By: R. Esi ASANTE (PhD)
The Bible has a saying that “Iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). “Just as a friend sharpens a friend, so an iron sharpens steel,” the Bible says.
Sharpening the edges by rubbing two iron blades together makes both knives better at what they do—cut and slice—more efficiently.
This idea suggests that, similar to how two pieces of iron can sharpen one other, people can enhance each other via encounters and challenges.
Relationships and mutual progress are also emphasized. Individuals’ minds and abilities can be honed by mutually beneficial activities including mentoring, talking things out, offering and receiving constructive criticism, and exchanging ideas.
Being in the company of upbeat individuals is known to sharpen one’s thinking, and having a meeting of minds can help one see one’s thoughts more clearly, refine them, and mold them into creative concepts.
For this, you need a couple that can push each other to think critically. When friends pool their thoughts, they can make each other better. As a result, we improve our skills in areas such as communication, teamwork, and receiving and acting upon feedback.
In this article, I go into networking, its significance, and the ways in which one can reap the benefits of successful networking—the process of establishing and sustaining relationships.
What exactly is networking?
Everyone is networking the moment they know someone in their inner circle, whether publicly or privately. We meet new people and have conversations with them every day. An alliance has been formed.
We network in educational institutions, places of employment, religious institutions, and other types of gatherings. It can be challenging to find the best connections at times, but the real challenge is figuring out how to make these relationships work for us.
The term “networking” refers to the act of making and keeping connections with other people. Relationships are priceless things that money can’t buy, so it’s important to keep them strong.
This can be made easier with good networking. By delving into methods for expanding one’s network, individuals can forge meaningful connections that propel them towards their professional aspirations (Indeed Editorial Team, 2025).
Jackson (2025), a best-selling author, says that in the 21st century, having a large and diverse professional network is crucial to career success, whether you’re seeking a new job, industry knowledge, or new clients.
Strong professional networks are associated with statistically greater salaries, more career development opportunities, and even higher performance ratings, according to Harvard Business Review (2023).
Sales were greater among workers who used five or more social media sites compared to those who used one to four, according to studies (Meister, 2013).
As an example, LinkedIn serves many more purposes than only hosting resumes online (Davis et al., 2020).
At the moment, it’s the most important professional networking tool for finding a career, where one may meet people, get jobs, and display their skills. According to recent surveys, 92% of recruiters using social media to find new employees (Davis et al., 2020).
According to Fu and Ali (2024), social media has a multiplicative effect on employee engagement since it facilitates two-way communication, public praise, and constructive criticism.
Because it facilitates communication between professionals and provides insight into current trends and future employment prospects, networking is a crucial component of building a successful career. Networking is all about making connections with other professionals in a particular field.
Networking is a great way to discover new career opportunities and get advice on how to do a better job overall, according to the Indeed Editorial Team (2025).
The friendships you make by networking with other professionals who share your interests might also lead to employment opportunities.
According to the Indeed Editorial Team (2025), a business network is a collection of individuals who have established connections via shared interests, knowledge, and business experiences.
The experts may be in the same field, and there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people and expand your network at events like conventions, workshops, seminars, business lunches, and other similar gatherings, both within and outside of one’s current and previous employers.
Online seminars or courses, social events, trade exhibits, fundraisers, professional association gatherings, social media geared toward business, and alumni association gatherings are all potential places to meet influential networks.
I met most of my personal contacts during events I attended in the past, but the majority of my professional and alumni contacts are from groups to which I belong.
If you want to find a job or develop in your career, building your professional network is a great way to meet people who can help you.
People you encounter at social, religious, or professional activities, as well as those you know through friends, professors, classmates, or colleagues, can all be considered part of a person’s network.
Significance and Advantages for People and Groups
Establishing and maintaining connections with others, both inside and outside of one’s organization, is an effective political strategy that is associated with high levels of emotional and social intelligence.
In addition to the obvious personal gains, networking is crucial since it introduces you to new people who could become clients or even mentors in your field.
Mentoring is a great approach to build your professional network. Relationships between more seasoned individuals, such as leaders, and less seasoned individuals, such as followers or juniors, are formed and maintained through this process (Dickson et al. 2014).
