Why You Need a Professional Network

What is networking?

Networking is simply building relationships with others. You already do this today, intentionally or otherwise. You have friends, family, coworkers, clients, neighbors, acquaintances, fellow students, and many others in your life. These people are your network. Some you know better than others, but in either case, anyone that you have some form of a relationship with are your network. And so, networking simply is getting to know other people.

It goes back to the fundamentals of personal branding

Recall what you learned about Personal Branding. Who you present to the world goes hand in hand with networking. The people that you have a relationship with have an idea of who you are (e.g. your personal brand). We would recommend that before you go out and work diligently on building your network that you first work on your personal branding. If you haven’t already done that, then do that first. Once you feel you’ve established your authentic brand effectively, then it’s time to move on to networking.

Why is networking so important for the job search?

Roughly 85% of jobs are filled through personal or professional connections. And even with the number of job posting sites that are out there today, roughly 70% of jobs are never posted publicly. Taken together, this means that it’s critical to have a healthy network that you can effectively tap into. Without this network, you will only hear about 30% of the jobs that are available, and your odds of landing one of those jobs are stacked against you as the majority tend to go to those who have a connection to the hiring manager.

Assess your current network

You should first start by taking a hard look at your network. Are those in your network able to help you with the next step of your career? Do you need to invest some time and effort into building your network? When assessing your current network, think strategically. This does not mean starting over or dismissing your current relationships. You never know who from your past will be able to help you in the future. And this is why it’s critical to not burn bridges. Because networking is about creating and nurturing authentic relationships, how you view your network should not always be from a selfish point of view. Consider who you can help within your network today and into the future. If you’re able to help someone in your network, you should consider doing so. Leveling up together is wiser than doing it alone because those connections may be the ones who will help you in the future. When strategically assessing your current network try answering these two questions:

What holes in your network do you have? This is the group you’ll be wanting to find new contacts to fill the voids.

Which of your existing relationships do you need to spend some time nurturing? Reach out to these people and try reconnecting with them by showing authentic interest in them.

Consider a mentor

If you’ve never considered a mentor, I would encourage you to do so. A mentor is an important role played by someone who you trust and respect and will encourage and support you in achieving your goals. Often times, this will be someone who is a few steps ahead of you in their career. Try and learn as much as you can from this person. A mentor doesn’t have to be formal relationships like a paid coach. One of my greatest mentors was someone that I met through work. We were both working on the same project together and hit it off. Quickly it developed into a relationship where I would ask them all kinds of questions and they were happy to have someone who understood the value of their experiences. This catapulted my income and opened many opportunities for me, as this person was able to change my views on work and the world. A good mentor is like having a cheat code in life.

Finding people to connect with

So, you may be wondering where to meet new contacts. The world we live in today is overabundant with these opportunities. Often times, you just need to say yes. Do a Google search for conferences, events, meetups, webinars, Subreddits, Facebook groups, or anything else that aligns with your goal. Or consider reaching out directly to people online. LinkedIn is well suited for this. And depending on the contact you’re trying to meet, other social media platforms also work well. For example, if you follow someone on YouTube or X, try reaching out to them directly. It can feel daunting at first, but it’s worth giving it a try. Often times, reaching out in this way is fruitful. It’s OK if a reach out isn’t fruitful, just respectfully move on to the next opportunity.

Long-term relationships

The trick when meeting new people through networking is to be a good listener. Sahil Bloom has a great article on the three types of listening. Here’s a quote from his article:

“Charisma is about being interested, not interesting. A charismatic person makes you feel like you are the only person in the room. They are present and engaged. They hear you.”

To build these authentic relationships is just that: building relationships. This means getting to know the other person, showing interest in them, and ideally being able to provide something in return to them. Sure, you may be trying to add them to your network so that they can help you land a job (either directly or indirectly). But people are good at reading between the lines. Unless you’re in a crisis (which is not the best time to start to build your network), you don’t need to and probably shouldn’t come straight out asking them for a job. As they open up to you and you open up to them, the ask may come up naturally. And if it doesn’t during that first meeting, that’s OK. You’ve made a connection with someone else, and if you practiced the Level 3 listening style from Sahil’s article, this person will feel heard and seen…and everyone wants to be heard and seen.

How your network connects to other networks

Here’s a great thing to know: your network doesn’t stop at those that you have a direct relationship with. Your network extends to the networks of your connections.

Consider this scenario: you’re looking for a new job and you throw it out to your network. Your network, or their employers, may not have anything at the moment, but someone in your network may have recently heard about a job opening from someone in their network and they recommend you for the position. This is the power of networking. Networking has a multiplier effect.

Build yourself a lightweight CRM to track your conversations

As your network grows, it will become difficult to keep track of your relationships. I suggest that you consider building yourself a simple lightweight CRM. This can live in something as simple as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, or even a Notion database. Don’t overthink it. What’s more important is that you have some place that you’ll remember to track your connections, and that it’s quick and easy to keep updated. The key fields that I would suggest including are: Name, Email Address, Phone Number, Title, Company, How You Met, Things They Love/Hobbies, Their Preferred Method of Communication, Notes, and Last Time Connected.

