The importance of developing a network and related skills - CHEVENING

I hope that this answer meet its prompt

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..

enhancing networking skills and utilize them

Although I was not an avid user of the internet and lacked basic networking skills when living in my hometown of Aleppo, I began to understand the importance of developing a network and related skills when I arrived in Istanbul. This move enlightened me of the absolute need to become part of a community in order to build my career in the modern world of technology. I started from scratch to become an active member of my surrounding community and to establish connections with others in order to seize the opportunity or thrive in my current position. Presently, after more than three years I am still reminded of the challenge of having my character and experience appraised and as one who can be trusted to influence and lead other members of my community.

During the past three years of my career in sales and management, I have experienced a variety of situations that have required me to develop professional techniques and skills, which would enable me to be more effective with networking.

The first situation occurred when I represented a company in a "Tuyap" construction expo in Istanbul. At the expo, I had to provide specific information about our products to visitors and to answer their questions about the specifications of each item. As a skilled listener, I had to determine the nature of their question and respond accordingly being very careful with showing them respect and the utmost interest to their queries, even if such question were not relative to my purpose for being there. The expo was for five days and I remember that three visitors returned with their friends or colleagues who also had a particular interest in our products. Consequently, I managed to sustain personal and business relationships that benefited both me and the company, primarily because I gave them my full attention and secured their trust.

The other situation that has proven what could be achieved from close networking is when I was sales manager at Natural Hair Turkey, I was responsible for directing the sales process and managing the working staff which took all my time at the hospital. Aside from that, I used to have a quick chat with one of the clients to ask them about their views and what kind of suggestion they would offer to improve our services. I noticed that clients were more influenced when they receive appreciation from seniors and made them more comfortable to share their experience frankly.

I hope to enhance my skills within the community of the Chevening program, thereby allowing me to focus on my networking skills and utilize them in contexts familiarizing me with relative and important topics, be it academic or professional. Furthermore, I look to exchange ideas and experiences with my colleagues who may have been exposed to similar situations so that I can benefit from the way they handled it and see it from their perspective.

@Memduh

Sorry, but I think you are off the track.

You did not demonstrate how are your networks build, nor if they are effective. The mere fact that you talked nicely to some customers is no evidence that you master the use of a network. It just shows you are potentially a good salesperson.

I would advise you to rewrite it completely.

Memduh, this sounds more like a draft for a leadership and influencing essay rather than a networking response to the Chevening prompt. I hope that you still have time to delete this essay so you can write a new and more appropriate response to the prompt. For this essay, you need to understand and accomplish a few things.

First of all, the internet is not considered part of a personal / professional network. I wonder where you got that definition because nobody has ever mistaken the internet for a personal or professional network. While it is a network on its own, it is not the kind of network that Chevening is talking about. Chevening is asking you about the professionals you meet in your line of work and how you utilize them to help you achieve certain tasks, expectations, or career opportunities within your field of expertise. How do you meet these people? From what fields are they from? Have they actually helped you in any way with regards to the previously mentioned occurrences?

Next, think of how you developed this network. Explain how you maintain them for your present and future use. Do you think that this network will still be of benefit to you after you graduate and enter the mentor phase of your Chevening path? As a potential alumna of the scholarship, you will be expected to use your network for the benefit of the new scholars and other graduates who may need your help if you share the same profession. How do you plan to help promote Chevening within your personal network?

The guide questions above should help you get started on a more relevant draft of the essay requirement. Do not use this essay as it will be detrimental to your application. It shows that you do not even understand simple English questions and instructions. This essay will end your application process sooner rather than later. Develop a new one within the guideline parameters I set up for you.

@holt,I have to admit that I mixed between leadership and networking since both prompts concentrate on influencing others.Anyway, I wrote the essay again focusing on your advice, thank you.

When I first arrived in Istanbul and started to search for a job, I faced a major difficulty in getting many of the positions I applied for. The reason behind that was not my lack of experience nor my low qualifications, it was as I found out later, the concern from hiring a refugee coming from a war zone without being recommended from a native citizen or at least being introduced by a local one. At that time, I realized how important and challenging it is to gain trust in foreign communities which in turn encouraged me to delve in and become an active member the best way possible.

My first job position in Istanbul was in real estate sector, I was the liaison tool that connects potential investors with Istanbul's best estates for investment. My mission was to accompany investors in their journey to select their property, through which I managed to establish a wide network of sales executives and marketing specialist in every project in order to facilitate the sales process and deliver what my clients need. I maintain the business relationship we have built for future opportunities through many ways, we are connected via LinkedIn in order to update each other with new projects. Also, we have met occasionally at real estate expos which take place every year. Another solid connection I would like to bring is my former manager at Istanbul Property Services, he taught me how real estate business goes in Istanbul and we have done great work together. Though it's been more than two years since I left that company, I still have a professional relationship with him based on cooperation by referring clients who show interest in investing in Istanbul.

After that experience in real estate, I moved to telesales field in which I received my first promotion to a sales manager, in which I have developed effective relationships with seniors from various specialties involved in our business process, particularly; IT specialists, digital marketing specialists and operation managers. One of which is my everlasting relation with my Turkish workmate who is operation manager at my former workplace. On the other hand, I was determined to expand my contact list with people from the same area of expertise, especially, those working for our main competitors, the thing I managed to succeed with by establishing a professional network with "turkeyanaclinic" sales manager who turned to be from my hometown. We bolstered our connection through regular meetings that were business-focused in order to share experiences and increase the competitiveness between our sales agents.

To sum it up, I have comprehended the value of having efficient networking skills to seize opportunities or thrive in current positions, therefore I will strive to expand my professional network within the Chevening community and take it to higher level by establishing working relationships among my fellows who study the same program and seem to have mutual concern.