It Is Beneficial to Connect!

When Cee4Bee — Connect4Better — was established to connect Black Africans in the UK and help people progress, its early stakeholders embraced the idea and helped move the network forward. After three events, the kinds of stories we had hoped for were beginning to emerge. Here is one attendee’s experience.

As a postgraduate student, the attendee was interested in meeting people in a networking environment. At a February 2016 Cee4Bee event, they spoke with a woman whose profession was different from their own. During the conversation, they discovered that she had held senior positions in global organisations and was willing to help. They exchanged contact details.

A few days later, that new contact introduced the attendee to someone in their field who worked for a leading global firm in London. The person held a doctorate from the University of Cambridge and, to the attendee’s surprise, was both approachable and encouraging.

Within a week of the event, the attendee had a coaching conversation with someone entirely new. The coach helped build their confidence, prepared them for an upcoming interview, and offered continued support. The attendee described finally finding a role model who looked like them and was further ahead on the career ladder — motivation not to give up.

We are grateful to both people who gave their time and knowledge. If you have made a connection at one of our events, tell us what happened next — every story carries a lesson for someone else. This is what free networking events are for: coaching, encouragement, useful introductions, and role models you can actually see.