I used to think this was not necessary. But as I’ve gotten older and my network has grown, as much as I’ve tried to commit everything to memory, it’s getting more and more difficult. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that as humans (and especially as you get older) we’re great at processing information and not as great at remembering. So, do yourself the favor of creating a CRM to help yourself remember these important details about your connections. It’s difficult to keep up with everyone, so I would recommend focusing on those relationships that help your goals the most strategically. If it’s been a while since you last checked in, consider dropping them a quick message to keep the relationship active.

How to leverage your network

The value of a network is equal to what you’re able to leverage from it. A professional network that offers a lot of value is one that provides a lot of opportunities for you. HelpGuide puts a practical point on this: “When you are looking for a job, start with your references. Your best references—the people who like you and can endorse your abilities, track record, and character—are major networking hubs.” Opportunities come in many different forms and aren’t just limited to job opportunities. These opportunities can be mentorships, insights, and growth opportunities. It can also come in the form of comradery.

As much as you’re able to get from your network, ensure you’re putting back into it. If people see you only as taking but not giving back, they will take note of this, and you don’t want to have this reputation. People like helping those who they see as helpful. Seek ways to be helpful to others.

Get comfortable clearly asking for what you need

When the time comes that you need to ask for help from your network, it’s critical that you’re clear with what you need. Don’t make it difficult for your network to understand what you’re asking for. Your ask should be easy to understand and clear. As Brené Brown says: “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind”. So don’t be afraid to ask for what you need, just make sure that you’re clear. This will make your network more willing to help as they’ll be able to understand what it is you’re asking them. The other thing to keep in mind is that people generally like being helpful and appreciate it when others seek their advice. It makes them feel good that you respected them enough to ask them for help and that they were able to help.

Use LinkedIn to the fullest

One of the greatest tools available to you when it comes to professional networking is LinkedIn. The majority of professionals have LinkedIn profile. It’s one of the greatest ways to keep up with your professional network and to find new people to connect with. If you haven’t already, make sure to read through our article on Personal Branding. There are some great nuggets in there around setting up your LinkedIn profile to work for you. Not only will this help communicate your personal brand when reaching out to others on LinkedIn, a well setup LinkedIn profile makes it much easier for recruiters to find you.

Connecting with others

For your existing relationships, refer back to your CRM. For those close and extra important connections, define a cadence for connecting in with them. If it’s quarterly and it’s been 3 months since you last connected, reach out to them. Check in with them and ask them how they’re doing and what they’ve been up to. The key here is to be authentic and with the goal of building a strong long-term relationship with them. Don’t hesitate to give a quick update on yourself but make sure you’re not making it all about you.

For new relationships, you’ll want to be a bit more thoughtful. If you happened to be referred to this new connection by one of your existing connections, then make sure and mention that when you first reach out to them. This will help the new connection understand how you were referred to them. If you weren’t referred to them, but instead found them through a LinkedIn search, or perhaps they are someone you follow on social media, start with a quick introduction and explain that you’d like to add them to your network. Forbes has a great article on how to make this feel natural: How To Network For Your Job Search —And Not Appear Needy Or Greedy (forbes.com).

Getting a response can’t be assumed. But there are things that you can do to increase your chances of getting a response when reaching out to people. Harvard Business Review has some great tips that will help: What to Say When You’re Reaching Out to Someone on LinkedIn (hbr.org). A few of the key tips that stood out to me are: don’t send vague messages (again back to being clear in your need), avoid one sided communication, be authentic to your brand and only say something that you would normally say to someone in person. Importantly though, start with a soft message like an email/text before jumping to a phone call.

Networking is spending your time wisely

It really boils down to this: networking is spending your time wisely. Your odds of landing interviews are much better through networking. Utilize your network by asking them for referrals to job opportunities and connections with those hiring managers and organizations. You may need to formally complete an application, but you’ll be going into the application already known to the hiring manager, and they are likely already interested in interviewing you.

Do be careful when sharing that you’re looking for a new job

According to Indeed, if you’re currently employed, it’s wise to practice discretion when searching for a new job. “It’s best to use discretion and tell no one at work that you’re looking for other employment opportunities. Your intent to find employment elsewhere could easily get back to your supervisor, which can question your commitment to your current role.” The article goes on to share that you should only pursue a new job using personal devices, do it on your own time, and be careful with what you are posting online. While you’re searching for a new job, continue to work hard and provide value to your current employer.

Track roles you’ve applied to or have shown interest in

Finally, when you have identified job opportunities that you feel are a good fit for you and begin pursuing them, make sure and track your progress. Create a simple spreadsheet that lists the job, the organization, a link to the job posting, and 5-10 points of contact at the organization. It may take some time to identify points of contact at the new organization, but it’s worth it. Recall the stats: roughly 80% of jobs are filled with personal or professional connections. Take your time to network with people from the organization, preferably the hiring manager, if you’re able to. I’ve had applicants reach out to me through LinkedIn and offered them an interview when I otherwise would have likely skipped over them. Having them reach out to me showed me resourcefulness and drive and put a face to their application. As a hiring manager, I can tell you that this works, if done correctly. And even if you don’t land the job, you’ve grown your network through this process which can only pay dividends down the road.

What to do next?

As you can see, networking is critical to increasing your odds of landing your dream job. It’s time well spent. Continue learning all you can about networking as it’s a skill that you learn over years and is much like a muscle that needs to be worked to remain strong. Start by ensuring that your Personal Brand is strong. Then assess your current network and think strategically on what changes need to be made. Finally, work through improving your network by making new connections and reaching out to old ones. And continue this assess and improve process for life.