Networking: The Secret Sauce to Job Search

Most people don’t network. Those who do network, do it the wrong way or with the wrong people. The sad part is that networking is literally the most important thing for your career. I know you’re thinking, “More important than knowledge and technical expertise?” Yes, because you don’t actually need to be the most distinguished person to win a role. You just need to win it. 

Why is Networking Important?

Networking is important because when a company wants to fill a position, they always prioritize referrals. That means they basically ask all their employees of they have any friends that would be a good match for a role. There’s simply for risk to recruiting someone “off the street.”

Now, it’s virtually impossible for a company to fill every single position with referrals, because most people usually have both a small circle of friends and a wide variety. A software engineer doesn’t have an army of software engineer friends. But what people don’t realize is that there’s different levels to this… 

There’s: Family ⏭️ Friends ⏭️ Acquaintances ⏭️ Strangers. 

So mentally people go down the line. If you can’t socialize with a friend, you’ll socialize with an acquaintance. There’s always a thought, at least subconsciously, that an acquaintance can become a friend; so on and so forth. People don’t necessarily have to know you in order to speak with you or help you. They just need to feel like they know, or that they can at least get to know you.

In order to understand networking, you need to understand both human nature and business:

⓵ We have a deep emotional desire connect with people whom we can relate to

⓶ We know that due to limited resources (time, location, emotional stamina, family, etc) it’s not easy to meet new people

⓶ Companies are always looking for talent, so employees are well incentivized to help recruit good people: employees get a monetary reward AND work becomes easier

This creates the perfect storm for you to wiggle your way into great companies, especially via the LinkedIn platform. 

Is It Reasonable to Network with Strangers on LinkedIn?

Absolutely, yes! Professionals successfully reach out to other professionals who are strangers EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. My clients have also found a lot of success when reaching out to strangers who work in their field/industry. And these are not any strangers. Some of these strangers are executives at FAANG, Mag7, and Fortune 500 companies. 

We live in a world where people meet and get married through dating apps. People also make and become friends through online communities. Lastly, people obsess and idolize personalties on social media and YouTube. We’re living in a digital age where people form real human bonds over the internet. 

How to Fail vs. Win at Networking

People fail at networking, because they don’t understand that networking is all about building relationships. Your goal is get closer to people, relate to them, understand them, and help them to understand you. We can compare it to building a friendship, which is a give-and-take relationship. As the initiator, though, you have to give first. 

In short, I’ll tell you how to win at networking: you have to actually give a 💩. You have to give a crap.

And the reason why most people don’t network, or fail at it, is because they don’t care about other people. They’re stingy and selfish. They care about status, money, their own comfort, pleasures, goals, and that’s it.

For most people networking looks like this, and here’s the issues for each:

🅇 Just messaging people and asking them for referrals 

↳ People don’t owe you anything, and are busy.

🅇 Joining online groups

↳ Most people in groups are also looking for referrals. There some good groups, but we aware that you’ll most likely be expected to contribute. 

🅇 Posting on LinkedIn

↳ You need to be directional and forthright about the companies/teams you’re interested in joining, or else you’ll be ‘lost in the sauce.’ In other words, you need to speak with people directly.

Real networking, or building relationships, looks like this:

✔️ Talking about what other people are interested in

✔️ Complimenting and recognizing others

✔️ Helping others

The Unparalleled Benefits

Imagine working at your dream company in your dream role! Higher salary, better work-life balance, more growth opportunities and better colleagues!

You won’t only be getting referrals… You’ll be making friends! Remember, these are people that you relate to! You have similar goals, interests, and jobs. These are people that you can count on, and they can count on you. You can look them to them for advice and help in the future. 

In short: endless career advice and referrals.  

However, be aware:  it’s still a give-and-take relationship. 

The Coffee Chat = The Golden Ticket

Coffee chats are also known as informational interviews. It’s when you have an out-of-office chat with another professional, as if you were having a coffee together at a cafe. And they’re better than interviews or even referrals!

Wait ! You’re probably thinking, “I thought the goal was to get referrals!” Yes, but that’s not the only goal. We don’t just want the people with whom we’re networking with to be referrals cows. We want them to be advocates! We want them to really go the extra mile to help you get a good quality interview for a good quality job, perhaps scoring some vital tips along the way. 

But that’s not it… There are an infinite amount of benefits to landing coffee chats. 

Millions of people get jobs and win interviews every day only to find out that they don’t like the job or company soon thereafter; or maybe the growth/future prospects just aren’t there for that job, in that department, in that team. 

So with coffee chats . . .

⓵ You’ll Find Out More About the Company 

The job interview isn’t the perfect time to start finding out about company details. Many job candidates say, ‘I read the website, read the news article, and read review sites.’ And while all of those things are important . . . There is nothing like actually talking to an employee and learning about their personal experience; to actually see  their facial expression and body language. 

⓶ You’ll Find Out More About Your Prospective Job

You might think that having a particular position at a particular company will be heaven on earth. But being a good company doesn’t mean that they treat every position the same. Due to priorities, budget cuts, and company culture . . . You can think that a job may be SWEET  like your friend or ex-colleague’s job. Only to find out that the land guy got fired for a dumb reason, the budget was cut, and the company is focused on other things.

Yikes 😬!

⓷ You Can Get Crucial Information That Will Help You Win Job Interviews

Imagine if you could start preparing for your job interview weeks or months in advance . . . Wouldn’t that be useful? Through a coffee chat, you can find out, “What is the project? What is the product? What are the challenges? What are the pain points?” You can start preparing OR sharing how you can bring value to the company; increasing your chances of winning the interview. 

Why People Fail at Networking, Even with the Right Strategy 

People don’t know:

🅇 How to choose who they network with

🅇 How to improve their person brand

🅇 What messages to send 

🅇 How to be consistent

🅇 How to be bold

Modernize Your Job Search

It may require some work, but the alternative to not having a large and strong network is to always have anxiety and doubts about where your career is headed. 

Despite all the technology available is 2024, the old adages remain true:

“Your network is your net worth.”

“It’s about who you know, not what you know.”

Q&A

If I have a personal network (like family, friends, ex-colleagues), can I just use that instead of connecting with new people?

The truth is that most people have a relatively small network, so the opportunities are very limited. Also, most people don’t know how to properly network (build relationships) with people they already know. The ultimate truth is that the most ideal, or best, opportunity is probably outside of your current network. Developing better networking skills and habits is like opening an ocean of opportunities.

Are in-person events better than networking online?

You can go to events, but it requires a lot of time and resources. You can get amazing results by just using social media and online communities. In addition, you’ll be texting and connecting on LinkedIn with everyone you meet at in-person events. For most people, events is a complete waste of time.

Can I use LinkedIn to move ahead in my career internally at my current company?

If you’re interested in particular stakeholders or teams, you can most likely find them on LinkedIn. 

Is LinkedIn the only platform I need, or should use?

So LinkedIn is typically the best for professionals. However, you need to go wherever your ideal audience is. Don’t just think about producing content. They about where you can really interact and start conversations! It’s possible that Twitter could be ideal for you. If you’re an artist or creator, maybe Instagram is better for you. if you live outside of the United States, Facebook could be better. Reddit also has communities. It all depends.

Chris Barnes

chris @ hanging-fruit .com

www.linkedin.com/in/chris-barnes-52398a3b