What Is a Professional Network and What Are Its Benefits?

By Chris Hooper  |  06/25/2025

Throughout my career in the military, public service, and academia, professional networking is often discussed. Certain questions inevitably come up, such as:

• Do you have a professional network?
• If so, who is in your network?
• Are you expanding your network?

It got me thinking, “Why should I network? How do you start to build and maintain your professional network?”

Why Is Professional Networking Important?

A good professional network has multiple benefits. It creates opportunities, generate new ideas, and helps your professional and personal growth.

A Professional Network Creates Career Opportunities

Indeed defines professional networking as the “process of building mutually beneficial relationships with other professionals.”

Having a professional network with those professionals opens doors to a plethora of career opportunities that you may hear about before they are publicly advertised. Networking is recognized as a critical component across all professional fields, especially in the field of human resources.

For instance, professional organizations such as the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM®) recognizes the importance of networking. As part of its professional certification process, networking is listed as a key component under the “Interpersonal Cluster,” along with other competencies such as building and maintaining relationships and teams.

Professional Networking Efforts Help You Generate New Ideas

When you build, expand, and maintain a network of professional contacts, you benefit and flourish from the exposure to different points of view and diversity of thought. As humans, we tend to socialize and befriend those people who share our common interests – such as sports, religion, or hobbies – or are our peers in age or experience.

Networking allows you to foster relationships with industry professionals who have different life experiences. Also, online professional networking with other people is easy through tools such as computers and software with video capabilities.

A professional network is mutually beneficial to both you and others. You can share and obtain knowledge with other people, which will only make you and your network smarter and more powerful.

Networking Helps Your Professional Growth

Professional networking is critical to companies looking to hire and candidates going through the job search process. In 2023, SHRM reported that approximately 85% of job openings were filled through professional networking.

Ideally, job seekers should actively participate in networking events and interact with employers’ representatives who look for high-quality talent.

What if you are not job searching but you simply need advice on how to handle a work situation from another professional? Having a strong professional relationship with a mentor or someone else can be helpful in approaching a variety of situations at work. These types of situations could include:

• Dealing with a personnel matter with an employee
• Providing assistance with utilizing the latest technology
• Overcoming obstacles in a project
• Seeking to learn from the wisdom and experience of another professional

Professional Networks Help You Establish a Personal Brand and Add to Your Personal Life

When you network professionally, you will not only grow professionally, but personally as well. But as you’re networking, there are some questions you should consider:

1. What is your personal brand? What do you want your network to know and say about you?

2. What is your goal for networking? Are you hunting for a new job, seeking mentorship or friends, or wanting to collaborate with people in your field or other career fields?

Here are some personal growth outcomes that result from networking:

• Emotional intelligence – Having a professional network provides you the opportunity to improve upon emotional intelligence traits such as empathy, adaptability, social skills, and effective communication.
• Skill development – Developing and being a part of a professional network will help you improve your skills in public speaking, leadership and emerging technologies. You’ll also have access to first-hand industry insight into other professions and industries, no matter what your career field is.

Professional Networking Events Start with a Plan and Preparation

Networking can take on many forms, including:

• Virtual networking events
• Formal conferences and trainings
• Business lunches
• Happy hours
• Online forums

Regardless of the networking event, having a plan and doing your preparation work before you attend any of these events will result in a more beneficial outcome for you.

First, put the needs of others before yourself. When you are networking and meeting professionals, take an “others before self” approach to the initial interaction and see what you can do to help them.

For instance, ask open-ended questions when you are interacting with someone at a networking event. Using words and phrases such as “Why?” or “Tell me more!” demonstrates you are genuinely interested in what they have to say.

Second, watch your non-verbal communication. Nothing can kill a great conversation or networking opportunity quicker than a lack of eye contact, distractions, or poor body language.

Be intentional about ensuring your body language and non-verbal cues do not send the wrong message. Placing your phone on silent is a great step in mitigating distractions.

