Over the years I have seen how one door leads to another. Networking Skills / Chevening Scholarship

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the Chevening community ...

Over the years I have seen how one door leads to another. Every time one makes a new contact they are then linking up with a new circle of people, and can gradually build a list of contacts, and these personal networks can be an invaluable resource both socially and professionally.

I have demonstrated my networking skills throughout my career. In my current role, I regularly search for NGOs across Europe and liaise with them to establish cooperation for upcoming projects. Since I'm the only one who can speak English at my department, I could effectively build my project partner base and now, the majority of my work consists of maintaining contacts and providing communication between my department and the NGOs.

My strength in networking and communication has also directly contributed to our success as a department. For instance, I have recently introduced one of my friends, the general manager of an association in Istanbul, to my manager thinking the possibility of cooperation between us. Now we are working together to write an EU project to apply for grant. Introducing two people who can benefit from each another is one of the fastest ways to grow a network.

My network has also delivered much value in my freelancer jobs. I never had the need to look for a job after my first interpreting and translation experience because every single opportunity fell into my lap through my networks. All our teachers focus on the importance of building "what we know," but they never once touch on the importance of building "who we know". Although education and experiences are still highly valued, we should never underestimate whom we know and who knows us.

I intend to use these skills in the future when I start my own business. I can test out my ideas, gain information from a wide range of sources, or find potential partners through my networks. I already started to attend networking events in Turkey so that I can build the right relationships in advance that will enable my start-up to take off effectively.

Besides, a lot of jobs aren't advertised nowadays for many reasons, people recommend people they like. And in many cases, the employers prefer to take employees as references from known people. Therefore, I suppose that I can use my networks and get inside scoop while searching a job during my need.

As the saying goes, 'your network is your net worth'. I wish to use my networks to build visibility and open doors for new opportunities.

Many thanks in advance!

For some reason, this reason just works to your benefit. It clearly shows off your networking style. More importantly, it shows how you manage to build, retain, grow, and use the network at the most opportune times. Excellent work. However, you need to mention the company that you are currently working for at the beginning of the essay. Keep in mind that your information cannot be weakened by the lack of data related to the validity of your claims. These days, all claims made in essays are double checked for validity so make sure that you supply all of the proper and important information that can help your essay gain a sense of authenticity.

The last paragraph should be reworded so that it doesn't come across as too arrogant. At the moment, you sound very boastful regarding your contacts and that may not sit well with the reviewer. Try to rephrase the paragraph in a more humble manner so that it will seem like you are more than willing to share your contacts with those who need it. That gives a civic minded sense to the essay and continues to show that you are always growing your network of friends and contacts for potential use.