workshops, conferences, training and certification programmes. Never underestimate the power of knowledge .Upgrade your version from 1990 to 2015 and so on. Its a constant process. Change yourself now and be relevant in order to be accepted.

For Professional advise connect with me @ : gmbhuvan@gmail.com