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I would like to know how many of you got told or it was emphasized to you about the importance of networking.
I don't seem to recall that being a big deal when we were coming up. Not even really mentioned in college business classes. Seems to me greater weight was put on it as I got older. What are your thoughts/experiences?
Sarah PageVirtual Accountant
106
03/19/24 at 4:15AM UTC
Definitely not as big of a push when I was leaving school. I still remember being told that we had to wear black suits and went to a dinner to teach us how to behave that was put on by the company president. I hated the black suit thing! I don't know when the networking started being such a big thing but it was when I was working as a peon that never left the office except to go on a business lunch once a year to take our biggest client out for a year end thank you. I thankfully missed most of the greasy, salesman networking era and came into it during the relationship marketing era which is much easier for me to handle.
Katie Smith
19
05/02/22 at 7:59PM UTC
Friends told me. Not my family.
Anonymous
04/15/22 at 10:19PM UTC
I agree, but did it without really knowing I was doing it. I wanted to get into a certain field so I joined a local chapter to meet contacts. Much of it has also stemmed from social media and the importance of connecting. I think it’s a good thing. Especially women supporting other women.
Anonymous
04/15/22 at 5PM UTC
It depends on the field. In academia it makes a bit of a difference, as you can be invited to be a guest lecturer or substitute for someone on sabbatical. And some of that stuff helps with promotions & salary increases.
I heard about it early in my career, but it didn't really matter in the profession I joined.
Barb HansenStartup Product, Growth & Strategy
9.55k
04/14/22 at 8:47PM UTC
I come from the healthcare vertical (no formal business education), and growing up my whole family were either teachers or farmers or government workers - networking was not in our vocabulary.
Took me about five years after I started my business career to figure out that networking was important and then another few years to figure out networking was essential.
I wish I had known earlier how to network effectively instead of having to figure it out for myself.
Elizabeth Stiles WestEnglish teacher, debate coach, and exam proctor
10.96k
04/14/22 at 7:39PM UTC
I'm 54; actually, when I was growing up, my extroverted mother tried her best to get me to be more sociable. She said "it's not what you know, it's who you know" when it's time to get a job. However, when I tried, I was painfully awkward and it didn't really help me. It took lots of practice and self-acceptance before I was able to interact competently with employers. Even though I've lost my fear of public speaking, to be honest, even today I hate networking because I don't like to ask others for favors. It feels like an imposition, and in turn, I feel obligated to the person I networked with. I also dislike small talk or being "fake." For better or worse, I'm a genuine person and I'm not everyone's cup of tea. I find the job search process to be difficult and very flawed; I wish I knew how to make it better.
Megan Leashertalent strategist + bourbon lover
1.11k
04/14/22 at 7:26PM UTC
I was always encouraged to network but never really told what that meant or what it could look like. I fumbled my way.
Elizabeth Stiles WestEnglish teacher, debate coach, and exam proctor
10.96k
04/14/22 at 7:40PM UTC
Being told to do it but never getting specific examples of how that works was my experience as well. Thanks for posting your comment!
Cassandra
195
04/14/22 at 7:05PM UTC
Yes, that has been encouraged to me in recent years. Mostly because finding a job isn't like we did when we were young. I remember applying for jobs in person, meeting people, shaking hands etc. But, there is so much of a disconnect in that way now. I got my last two jobs because I knew someone at the company.
Anonymous
04/14/22 at 6:25PM UTC
It didn't come up for me because I wasn't in a major that was business oriented. Now that I'm in "the real world" and have been for decades (not in my original college major) I network ALL THE TIME. And it was a hard learned skill.
