How important is networking in engineering?

Networking is essential in career development, not only for yourself, but also to lift up other new engineers who come after you. I don't know anyone who is truly successful on their own without the help of others. As an upcoming engineer, start joining industry societies and participate in their Young Professionals (YP) networks. They often conduct social, educational and networking events. Volunteering is also a great networking opportunity as well as looking great on your resume. People always think of networking as reaching out to others to find opportunities, but think of networking as a path you can contribute back to the professional community and once people recognize you as being a contributing member they will think of you when opportunity presents itself. 

Networking in any profession is very important!  

Get to know anyone and everyone!  Introduce yourself, ask for their elevator pitch, ask questions, be kind and curious to everybody, 

Networking in Engineering has two distinct meanings.  The physical description of the word network can refer to the physically connection of devices being connected thru a type of cable/fiber/technology.  The descriptive for networking = meaning to meet people from other walks of life, different professions, backgrounds. nationalities.  In either case, both i would say are essential in their own right.  The physical description of the word is important to know depending on the type of engineer field focus and discipline you are choosing to pursue.  I might apply in almost any area and it is evolutionary so its constantly changing.    The descriptive word for networking - to meet people is also key to growing your community base to help you throughout your career.  Whatever field you chose in engineering, both of these will be important at one time or another throughout the lifetime of career.    Initially i would say when you are first getting started is is probably better to start networking with people, groups, affiliations to help broaden you  scope and give you guidance into your future.  

Networking is not only required for career development, it is very important for working relationships in order to complete projects.  One must establish a positive working relationship with different engineering teams. Building a relationship of mutual respect, active listening and open discussions makes for a successful team. My job may be to providing network support or circuit design which is the beginning of the project.  Other engineers are required in order to  build, test or provide software support to complete the project.  I need to reach out to other engineering departments on a daily bases that are responsible for the parts that make up the  project.  Being open, honest and trustworthy is important in establishing working relationships.  I can reach out to others and they feel comfortable reaching out to me for assist because we have a great working relationship. If there is an urgent request I can rely on other enginneers to handle or resolve an issue promptly. People always remember how you treat them.  Who knows the person you work with today may be the person you need to go to in the future for a promotion or assistance with a project.  If you have a good working relationship you have a positive connection establishing an opportunity to  network for career direction or promotion. 

Answer from a systems engineer:

Networking - building a "network" of positive professional and personal contacts - is so important! I have gotten many jobs by just submitting my resume, and have also gotten jobs by networking. However, one thing I have noticed is that to get KEEP a job or get promoted, you will really need to network and make good connections in your chosen field.

Being social and putting yourself out there is not something that comes naturally to everyone, but with practice, we can all learn how. You can start learning how to build your network today, even if you don't have a job, by building positive relationships with teachers and parents of your friends. These are the people who, when you do start applying for your first jobs and for college, will be your references - the people who you will need to "put in a good word" for you. Is there anything you would not want them to say about you? Then you might want to begin checking yourself. This is a good key to professional networking: know who to ask for references; what people might say about you; and if there's anything you think might reflect poorly on you in the future, don't do it!

You can also ask a trusted adult if you can practice your 10-second elevator speech with them. This will give you a sense for what it's like to introduce yourself to people in the work world, and what it's like to come up with answers to those hard questions like, "what do you do for a living?"

With a little practice on networking and professional socializing, you will build confidence and impress the heck out of your competition. Good luck!

Networking is essential for career development. Networking is not simply socializing, but maintaining relationships with peers, those who have career paths you seek to follow, and others within your field or industry. It is about being curious and connected to others in order to understand what is going on in your company, industry, and field. Maintaining meaningful connections provides avenues for learning. Tapping into old and new connections is also the best way to access the hidden job market when it becomes time to look for something new. Your network may also bring you opportunities you hadn’t thought about if they are tuned into your strengths, priorities and career path. Always be prepared to help others and be interested in them as part of building meaningful relationships.

