Module 1: Task 3d - Critical Questions and Issues That Emerge

As I reach the end of the section on Professional Networking, I feel a lot more knowledgable about what it really involves. It has become apparent to me that networking isn't just something we do for fun. It is natural human instinct to have the need to interact and socialise within different groups of people. With the way in which the world and technology has developed, networking is just another way for humans to affiliate with each other. 

So far, my engagement with professional networking has been fairly limited. I feel there is a lot more I could do to connect with others who might be able to help further my career. This is something I wish to develop over the course with the joining of 'Linked In' and setting up my own personal website. These are tools that I hope will advance my networking skills. 

My concerns with professional networking are similar to that of others on the course and those around me within the industry and outside of it. One of those concerns comes from Reader 3 and the concept of cooperation. I find this concept to be superficial and in some ways malicious; that everyone is using one another to get what they need. I wonder if this is just something I need to accept or is there a way of changing this idea. My second concern comes with all the knowledge I have gained from researching Web 2.0 and professional networking. I worry that too much emphasis is being put on the use of social media, to the point where in the future we will no longer be interacting with one another without the use of the internet and applications. The need will no longer be there. 

The use of critical reflection throughout the whole module has allowed me to go beneath the surface of things that I already knew and provide myself with a much greater understanding. With every critical relection so far, it has made me change my opinions on the subject and lead me to be more thoughtful with my actions involving these topics. I have been left with a new outlook on professional networking that encourages me to be more wary of others, yet more ruthless with the connections I'm making. I believe I need to think more selfishly about how these connections can benefit my career. I will need to control my thoughts about this being vicious and understand that it is just human nature and how the professional industry works. My other relationships outside of work, do not work on the same principles and this is a comfort.