Third, be authentic. Regardless of the situation, let the people you meet see the authentic you. Focus on avoiding small talk, show that you have a general interest in the people you interact with, and strive to have a meaningful conversation. In this way, you can create a more effective network not only with new contacts and potential clients, but also your co-workers if you currently have a job.

Fourth, do your research. If you are attending an event, conference, or meeting, be deliberate and find out all you can about the event, speakers, and attendees. If you are uncomfortable about attending and networking, that research will prepare you to have better conversations and meaningful interaction.

Making Your Networking More Beneficial

Building professional relationships is far more beneficial if you shift away from the “What's in it for me?” attitude. Shifting the relationship paradigm from yourself to others will establish trust, respect, and credibility.

Having a “them” mindset is also a good way to build your professional reputation. Consider what you want others in your professional network to say about you to their peers. What qualities or skills do you want another person to remember about you?

Networking can also save you time and money and help you improve your resource allocation. We are constantly challenged with taking on additional responsibilities, completing a project with limited funding, and coping with a reduced workforce. By harnessing the wisdom gained from a network of professionals from a vast array of experience, skills, and knowledge, you can become a more effective employee.

When and How to Start Professional Networking

If you don’t already have a professional network, now is the time to start building one. Here are a few tips on how to get started:

• Contact each person you know – For example, you can reach out to friends, family members, current and former colleagues, teachers, and neighbors. Other possible persons to contact include current and former supervisors, teammates from sports, mentors, religious leaders, or former coaches.
• Use more than just your resume and LinkedIn® profile – Having a strong social media presence on various sites is important in building a professional network, but social media should not be the only tool in your professional toolbox. Having a strong, viable network of professionals will help you to demonstrate personal qualities that can’t always be shown in a resume, such as integrity, reliability, adaptability, communication skills, and a strategic vision.
• Join a professional association – Professional associations will exponentially grow your network by enabling you to develop other contacts. As a bonus, they can help you improve your knowledge and skills, especially when you attend events. Organizations such as SHRM, Toastmasters®, Rotary Club®, and Business Network International (BNI®) are great national organizations with local connections.
• Attend networking events – Whether you’re an extravert or an introvert, participating in a professional networking event allows to stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone. You’ll have the opportunity to experience an environment with a diverse audience where you can demonstrate your expertise and learn from fellow professionals in your industry or related fields. Also, you’ll gain invaluable industry insights from other attendees through meaningful connections, build your expertise and knowledge, hear about industry trends, and be inspired.
• Inspire the trust of others – Regardless of the relationship between you and others in your professional network, the key ingredient is trust. However, this sense of trust is built over time through nurturing relationships and proving your abilities.

When you utilize your professional network, opportunities will arrive at your doorstep that you didn’t see coming. These opportunities could be helping others deal with challenges or approaching a situation from a different perspective. You’ll also obtain useful career advice, gain invaluable insight from others experience, and be more likely to achieve your personal and professional goals!

The Bachelor’s Degree in Management at APU

For adult learners who want to acquire more business skills such as networking, strategic management, and other related skills, American Public University (APU) offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Management. Taught by expert business instructors, courses in this degree program include employee and labor relations, management information systems, and the principles and theory of management.

This academic program has received specialty accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP®). This specialty accreditation demonstrates that the program has been rigorously examined by education professionals to meet high academic standards.

Students can choose from one of eight concentrations to find the courses that best suit their professional interests. In addition, APU has multiple student organizations that adult learners can use as a springboard for professional networks, including a SHRM chapter and the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society.

For more information about this degree, visit APU’s business and management program page.

SHRM is a registered trademark of the Society for Human Resource Management.
LinkedIn is a registered trademark of the LinkedIn Corporation.
Toastmasters is a registered trademark of Toastmasters International.
Rotary Club is a registered trademark of Rotary International.
Business Network International is a registered trademark of BNI Global, Inc.
ACBSP is a registered trademark of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.