Want to learn more?
Join our Info Session Meeting where we discuss the structure of the partnership and how you can benefit from them.
JOIN INFO SESSIONEVENT START...25TH OCTOBER 2024AGENDA
- Partnership with NYSC
- Training Corps Members and Placing them as Interns
- Cost of hiring Corps Members (Abuja and Foreign Companies)
- Managing Expectations with Key stakeholders
The concept of online learning is booming in the education sector, and online course enrollment rates have increased significantly in recent years. Given the many benefits of online learning, including flexibility and affordability, it's easy to see why distance learning is so appealing to learners.
While online students enjoy many of the same benefits as their on-site counterparts, some students worry that when it comes to networking, it's more difficult, if not impossible, to make meaningful connections in a virtual environment.
Students are right to be concerned, because networking is a key component to professional success. In fact, some studies suggest that 85 percent of job placements are based on professional connections. Luckily, networking is definitely possible for online students. Even without the face-to-face interactions that take place in traditional classrooms, distance learners can expand their professional network by taking a different approach.
One of the key elements of quality online education is ensuring learner engagement. The opportunity for learners to effectively engage with one another is one that we at Sabilink have recognized is absent in many online courses hence have decided to help bridge that gap. While building these connections might be difficult, our breakout sessions and peer review model facilitates students interaction, and helps them learn and build connections. Networking is an important path to success and growth across board is something we always want to see among our students.
Networking entails building and developing long-term mutually beneficial relationships with people you encounter in diverse places and there’s no better place to build this network than in a learning environment.

The break out and peer review sessions help participants feel more comfortable. We see peer learning as an important factor for students to grow, foster friendships, build professional connection among, understand concepts more easily and to grow confidence and independence. After every session, students are required to have discussions amongst themselves as this is a clause within the service level agreement. These group discussions are based on assignments/projects that have been put in place as part of the curriculum by the tutor.
Other tips on how students can build relationships with other students include
1. Introduce yourself
Typically, in a traditional classroom situation, you introduce yourself to classmates around. In an online training environment however, your classmates may be located in different towns, states, or even nations. Don't be put off by the distance; introduce yourself on the message boards. It may be as easy as stating your name, location, and reason for joining the program. You may discover similarities during the process that you might subsequently use when contacting participants via email or LinkedIn. Engage in conversation on a frequent basis after introducing yourself. Pose questions, reply to other people's remarks, and offer your resources. The more engaged you are on the discussion boards, the more in-depth your learning experience will be, as will your professional relationships.
2. Use Technology to Your Advantage
If you prefer to network in person, you may use free video conferencing tools like Skype and Google Hangouts to conduct meetings and offer real-time feedback. As an extra benefit, networking via video allows you to pick up on tiny nonverbal indications from others, which may help you enhance your overall communication and establish more lasting connections. We provide the atmosphere to facilitate this in our breakout sessions and our organized Slack channel.
3. Increase the Shared Value of Your Network
Don't be scared to seek assistance from your network. Research by the Harvard Business School proves that, people who seek advice appear brighter and, as a result, encourage knowledge sharing among their peers. What you want to avoid is always seeking advice without reciprocating. A simple 'How may I assist you?' will go a long way to avoid this. That simple question can not only build your connections, but it can also help you position you as a thought leader in your area of specialization. You may become the go-to resource for whenever a new project or requirement in those areas arise. Our peer review sessions encourage seeking and giving assistance as cohort members get points from peers when they contribute during these sessions.
4. Look for Ways to Follow Up
Creating a professional network is only the beginning. You must also keep that network running. Set aside time once or twice a month to reconnect with your connections. Consider sharing an article that reminds you of them or a webinar that you believe is worthwhile to see. Alternatively, congratulate them if you see positive news about their firm published, or if you see they recently began a new position or took on extra duties within their present company. Small gestures like this may go a long way toward preserving connections. We understand the importance of keeping that fire burning so we keep network together in Slack and even after the training, participants will continue to reach out to one another on, building a community of learners.
Want to learn more?
Join our Info Session Meeting where we discuss the structure of the partnership and how you can benefit from them.
REGISTER NOWEVENT START...25TH OCTOBER 2024AGENDA
- Partnership with NYSC
- Training Corps Members and Placing them as Interns
- Cost of hiring Corps Members (Abuja and Foreign Companies)
- Managing Expectations with Key stakeholders
You may enhance your career while also assisting others by prioritizing relationship-building. A simple discussion or new connection might be the difference between landing your next job or asking for that promotion. But you won't know unless you introduce yourself and begin networking. So don’t be afraid to build that connection today! Sign up for any of our courses to enjoy the premium tech training experience.
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