Many people view networking as a necessary evil. This is especially true for most “newcomer professionals”. This group of people are working in a country that is not their native land. They are often educated in different countries and find getting a job in their professional field difficult. Often that’s because their credentials in their new home country may be questioned or undervalued.
Networking can be hard for many newcomer professionals. They may face language barriers or feel uneasy about their current job status. Additionally, many newcomer professionals have the added pressure of trying to find a job mid-career. Some might be changing careers while providing for their families in a new country.
However, they are also a group that could seriously benefit from networking. Making connections with others could potentially help them circumvent their “Catch 22” situation. This stems from not having experience in their new country, but not be able to get hired to gain the required job experience.
Here are some ways to make networking easier for newcomer professionals:
Shift Your Perspective
Having empathy and being courageous goes a long way. This applies to both newcomer professionals and those who meet them.
In my networking workshops, I use two examples of how empathy can help shift perspectives for newcomer professionals. As learners living and working (hopefully) in a new cultural environment, they see themselves in a new light. They are constantly tested and face seemingly insurmountable barriers of communication.
In my first example, I ask our learners to imagine themselves at a reception at an industry conference. Someone new approaches them and they stumble through a self-introduction. I ask, “How do you feel when this person is trying so hard to take the first step in introducing themselves?’
With our second example, I ask them, “Now how do you feel when someone asks you for help? Depending on the context, most likely, you would be open to helping them, right?”
“Now how would you feel if the situations were reversed?” How do they think the person listening to them would feel if they stumbled through a self-intro and that they were being the ones asked for help. Why would it be any different than when they were the listener?
These lessons help the newcomer professional see both sides of the equation.
Be Sensitive about Communication and Language
Stories about my overseas experience working in Africa and Asia also as a newcomer professional has given me invaluable insights. It helps me better relate and share with newcomer professionals – especially those for whom English is their second/third language.
While living and working on a somewhat remote island, Sulawesi in Indonesia, all I could do was smile when I arrived. I didn’t even know how to say “good morning”.
In my first month, as Financial Manager, I was sent to Yogyakarta for intensive language training. This involved one-on-one lessons with university students as tutors in a professional language training school for eight hours a day and living with a home-stay family for three months. I knew how it felt to speak at a kindergarten level when what I needed to express were concepts a bit more complex to my Indonesian accountants.
Just because someone isn’t as proficient in English as you is not a reason to dismiss their experience and value. Communication can be hard but patience and understanding and putting yourself in their shoes can make it easier.
Embrace Differences
Newcomer professionals bring untapped global talent to the workforce. And we would be remiss if we do not listen, engage, and be open to someone who is different from ourselves. Living in a digital age, the barriers will and are falling away more rapidly. But our mindsets must also adapt and be agile enough to realize the potential and power of different points of view.
As Stephen R. Covey, the bestselling author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” wrote: “Valuing the differences is the essence of synergy – the mental, the emotional, the psychological differences between people. The key to valuing those differences is to realize that all people see the world, not as it is, but as they are.”
Perspective, empathy, and courage are essential for powerful networking. This is true not only for newcomer professionals but also for us to connect with others. As newcomer professionals, network and introduce yourselves. Trying to be of service to others are the first steps in building great relationships. It’s also an important part of creating a kinder, wiser, and more giving global community.