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‘Error 404’ The Dignity of Work and networking

“…in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Ecc 9:9–10)

When presented with the concept of work, the cognitive definition of manual labour echoes. The basic understanding of work and labour stems from the constant imperial changes of revolution: at the turn of the 20th century there was industrialisation, and today there is growth at an exponential rate through the digital and social media landscape.

So as not to lose sight of the basis of work, understanding the concept of the Dignity of Work in the workplace must be understood from the teachings and establishment of our own morals.

Regardless of where our career is – a professional, trade or entrepreneurial role –  our success path must be guided by a leading principle. No job is less menial than the other, regardless of the hierarchical placement. “…whatever your hands find to do, do it with your might…”, means to give our absolute best in our field through academic or technical skills. Effort must be always present.

Where there may be difficulty to clear a path, other avenues to achieve your success can be done through networking—creating a support platform to enhance your input for maximised output.

Now that we’ve laid the foundation for the dignity of work and labour, what do we mean by networking at JobsTT? Where do we start and how does that support us as individuals and the collective group in the workplace?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the term networking in the business sense as the “activity of trying to meet people who might be useful to know, especially in your job”.

Therefore, in the interest of one’s success, the passive act of ‘trying’ is less desirable. Rather, it should be an active engagement of socialising (online and offline) with individuals with similar interests as ourselves and even those who may be far removed from our core field of work and study.

For the extrovert, networking may be easy. However, for colleagues who are introverts, it may be a bit difficult.

JobsTT has created a 4-step plan to assist with networking at every point from entry level to professional. Here are two of the steps (see diagram above):

Targeting – Rather than casting a wide net to create a new network or complement an existing one, it is best practice to define who we want in this network. Are you a Human Resource professional, a tradesman? Seek to join online groups, meetups, webinars, alumni associations that share the same field of interests.

Connect the dots – The favourable method of networking five years ago was attending a social mixer, a cocktail meeting, or a career fair. For persons who are social butterflies, the external and offline events are simple. For persons not so keen on excessive amounts of social interactions, online platforms can be used as an amazing tool to bridge the gap in your networking capacity:

  • Online forums, webinars and membership groups geared towards persons of the same skillset would be of utmost benefit
  • Search for group handles online within your profession or trade
  • Join and connect the social dots from there, forming alliances and in the long term, a good pool of referrals

One of the easiest and most dedicated platforms to networking is LinkedIn for all levels of networking as the platform itself is designed for connecting professionals around the world.

Both professionals and businesses can create a profile aligned with their industry and ‘connect’ with similar persons. This resource tool creates a form of engagement, articles, jobs, internships, free podcasts sessions and webinars shared by persons in any field in which you may be interested.

Noteworthy, you are not pigeonholed into one field, but you may expand, as need be, or as wide as your interests are.

Simple recommendations are:

  • commenting (with good context and relevant details),
  • sharing group contributions,
  • respectfully disagreeing with content is also welcomed, of course on good merit.

Have you visited JobsTT LinkedIn profile yet? Our profile is the only dedicated recruitment platform with the highest engagement rate in Trinidad and Tobago.

What does that mean? Your posts and employer’s brand reaches your intended market strategically, getting the right candidates on the right platform.

Remember that in all your efforts, building a robust network is a gradual process at any stage of your career, starting or perhaps even re-inventing your profession. Whatever it is, do it with all your might and enhance your connections for growth.