Great networking skills in influencing others in their chosen profession of the chevening community.

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Explain how you meet this requirement using clear examples of your networking skills and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future.

Networking was challenging to me growing up because I saw myself as an anti-social person. The challenge was where to start from, what to say and how to maintain the relationship.

Contrary to how I saw myself, I have been able to connect with inspiring people through the help of social media. I have always had genuine intentions whenever I send request; for cordial relationship and appreciate posts on their timeline. With famous personalities because they receive lots of request from different people on daily basis, I try not to appear as an internet panhandler. That is how I got to network with, Mr. Osei Agyeman; Media Practitioner and Mr. Jesse Agyepong; Entrepreneur.

With the mindset of establishing cordial relationship, I get to know more about them through their social media personal details, post and works. With public figures I surf online to know more than what a fan would know. These things define their personality, then I decide if I should go ahead to network or not. I like to send emails or messages to let them know how their works has inspired me and impacted my life. I like to keep it simple and not be too wordy because people do not have much time to waste on long emails or messages. In networking I choose my words carefully; not to appear too serious or overly chipper. I find out about the motivation behind their post. Taking interest in their work and life to show how much I care. That is how I got cordial with Ms. Hedwig Quist; Deputy Event Director at Charterhouse. She calls me sister though I could be her daughter.

In sustaining the connection, I stay in regular contact by sending motivational quotes almost every morning. I remember one morning after sending Ms. Quist a quote, she recommended I read more about Maya Angelou. With acquaintances, I like to know how their doing and what is new in their lives. In case of any project they are advertising, I post them on my Facebook or WhatsApp status because I believe networking is a win-win affair. I do ask for favors sometimes such as proofreading and the likes. I see people who check up on connections anytime they need help as opportunist. Interestingly I receive great feedback from these personalities; my quotes lighting up their day.

Most importantly I will like to link up more with people at the beginning of their career and not the peak. This is to learn from their humble beginnings and offer a helping hand. I like to do so by joining most chevening clubs to make new connections.

Janet, the Chevening networking essay requires a physical network connection. Meaning, these are the networks that you create in the real world, based upon the needs of your profession. It is not virtual in presentation and it is not maintained by simply sending quotes to one another. That is a social network which, as per my review of your essay, does not have any direct impact upon the heightening of your professional skills or connections that could help you improve the presentation of your work tasks. These are not networks that you can use to mentor future scholars, nor is this network useful to the past scholars. This network is not Chevening grade. It is only social media, informal grade. You need to refer to your professional network of contacts for this essay, if you have any. Think about the people outside of your office, who work in the same field whom you have met with whom you have managed to stay in touch with and use as partners in the development of your career path or work requirements. That is the basis for the networking essay.