What will it take to reach the next level in your career? Crafting a stellar resume. Write a thoughtful cover letter that lists your accomplishments¹ and demonstrate a passion for your prospective² company’s work. Acing³ that interview.

为职业生涯推进一步需要什么东西？起草一份亮眼的简历。用心编写一封求职信，在上面列出你的成就并阐述你对潜在公司的职位的热诚。然后拿下面试！

Yes, these are all critical to landing your next role. At the end of the day, however, there is another piece of the job seeking puzzle that will not only help you get your foot in the door, but also advance your career: your relationships. The people you create meaningful connections with will provide you with references, help open doors and, not to mention, offer candid⁴ feedback that you may need to hear.

是的，这些因素对于确定你的未来角色来说都至关重要。然而，到了最后还有另外一块求职拼图，这块拼图不仅帮助你跨过门槛，还能推进你的事业发展——你的人际关系。那些与你建立起有意义的人际关系的人们，会给你提供有用的推荐信息，助你推开职业大门，更不要说了，给予你所需要聆听的真诚的反馈。

Whether it’s with a mentor⁵, former boss or current colleague, the time and energy invested in developing and nurturing⁶ these relationships will be well spent.

无论他们是职业导师，前任雇主还是当前的同事，你所投入到建立人际关系的时间和精力都会用得其所。

Your number one strategy for fostering valuable professional relationships should be spending face time with the people with whom you currently work and previously⁷ worked. There’s simply no substitute for real conversations, sitting across from someone at a table, a firm handshake and good old-fashioned eye contact. This can seem like a challenge in today’s tech-focused world, but it’s easier than you think. Here’s how you can effectively create substantial professional connections:

想要培养有价值的职场人际关系，你的首要策略便是多花时间与当前共事或曾经共事的人们见面。很明显，没有任何事情可以替代真实的交谈，坐在桌子旁面对面，一次坚定的握手以及良好典型的眼神交流。也许这对于如今科技为主的世界来说似乎是一个挑战，不过它的实际操作比你想象的简单。下面为你介绍几个方法，助你有效地建立大量的职业人际关系。

1. Limit distractions⁸.

1. 限制干扰。

Technology has no doubt improved our lives and made a lot of things easier, but in some ways, it’s made us lazy. We text people instead of talking. We make introductions via Twitter instead of meeting up for coffee. The next time you make plans to spend time outside of the office with a co-worker, even if it’s just an hour out of your day, put in the effort to make the most out of that time together. That means meeting face-to-face, and resisting the urge to check your phone while you’re together.

毫无疑问的，技术提高了我们的生活水平，并且提供了不少便利，但是在某种程度上，它也让我们变得懒惰。我们常常宁可发短信息也不亲自交谈。我们在微博上介绍自己而不是约别人去喝咖啡。当你下一次打算跟同事在办公室以外的地方相处时，即使只是抽出一个小时，你也要充分利用你们相处的这段时间。那就意味着面对面交谈，并且克制自己在两人相处的时候查看手机。

2. Practice listening.

2. 练习聆听。

Your communications skills are incredibly important during an interview, as well as on the job. As you’re working on your professional relationships — with anyone from your former boss to your current manager or peers — take advantage of these opportunities to practice your listening skills. Create space for them to speak and pay attention to what they say — they’ll notice that you did.

在面试当中，你的沟通技能是极其重要的，同时对于工作本身来说也一样。当你在努力建立职场人际关系的时候——任何人，从前任雇主到现任经理或同事——都要充分利用好这些机会，好好锻炼你的聆听技能。给他们创造发表自己的机会，留心听取他们所说的话——他们也会发现你真的在聆听。

3. Create a follow up system.

3. 创建跟踪系统。

Whether it’s jotting⁹ down notes in your phone, setting up reminders¹⁰ in your Outlook calendar or creating a spreadsheet to keep track of who you’ve reached out to, develop automated¹¹ systems that remind you to follow-up. This is especially important when you’re building new relationships. That stack of business cards serves no purpose if it’s just sitting idle on your desk. Make the most of those initial touch points by following up to schedule time to talk, preferably in person (or if they’re at a distance, on the phone or Skype).

不管是在手机上做笔记，还是在Outlook日历上设置提醒，还是创建一份电子数据表来记录追踪你所接触过的人，你得创建一些自动化系统来提醒你跟进与人们的联系。当你在建立新的人际关系的时候，这么做是特别重要的。那一叠商业名片如果只是静静地呆在你的桌子上，那么就等于毫无用处。通过后续安排交谈时间，最好是亲自见面（如果他们在远方，可以通过手机或视频软件），这样就能最大程度利用这些资源。

4. Make it a habit.

4. 养成习惯。

As you develop a system for seamlessly incorporating relationship building into your routine, also schedule regular meeting times with your manager or a colleague so that meeting in-person becomes a habit. Even if the purpose is simply to get to know someone better, more time face-to-face will help meeting in-person become second nature to you.

正如你系统地把人际关系无缝地融入到日常事务当中，你也要安排与经理或同事的定期会面时间，这样亲自会面就会成为一个习惯。即使这个目的只是想要更了解某个人，那么越多花时间进行面对面交流，就越能帮助你把亲自会面养成你的第二天性。

5. Enjoy it and get to know them!

5. 乐在其中并去认识他们！

Your most meaningful connections will be with people that not only respect you as a professional, but like what makes you unique. Chances are, they’ll be more likely to recommend you for a new job or provide a glowing reference if they’re personally vested in you. It’s that real and memorable¹² connection that creates a foundation to build upon. Really take the time to connect and your professional relationships will bloom.

你最有意义的人际联系在于，对方不仅把你当专业人士般尊重你，还会欣赏你的独特之处。很有可能，他们会更愿意推荐你一份新的工作或者一份亮眼的推荐资源（如果他们本人就是你的人际关系资源）。正是那真实难忘的联系，创造了日后建立联系的基础。真的，你要花时间去建立联系，这样你的职场关系才会绽放光芒。