This is the 2nd edition of the book "Networking". What made you advance to the presentation of a 2nd edition?
A second edition of a book is always an opportunity to analyze, improve and/or share new concepts associated to those already presented in the first edition. I now move on to the second edition of the book "Networking" precisely for this reason, for continuous improvement. For the positive feedback I have received from readers, for the different situations I absorb from professional life and, above all, for the need to share knowledge. After three years, I think it is necessary to talk about networking again with those who are interested in mutual growth and the management of professional contacts.
Was the 1st edition of the book very successful?
Success is always a very complex concept. It doesn't seem to me to be an absolute fact. Success has a lot to do with the achievement of personal goals and, if this is the lineage that raises the question, yes! I have had a lot of success. In fact, when I published the book "Networking" I had no idea that the work could be exhausted in such a short time, nor did I think about the repercussion at an international level. When I started to receive invitations to speak in public forums about networking I started to understand a little more about the concept of success we are talking about here. The book was published because of the need to share knowledge, but what has been achieved is still reflected today. I made several presentations in Angola and Portugal about the book "Networking". Several people from different parts of the world contacted me saying that the book was a source of knowledge for them. So, yes! In a way very focused on the concept I have shared about success, I can say that the first edition of the book was very successful. And for that I thank everyone who read it.
Will the 2nd edition of the book be presented only in Angola or will it also be available in other countries?
After being known in other markets, I am no longer allowed to publish and distribute works only in Angola. Although involuntarily, my career has become international and therefore this second edition will be available worldwide.
What are your expectations regarding the presentation of this 2nd edition?
As in the first edition, I hope to reach as many readers as possible. The book "Networking" portrays the issue of competence in the job market and encourages professionals to view the exercise of contact creation and management as something ethical and necessary.
What led you to write about the concept of 'networking'? Is it an area you admire?
The creation and management of professional contacts is present in our day-to-day life, well or badly we see every day professionals making use of their contacts to achieve better positions, more business partnerships and related situations. So I saw myself writing about networking when I felt the need to separate the "wheat from the chaff". At a time when we need each other to grow, there is also a need to clarify that it's not enough to meet people, you need to be competent. The book arises from the need to clarify that this exercise, networking, begins in the preparation of the professional himself.
The book talks about the networking concept that defines the ability of companies to establish a network of contacts, expanding the opportunities for professional success. Do you think Angolan companies need to practice networking in order to grow? Do you think this is what is missing?
Companies are the people. So Angolan people, and people from other parts of the world, need to practice networking in an ethical way. We all need to understand that a professional networking is not just about exchanging favors for convenience. We need to invest in ourselves as professionals active in the labor market, we need to enforce professional competence, we need to value differentiated human capital and above all we need to understand that networking should not be understood as influence peddling, nepotism or other similar figure. In networking it is not enough to know people, we need to be competent.
As for the future, do you have any books in preparation? What can we expect from Sandra Mateus?
As a writer I am always driven by the need to share ideas. You can certainly expect future titles related to communication, professional contacts management and arts. The different experiences I go through lead me to the need to reflect on the respective themes and this almost always results in sharing with the public. I am a religious follower of the concept that defends teaching as one of the best forms of learning. Therefore, as a teacher in the universities I am associated with, as a writer and/or as a speaker I am always learning and I will certainly share so that I can learn again with the sharing process.
