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Chevening - Networking Skill : Networking as a media for collaboration



ichephe 4 / 9  
Oct 31, 2016   #1
Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others ...

I am naturally an introvert person. As long I could remember, I prefer to stay at home rather than going to birthday party or family reunions when I was a child. I enjoy spending time alone doing what I love to do or just give myself some space to think. However, this does not mean that I do not have any friends. I think that I do not have any problems adapting to new environment and making new friends.

As time goes on I started to realize the importance of networking. To me, networking is about making friends. I remember what my passed away father told me, "Friends are one of the important things to achieve success". I did not understand what it really means until I was studying in my bachelor degree. What makes me realized was the simple thought of I need network to grow my knowledge. I want to know people's opinion about my projects, especially those who are not studying architecture. By learning other people perspective I believe I could be more objective in achieving better design.

That enlightenment leads further thinking process. I need network to run business, asking for information, and seeking for help. I realized that I need to make people aware of what I am doing. Then I decided to participate in chapel community activities in the campus and mentoring freshmen program. I was surprised that I actually quite enjoy the process. Especially the mentoring freshmen program, which I participated in my second year. I find that the bond between mentor and mentees is motivating me to study and work harder.

Now I believe that the balance between personal time and social time is necessary. I do not hesitate to go if my friend invites me to a new circle. Yes, it was awkward at first, but I got used to it now. When introducing myself, I mentioned that I am an architect, which was hard for me at the first time because I do not really to talk about myself. I was afraid that people think that I am bragging. But then, I learned that people do the same thing and it is a mutually beneficial behavior to let people know what we are doing.

Occasionally, I attend seminars and events that I am interested in and make new connections. I love going to architecture events, workshop, talks, especially if related to the topic of low energy and sustainability. Sometimes I also go to art and cultural events, because I am interested in the diverse culture of Indonesia. It is easier this way because the people who go there usually have the same interest, so it is easier to find things to talk about. In my career, I am starting to feel the benefits networking. I occasionally invited to do collaborative projects. I am looking forward to have the opportunity to go and learn in UK and make more overseas friends, hopefully the opportunity for more collaboration.

Holt  Educational Consultant - / 15384  
Oct 31, 2016   #2
Ignatius, have you ever used any of the networks you have created among your friends for your personal or business use? You are approaching this essay as a personal statement instead of a masters degree paper. You nee to sound more professional and less academic in the presentation of your networking skills. As such, you will need to revise this essay in order for it to best respond to the prompt.

Chevening is not looking for your personal network of friends. What they are looking for is a reference to your professional network that goes beyond your classmates whom you grew up with and live in the same community with. The reason for this essay is that the reviewer wants to know if you are capable of developing a set of networks or networking skills that you can use to help your career in the future. More importantly, the network you will be creating or already have, should be able to assist you in promoting the Chevening objectives and help you support the future scholars as well.

You mention something about owning a business. Please reconsider the content of the essay to reflect the fact that you have a business and you have become an expert at networking because of it. Then present a solid example of say, a situation you had with your business that required you to make use of your contacts and in the process, helped you create an expanded network as well. Then you explain how you plan to cultivate and use this new network in the future.

Review the prompt requirements and you should see the key points of the prompt that you missed in the essay. You missed those points because you wrote this essay as a personal statement instead of a networking essay. There are many samples at this forum to help you get a better idea as to how you can better develop your essay. I suggest you take a look at them and learn from them.
OP ichephe 4 / 9  
Nov 4, 2016   #3
I made the networking essay from ground up.
Thanks, Mary.
You really spot on saying that my essay is a personal statement, which not fit for the task/brief.

Any suggestions are welcome!
Holt  Educational Consultant - / 15384  
Nov 4, 2016   #4
Ignatius please, please make sure that all of the names you mentioned in this essay are the names of people whom, if they are called to confirm their connection to you, will actually admit that they are part of your contact network. Otherwise, please leave names out of the essay for privacy purposes. Network contacts that are nurtured and continue to help you to this very day are different from project acquaintances. Don't mistake and / or interchange the two. You can mention the organizations that you worked for and what kind of network you achieved through that work which you can consider a method of permanent networking. . But unless you have the permission of these people to use their names in your essay, don't do it. It could backfire big time on you.

This essay doesn't require you to mention all of the contacts you have made throughout your academic and professional lifetime. It does however, require you to explain how yo develop and nurture your contacts. In the essay that you have at the moment, all I can see is that you made contact, but not necessarily permanent contact within your network with these people. I do not see how you constantly interact with them for your other projects. Is there a relationship that I am missing?

Please try to explain how these contacts can help you in the future and how you plan to share these contacts and the future contacts you will be making with Chevening and their scholars upon your graduation. That is a prerequisite of the essay so you have to reflect it in your final statement.


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