Implications of social networking on businesses and Consulting Engineers professionals

Social networking has brought together the world and made it easier for Consulting Engineers to gather knowledge about their areas of interest and also connect and communicate with the other intellectuals from their field for knowledge-sharing purposes.

Consulting Engineers possess a great amount of knowledge and expertise in how certain things work and how to optimize them for the best possible outcomes. But the advantage of that sort of expertise will be minimized if the same cannot be shared with the outer world where it is required the most.

Here’s where social networking pitches in. Communication, be it in-person or virtual, is of utmost importance. And social networking bridges the gap between the Consulting Engineers and any part of the world where their expertise is most required. Members of the Consulting Engineers’ Association of India (CEAI) understand the importance of social networking and aim to solve the many issues concerning their area of expertise in the country remotely.

Today, let’s take a brief look at how social networking is a boon for consulting engineers.

1. Recruitment

Social networking, particularly LinkedIn in this case, plays a key role in connecting with a professional. This relationship has the potential of being a contractual relationship, be it as an employer or even as a freelancer. Individuals share their achievements, insights, analysis and their ongoing or upcoming projects which enable them to “be out there” on a platform virtually.

2.  Connections

Building connections has become a key aspect in today’s day and age. The most basic objective of social networking is building connections. People in the field of civil engineering can share ideas, links, articles, project details and achievements and similarly the know-hows, updates, innovative concepts and ideas of their colleagues.

3.  News Updates

Creating posts, article blogs, news-letters (Reddit), Events, Posts, Videos, Story updates etc. (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) are ways in which civil engineers can use networking sites to post updates. At the same time, these applications give access to the information in their respective fields as well, based on what they choose to “follow” and whom they connect with. The news updates intrigue the individual of the professional community resulting in a potential for quality connections.

4.  Brand Creation

Building a brand, for an Engineer as a businessman or even as a professional, can be operated at a micro-level. Brand creation is a process and there isn’t anyone specific way to build a brand. With the application of all the marketing strategies, it is very important to understand the importance of social networking in brand building for any professional, be it an Engineer or a Lawyer. For a professional to be considered in the top tier of his or her professional community, one will have to make it possible for people to see one’s work. The virtual platform is the most effective medium to do so at affordable prices.

5.  Proposal

Social network platforms give space to builders, agencies and architects for reaching out with the request for proposals. These platforms also open up competition and encourage a variety of alternative proposals and options for civil engineers.

6.  Staying in touch with the alumni

Staying in touch with the well-respected former employees or seniors from the college by inviting them to join a group helps to create a positive space for both parties. They can stay updated with all the great news in the industry and the younger generations can reach out for advice and experience in the field.

7.  Professional Growth

Social networking helps to stay in the loop with the upcoming conferences, seminars, blogs, articles and publications in the relevant career. Joining the Facebook and LinkedIn groups or following some associations or trainers or presenters on Twitter in a relevant career keeps you up to date with what’s going on in the industry and the recent trends which are followed.

8.  Connecting with the new generation

Online platforms provide a nice space to reach out to the next generation of civil engineers.

Having a strong corporate brand on Facebook and LinkedIn and sharing the business cards that provide the URLs of your corporate social networking sites when visiting college campuses for recruiting, are a few suggestions that might help in connecting.

9.  Develop a personal brand

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are some excellent tools for consulting engineers to share their stories online. A piece of advice by CEAI would be one can create two social media accounts, one for personal and another for business. This would help to filter the contacts and keep professional networking separated from networking with personal friends and family.

10.  Utilize the collective knowledge

Consulting Engineers can use these platforms to innovate and inspire the collective. A lot of possible ideas and solutions could be put together by professionals from around the world. This space can be utilized to share knowledge across the industry as well.

Are you a Consulting Engineer? Then, you might want to visit the CEAI official website for more such insightful information.