What I’m going to say in this post about networking might sound pretty obvious once you think about it. But I’ve met enough people who need the reminder that I think it’s worth repeating.
As I noted in this post, networking can be help you get a next job. https://trailblazingtwenties.substack.com/p/networking-is-not-nepotism
But networking encompasses more than just corporate life.
It means spending time and energy to get to know people and to see if they’d be a good fit for something in your life – whether that’s a job or a pickleball buddy.
So what?
Many of life’s problems stem from not having the right people around you.
Realizing this can:
Motivate you to help others
Encourage you when you’re not making the connections you want to make
Many relationships originate from networks
Almost all relationships (except family relationships), come from some sort of “networking.”
These relationships include:
Friendships
Spouse / romantic partner
Roommates
Co-founders
Employees (or bosses)
Hobby-specific friends (ie friends running buddies, hiking groups, or volunteer opportunities)
Entire industries are built around networking
Networking is hard. That’s why entire industries are built around it.
Just like people have jobs devoted to marketing, people have jobs devoted to creating networks.
These jobs include:
Leasing agents, which connect people to apartments
Headhunters, which connect job-seekers to companies
Matchmakers, which connect people to romantic partners
And countless apps are devoted to creating networks as well.
Networking is hard – so help others
Helping others can be as simple as connecting friends or acquaintances via a text message.
Just this week, I sent a WhatsApp message to a woman (I’ll call her Alissa) who was looking for a roommate, connecting her with a girl I’d never met but had spoken to on the phone.
This hardly took me any time, but it provided Alissa with a relatively qualified housing lead whom she probably couldn’t have sourced any other way.
This might involve:
Connecting people (even if you don’t know them personally) to others who are solving a similar problem
Connecting friends to others who live in the same city
Telling friends about cool things you’re doing and offering to get them involved
You’re not alone
If you’re struggling to stay motivated in the search for a job, good employees, clients, a spouse, or even good friends who live in the same city, knowing that you’re not alone can help.
You’re not failing: you’re dealing with a problem that many people deal with.
Again, that’s why entire industries are built around it!
When have you been connected to someone by someone else you knew? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Just loved reading this! The best “networking” I’ve experienced has felt more like making real friends, not collecting contacts.