Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by听Kathryn Uhles, MIS, MSP,听Dean, College of Business and IT
Building social capital is about more than being popular. It's when a person connects to other professionals in their field of interest and develops social ties. This can be through a mutual exchange of information and opportunities. It can also be through career advice, mentoring, or coaching in career development.
Social capital can be built through one-on-one interactions, social relationships, and even group activities. The latter might involve a shared experience, such as going out for a happy hour or attending a company event. It can also be an individual pursuit, like taking a career development course.
Learning how to build social capital can be difficult for many people, particularly introverted or younger people who haven鈥檛 been in the working world very long. There are, however, some simple ways to build various types of social capital that will encourage career growth down the road.
Social capital can be categorized in three ways:
Bonding听鈥 This is usually found between members of a tight social group, hence their social bond. As research says, "Bonding social capital is often associated with local communities where many people know many other people in the group (network closure). Bonding social capital is often associated with strong norms, mores, and trust which can have both positive and negative manifestations and implications for social exclusion."
Bridging 鈥撎Many types of social capital are found between people who are not part of the same general circles. For instance, someone may hang out with co-workers and also with friends who live in the same city but aren鈥檛 part of the same industry. Each is technically connected to other people within the group. Visualize these connections like a bridge, where one connection might lead to a new one.
Linking 鈥撎Although this is similar to bridging social capital, it differs in one key way. Linking is a network of relationships across formal, institutional or explicit connections. For example, an elected official might have ties to the local community. They may also have deep roots in education, activism, or the entrepreneurial world.
If someone has professional social capital with another person, they may be able to ask them to "put in a good word" with their employer. Or if they are traveling to a foreign country and have social capital with someone who lives there, they may provide the traveler with a personalized list of hotel and restaurant recommendations. Or if they have听an even higher level of social capital, or "cache" with that person, they may agree to play tour guide.
With enough social capital, you might be able to:
Not all relationships with fellow workers offer the same value, especially in an organization with hierarchical relationships and status differences that affect access. Status provides authority, which is social capital that has value. For example, someone in the C-Suite can better connect with a wider range of people than an entry-level employee.听 senior executive is likely to have more immediate access to individuals throughout the company than a floor manager.
In addition, individuals from underrepresented communities and first-generation graduates are more likely to have听limited social capital听as it relates to providing access to career development opportunities.
Social capital can really benefit overall career development. However, like any other advantage, it鈥檚 only useful if you know how to leverage it.听
Here are several easy ways to build social capital:
Are you interested in improving your social capital to launch a new career, enhance your current one, or just improve your professional life in general? Building social capital isn鈥檛 the only way to achieve your goals.听Career coaching听may offer real benefits as well. 果冻视频 offers Career Services for Life庐 for current students and graduates of our degree programs.
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A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at 果冻视频 where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Currently Dean of the College of Business and Information Technology,听Kathryn Uhles has served 果冻视频 in a variety of roles since 2006. Prior to joining 果冻视频, Kathryn taught fifth grade to underprivileged youth in Phoenix.
This article has been vetted by 果冻视频's editorial advisory committee.听
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