Cooperation among the networks. Showing my professional networking for essay Chevening

Some valuable feedback for my draft essay below are very welcome. Thank you :)

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong professional relationship building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships in a professional capacity, using clear examples of how you currently do this, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future.

The relationship with Chevening network

First time I professionally engaged with lots of people when I began my career in office that is one of central government in Indonesia. Joined in Directorate of Road and Bridge which manage the national road development and maintenance, I have built some growing network of professional and personal contacts with other related government and any kind of stakeholders. As a technical staff at that time as well as person in charge for Java and Sumatra national road section, I worked with head of region of Java and Sumatra and region infrastructure government and this opportunity has enabled me to be in regular communication with them both direct and indirect way. By doing site visit to many projects in Java and Sumatra to monitor various projects which the program is a collaboration work between governments, private sectors and agency cooperation also help me expanding my skills and network by conducted coordination through regular meeting with many experts from different background. Not only that but also we have worked discuss the policy of national road construction. Fortunately, I was able to get in touch with experts from a planning agency in Indonesia who in charge in this program that has more than 30 years experiences in that field so I learned a lot from him through the discussion and activities. This is become my notable experience to knowing many kind of elements and work together to produce data about the planning budget of national road each region during a year which crucial aspect for infrastructure development for my country.

Another instance I use my networking skill whilst I am currently working at one of multidisciplinary consultant in Indonesia which experienced over 40 years works with many clients. I involve with many projects with ranging clients from government, private sector and also internationals. My current job in a certain project gives me an opportunity to engage with client from Japan who has a big project in my country. From that project, I am able to coordinate with any other consultants from Singapore and Malaysia to do this project together. We hold regular meeting and teleconference to discuss problems and progression related to the project. Through the months working in this project led me good engagements with those worldwide consultants. Also, I used my previous connection with the government to handle this current project. For example, when I need to permission to get some data of access road and bridge in my country, with the connection I had and the help from my previous manager who I worked before, they help me in data collection process. Therefore, the professional networking skills will valuable for my further career.

The network that I have developed some years through my work experience will be a beneficial forme and the members of the Chevening alumna in the future. The relationship with Chevening network, its graduate scholars, and alumna will continue as well as grow cooperation among the networks.

(494/500)

I can see you have a good network but to strengthen your essay it will be good to add an example where you had faced a professional problem, used the network you had and find a solution. The other example could be when your networks faced problem and you help/ provide them a way/ solution. In order not to exceed the word limit you can make paragraph one to the point so that it will be short. I hope this helps.

best of luck

Annisa, this is not a networking essay. You only enumerated how you do your tasks to complete your job requirements. These are not true networking situations nor are these considered in-house networks. This is not a networking essay. You cannot use this essay.

For the networking essay, you must display at least a national series of work related contacts who have helped you in the performance of your tasks. This means you should not be using only in-house networks, but outside networks as well. That is why you need to explain how you build your networks. These are built over time through training programs, seminars, overseas travel for work related tasks, and other similar practices. You need to show an interaction with your network in order to explain how you develop and nurture these "out of location" networks.

The way you showcased your essay, it appears that you are not in a position of responsibility that allows you to develop such a network. Neither do you have tasks that require the existence of these networks. The network that you try to show here is not impressive nor relevant enough to pass as a series of connected individuals that Chevening would be interested in including in its roster of students and contacts through students.

You also do not explain in any manner, why Chevening should give your network any consideration. There is no clear indication as to how these people will work in the Chevening community. How do they increase the profile of the Chevening network? As of now, it doesn't.