Networking has been second to only my education in my success. The combination of my academic qualifications and interactions with people I have met through my undergraduate job, research, and conferences that were essential to getting me where I am today. I got my very first internship through networking, which I could not have gotten by just applying! My on-campus boss had a meeting with a scientist at a company I was interested in, so I made sure to be in the lab to potentially meet her after their meeting! We only briefly chatted, but I asked for her contact information. I later emailed her about how nice it was to meet her and how I’d like to learn more about her company. She replied with an offer for an internship! I had the qualifying experiences and resume for the job, but it took me putting myself in the right place at the right time to make the connection. Additionally, I selected my graduate program based on a conversation I had with a professor at a conference dinner table! I absolutely believe I am where I am for my PhD because of that instance of networking. My advice is to always be open to conversation, and to put yourself into as many situations as you can with people you aspire to be like. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet that can help you along your way.

Networking in general is very important to anyone’s career advancement. Networking creates opportunities for you to meet people from different companies, different backgrounds, and different professional industries. Networking in engineering is a must, because you never know who can assist you down the line or there may be someone that you can help as well. It provides insights to other areas of engineering that you may not know you were interested in or want to learn more about. For me, after leaving a particular job, I was able to connect with past employees and managers at previous company about job opportunities available in their area and it turns out they had something available, which is my current role now. Building up my professional connections and networking allowed me to be where I am today, which I am very grateful for. Always be your authentic self, ask questions and be willing to learn. Utilize the professional engineering networks available, like SWE, NSBE, IEEE, ASME, etc. to meet new people in different fields of engineering. All of these organizations should have collegiate sections available at universities.

For me, networking has been crucial in my still-short career, but for me ‘networking’ hasn’t been about attending events or joining professional associations (though I’m sure I’ll have time for that in the future). Networking in my career has been saying good morning to everyone when I walk in the office, having a chat with whoever is preparing a cup of coffee in the kitchen, whether they’re in your team or not. It mainly hasn’t been technical or work-centered discussions, it’s been more about establishing links. When people know you they are more likely to think of you when a position opens up, or even if there is no open position, they’ll be willing to hear your proposal when they can connect your face to the name (I truly think it’s been an important part of how I moved within my organisation to the role that suits me best). And this is just talking about career progression.

Networking helps me every single day in my role as Project Manager, as it did previously in my role as Manufacturing Engineer and before that as Design Engineer. We should never work as little islands, in engineering it’s always a team effort that spans so much more than just engineering. So knowing who’s going to buy the part you’re designing, who will be doing the testing, who assembles the final product, knowing who talks to the customer, all of these people can actually give you valuable information to do a better job.

And finally, it’s so much more satisfying to spend each day with colleagues with whom you feel a connection, rather than feeling alone in a building full of people.

Having professional contacts in the field has helped me immensely from getting jobs myself to finding the right person for a vacant position. Professional connections even come in handy in your personal life, like knowing who to ask to present at your kids career day. Networking is an incredibly valuable investment in your career. Tons of professional organizations and volunteer opportunities exist that can connect you to future coworkers, sponsors, managers, and professional advocates. Sign up for those happy hours, volunteer to judge a science fair, work a table at a professional conference, give a presentation at your alma mater. An old adage is "It's not what you know, but who you know.” While not entirely true, it isn't entirely untrue either. You never know who might be in a position to advocate for you but you won't know if you don't put yourself out there and make those connections.

Networking is extremely important in any profession. Your network is a sounding board, your push to be someone greater, your checks & balances, and a door for new opportunities. In engineering, a network of strong women is vital. A network in the workplace can help you excel your career and in school is your lifeline for study groups and morale support.

Networking is important in any human endeavor, because people are naturally social, for better or worse. Lots of studies have shown how important connections are, so it is worth your time to build connections through networking. Fortunately, there are numerous opportunities to build connections, because people are everywhere you go, and you can meet people who will make a positive difference in your life in all kinds of contexts you may not anticipate. I’ve met key connections not only at conferences and in professional settings, but also in a hiking group, in various outreach events I organized, at alumni events, and even at the grocery store. Outreach is my favorite way to connect with like-minded people who share the purpose of giving back but come from various professions and backgrounds. So, networking happens almost naturally if you keep an open mind and a positive attitude, and above all if you are interested in people. Ask them about themselves. Young people often think that networking is about telling others about yourself, but that’s not what most people want to hear; most people want others to be interested in them. So be interested in people, and you will find that networking happens naturally. If you make it about people and not about your own network, then you will end up with a network while simply making acquaintances and friends.