Mentoring also encourages healthy relationships through its networking component. Mentoring is an effective strategy for establishing company culture, and studies show that it can also have a major impact on the protégé’s professional trajectory. “Dickson et al. 2014” states.
Another outcome of networking is the accumulation of social capital. The term “social capital” refers to the potential for gain from interpersonal connections, generosity, trust, and teamwork.
Beyond the early phases of a career’s development, it’s useful, especially when building connections based on trust.
More employment and business chances, quicker progression, more innovation potential, higher status, and more power are all results of trustworthy partnerships. As stated by Casaciero et al. in 2016.
In order to maintain significant contacts and prosperous jobs, it is critical to have a wide developmental network.
The existing literature posits that networking is significant for reasons beyond facilitating connections with prospective clients and offering chances for career advancement, such as: This is a great opportunity to network with other professionals in your field, learn from their experiences and insights, get referrals for your firm, and benefit from the wealth of information that others have accumulated.
Methods for constructing efficient networks
This is a condensed version of some of the many authors’ recommendations for creating efficient network systems.
Compile a list of everyone in your network—relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, students, members of your church, and even casual acquaintances—as recommended by Kobata and Smith (2024) and Jackson (2014).
When you’re going through tough times, this group of people can be an incredible support system.
Communicating with your existing network should be your next step. Participate actively in any professional groups and associations that may be required, such as those for your neighborhood, former classmates, fellowship department, and others.
Be deliberate and know exactly what you want out of each of these connections before you reach out to them.
A third thing you can do is work on your communication skills. This includes being a better listener, being more aware of non-verbal cues, learning to cope with stress, and becoming more emotionally and socially aware.
Relationship building—or at least the practice of it—requires learning to be truthful, genuine, and caring, as well as to reciprocate and express gratitude. Be explicit when you ask for advice if the need arises.
The next stage in analyzing your network is to rank and classify your connections, and familiarize yourself with individuals who have strong or weak ties. The upkeep of your network should also be a priority.
Prioritize your contacts, set up time for important ones, and figure out how you may repay their kindness. According to Kobata and Smith (2024), a relationship should ideally be two-way rather than one-sided.
Danger Zones
Even though networking is a great way to meet new people and keep in touch with old ones, there are several things that people should be wary of. Many people make the same mistakes when networking, according to a report by the Indeed Editorial Team in 2024.
Asking too much of new connections is a trap to avoid. Those who are serious about expanding their social circles should do good deeds before asking for favors.
Another key thing to remember is to keep conversations from getting out of hand as you try to sell your elevator pitch without letting other people speak.
When we enthusiastically share our dreams with others, they may lose interest. Instead, we need to focus on conveying the most crucial points while attentively listening to their viewpoints.
Other potential problems include being too wary in new places, which can hinder people from getting to know one other, not following up after leaving networks of people, and, most importantly, being rude and disrespectful.
Rather, keep your politeness by communicating with others, saying please and thank you, whether in person, on social media, or in a remote setting, and by being approachable. This will help you build existing connections and make new ones. Bottom line.
According to the Vorecol Editorial Team (2024), the quality of relationships formed is more important than the number of connections when it comes to effective networking.
The Bible has verses that emphasize the significance of relationships and networking. Strong ties and a sense of community are cornerstones of successful networking, and the scriptures stress their importance.
The passage in Hebrews 10:24-25, for example, stresses the need of believers gathering regularly to support and encourage one another. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor,” says Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
Because they can both lift each other up if they fall. But he who falls without another to help him up would suffer greatly. You can stay warm if you lie down with a partner, but what about when you’re alone yourself?
Furthermore, an adversary may overwhelm an individual fighting alone, but two can overcome him. The three strands come together to create a tough cord.
In order to overcome obstacles and succeed in any activity, including networking, the text stresses the significance of cooperation and mutual support.
Takeaway
According to Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” An essential part of successful networking is surrounding oneself with individuals who can push one to improve and grow.
This article emphasizes the need of doing just that. To develop relationships and networks that work, we need to help other people, be truthful and honest, empathetic, respectful, and build meaningful connections that lead to success for everyone.
