The power of networking compels you.
It used to be said that in order to succeed in the professional world, it wasn’t just what you knew, but who did you know. In today’s world, that’s no longer the case. Now, in order to simply survive, learn a career, land a job or keep a job, it’s not just what you know, and it’s not just who you know, but who else do you know.
Within the pages of Spotlight Living, you’ll read the story of the Mallozzi Group, who this year is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the shop that started it all for them, Villa Italia. Today, the family is a business conglomerate on to itself, having a hand in catering, entertainment, hotel service, and the restaurant business. A decade ago, one could still call them a success within the community, but not to the level that can be appreciated in 2015. Afterall, forty years is nothing to sneeze at. But, when they looked into stepping out into a different location, Schenectady took it under its wing. Once there, a network of business owners and community leaders hashed out a plan to help pick the Electric City back up from its bootstraps.
Having a business model for yourself is not a bad idea for your own career success. Businesses spend time and money attempting to define who they are, and how to make themselves visible to the world. The economic downturn from 2008 smacked many of us with that same problem on an individual level. It wasn’t long ago that the nation’s unemployment rate was in the double-digits. In addition to that number were the countless of individuals stuck in sputtering careers, who had plans to leave, only to find themselves stuck.
When we were kids, we were asked what we wanted to be once we grew up. Unfortunately, that assumes we’ll stick to that job for 45 years. For most of us, we’re already on our second or third career. Finding mentors and marketing ourselves to future employers as the ideal candidate starts with identifying your personal brand, and networking with the right people. Forget printing your resume on special bond paper, you need to search the Internet for industry advice, marketing hints, interest groups, and simple reading material. Your resume becomes digital by means of services like LinkedIn, and from there your network begins.
The successes of the Mallozzi Group is a feel good story because it’s woven into the success story that is still being written for the city of Schenectady. It’s an example of what communities here in our suburbs do with our numerous chambers of commerce, and it speaks to what individuals need to for themselves to achieve their own accolades. Don’t be afraid to step out. The world doesn’t cater to the timid. The taste of personal success can be as sweet as a cannoli.