Finding opportunities through relationships isn’t as scary or hard as you might think.
The concept of networking always felt foreign to me as an English Major. I knew it was important; I just didn’t know how to begin.
I’ve had all but one of my job offers through my personal networks. (In fact, when I got laid off, my personal network got me a new, better job offer only a few days later.)
Here are some of the ideas I had that kept me from actively networking:
-
I had this high idea of what it took for someone to want to network with me. (Heck, I wouldn’t call someone my friend unless they were really, really close.)
-
I thought that if I hadn’t contacted someone in a while, or if we weren’t even super-great friends, it wouldn’t be appropriate to network with them.
-
I didn’t want to be a shill who only became friends with people so I could get a favor someday
On top of all that, I was raised by a history professor whose life rule, above all else, was, “Don’t bother other people.”
It took years of learning about networking to realize how wrong my ideas were.
Here is what I know about networking now:
-
“Networking” is a sloppy term that makes natural relationship-building feel artificial. So I don’t like to use it anymore. Instead, I think of it as relationship building or making friends.
-
The best way to build relationships is to help people. Online forums (like reddit) are great to practice this. So is responding to social media posts.
-
Being friendly doesn’t cost anything, and no one will hate you for it (as long as you aren’t “fake friendly”, which is irritating).
-
Make an effort to learn names. This goes a long way, especially when you run into someone four years after graduation.
-
Even if you’re not close friends with someone, you can still connect on LinkedIn or Facebook. You’re not committing to someone’s entire life by accepting a connection.
Networking (or relationship-building) isn’t as intimidating as it may sound if you’re not in a business or comm program. It’s simply a matter of being polite, friendly, and open to friendships.