When I first moved to London in the mid-2000s, I didn’t know a soul.
All my university friends had yo-yoed back to their hometowns by the time I made it to the nation’s capital, after six years working in travel, and most of my schoolfriends never left the north.
Finding myself in the same predicament as most non-Londoners, I set about finding a job, a borough that felt like home and a professional community.
Building a network of people within an industry that was completely new to me should have been a daunting task. I knew nothing about the City of London, its purpose or its characters, nor did I have a family or background that could help me figure it out.
What I did have, however, was a thirst for knowledge, the willingness to listen and learn and not being afraid to ask very important people very simple questions.
I also appreciated every opportunity to meet new people. Connections, no matter how they are made, are vital for any and all of us. Not only are people often fun and good company in the moment, who knows where connecting with them may lead in the long run? They might also be rude and objectionable each time you meet them, but the same point about where it might lead in the long run applies.
Whether I consciously acknowledged all this as we quaffed champagne on rooftops with banks collapsing around us, I can’t say, but each of those choices I made to go out and network after a hard day writing about pensions/LIBOR/CoCos, rather than slump home, paid off.
Almost 20 years after I arrived in London, it’s rare I walk through the City without bumping into someone I know, whether that be a former colleague, pr or marketing contact or friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend who I met at a drinks event/party.
Why is this important, other than to feel like I’m the most popular girl in school? It’s what this represents and how it has been a crucial part of my professional life – and it’s crucial to yours too.
I truly believe that without our networks, we are nothing. We might excel in our chosen field or have the best ideas on achieving a certain objective, but with no support/buy in/partnership/acceptance, it’s likely we will fail.
Having a network means people believe in you enough to stay connected. They believe you add value to their lives and they might be able to add value to yours.
Your network doesn’t replace your circle of friends. There’s no unconditional love here. The “work” element of the word is there for a reason – you have to try to maintain it.
But it does pay off.
On March 18, as we opened the doors to our first ever FP Live! event at America Square, I felt my network in action. People I’d known for decades, years, and just months appeared at the reception desk, trusting me, Joe and the Rhotic Media brand to deliver on what we had promised.
I’m happy to report that we did.
The panels fizzed, the questions flooded in and the smartphones of our audience of engaged MarComms professionals stayed in pockets.
Most importantly, though, as the day went on, I saw new networks being formed in coffee breaks, session changeovers and during the omnipresent post-event drinks – and this was one of our key aims with Financial Promoter.
In our industry, you never known when the next black swan or falling star will cross your path, but having a solid group you can reach out to for support is always the best plan.
We will keep on working to expand and strengthen the FP network, through our publication and events. Get involved and be part of it – you never know where it might lead.