Networking is an important part of finding a job and furthering your career, but most people don’t realize just how essential it is. In fact, only around 48% of people report that they stay in touch with their network. That seems like a wasted opportunity, especially after they worked so hard networking and relationship building for success.

Networking and building relationships aren’t always easy. In fact, they can be quite difficult and draining at times, especially when you consider all of the time and energy put in. Dr. Ivan Misner—the founder of BNI—recommends networking for 8 to 10 hours each week to be successful. You wouldn’t want all of that hard work and time spent bonding with others to go to waste, would you? In this article, we’ll explain why it’s important to maintain your network relationships even after landing a job.

Reasons To Maintain Network Relationships

• To Help Find a New Job – Even though you already have a job, you never know when the time will come to find a new one. Whether something happens at your current place of work or you decide it’s time for something new, you’ll want to keep your network relationships strong so they can help you if and when you’re hunting for a job again.

• To Stay Informed – Another reason it’s important to maintain network relationships is to stay informed. By staying connected, you’ll be able to learn about any new trends, best practices, and other valuable information that individuals in your network share. This can help you continue to grow and gain an understanding of what is currently happening in your industry.

• To Return the Favor – It’s also important to maintain network relationships so you can return the favor to individuals who may have helped you at some point. Odds are that you didn’t get to where you are all by yourself, so staying connected with your network means you can help people when you are able to and you are not simply using them and then discarding them after you no longer need their help. This will also show that you are a good, trustworthy person, which will only make people want to be associated with you more moving forward.

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