Networking is extremely important in whatever job you go into. Networking can help you understand what other positions are in your company or external companies. You can use this information to better understand how your position interacts with and relates to other positions to make you even better at your job. You will shine in your job if you can connect the dots between different groups and organizations and be the person the team goes to if they need something from a different group.

Knowing what other positions are out there and how people got into them can also help you with planning out your career path. You can understand how people got into their current roles and what skills you need to gain in order to enter that role. Also by networking and meeting more people you can open your career opportunities. If a position comes open and you networked with someone who is influencing the hiring process they can recommend you apply for the position.

There are many ways to start networking. Make sure to keep in contact with those you interact with within your current role and strengthen the existing relationships you have. Don't skip the opportunity to join organizations (SWE for example) or meetings with people within your profession. It is definitely harder in the virtual environment we are in now than when you can meet in person but worth the effort to expand your network. Also, have your elevator pitch ready if you ever get the chance to meet executives in your field. Don't be afraid to ask for a mentoring session, most executives love to give advice!

A tip that someone passed on to me around networking in engineering, or really just the workplace, I would like to pass on to you. They shared that the more interesting, perhaps more career-enhancing, projects are given to those with the more outgoing and friendly personalities. It's not necessarily based on who is the smartest, or even technically best suited, but rather who is talking, listening, and making friends. As a young engineer I was disgusted to hear this, but as a human I already saw this happen in other facets of my life. I somehow thought the logic-minded engineers might be different. I think to some extent engineering firms do follow logic more than other fields, but networking is invaluable and must be addressed as an important aspect of your job.

There is a myth about engineering that most of the engineers are introverts and interpersonal communication is not necessary for them in day-to-day life. As an experienced engineer I can assure you, it is completely the opposite. Everyday it is required to discuss some issues with cross departments, getting feedback from client/contractor companies. This is giving us adequate soft skills in negotiation and communication, on the other hand it broadens our networking circle.

A few years ago, when I was ready to start my career, one of my friends passed me the email of HR to send my CV, because the company that hired me did not share the vacancy on the social platforms, they intended to hire internally. Basically, if I did not have an engineer networking circle, I would never be aware of that chance, and would not be able to start my career that early! This is one of the very basic examples of having networking, there are so many possibilities that you can benefit from a good surrounding of engineer networking circles.

I definitely recommend pushing yourself into engineering surroundings, joining career fairs, networking events, if you see you do not have any in your zone, why not create one? You will never know which opportunity is waiting for you.

Networking is important in any career where you work with others and depend upon others for success. Building relationships is an important part of networking. In many engineering groups, the team must come together to develop a system and then each engineer solves for one area of the system. When you have strong working relationships, communication is better and people are willing to listen to different solution ideas. Networking is also important for you to learn about the company from a broader and/or alternative perspective. Finally, networking is often very fun and rewarding personally!

Networking is helpful but when you are just getting started in your career there is no need to focus on it. As you gain experience, you will organically grow your network as you deal with suppliers, field engineers, and customers. Studies show that networking is the best way to find opportunities but in my personal experience that wasn't the case. I found all my jobs through job websites. My point is focusing on gaining a variety of experiences especially traveling to visit customers or suppliers are the best way to build a network.

To me, networking is very important. It is like a channel where we can interact with other people from different sites or units. For example, I am working in the Philippines as a Materials Engineer, but we know that there are other Materials Engineers from different sites that work for different units or fields. How does this situation help me? Big time! Imagine a group of Materials Engineers from different sites discussing a common material to be implemented for all units. Or someone requesting us to fabricate their specimens and test those. It is very good to have them working as a team and also when sharing ideas, brainstorming etc.

Networking is great to help you gather information and keep up with changes in the engineering topic. I use it often in my current job.

I never used networking to get a job. All my jobs were based on my resume and the job interviews. Before the interview I did my research about the company and the job but never knew anyone or got a referral for a job. I was the first engineer in my extended family.