Two of the things I hear more frequently about networking is: “I don’t know very many people,” and “I only know peope in my job function/industry, and that’s no help to me because I want to pivot.” These people are missing the boat in that a) they know more people than they think they do, and b) the people they know also know people - not all of whom are in the same industry or job function.

With so many people job searching right now, I wanted to do a deep dive on a particular aspect of the job search. We’ll start by comparing some networking strategies: “The Tommy Gun Approach” and “The Bow-and-Arrow Approach.” This leads us into a conversation about what might be important to you in a company while you’re job searching so you can set up tiers based on your non-negotiables. This strategy will help you be more intentional in your job search while also providing you a more organic approach to getting your foot in the door.

Today, we’re talking about the basics of networking. This is especially for those of you who a) avoid networking like a root canal, b) describe your networking skills as “terrible;” and c) those of you who think networking is not necessary to land your dream job or advance your career. Here’s a quote I used on a previous podcast: “The opposite of networking is NOT working.”