In my podcast interview with Kyle Thompson (episode 01.03), an interesting idea emerged: network as a verb versus network as a noun.
The way it came up in our conversation is that Kyle claims to hate networking. Yet, in describing his career, it was evident that his success almost always had something to do with leveraging existing connections and relationships to make things happen. That's networking! So why the disconnect?
I think it's because a lot of people see network as a verb -- an intentional act of pursuing connection with someone for the purpose of furthering one's career. When seen like that, it's no wonder people think it's a self-serving, arrogant, and sleazy behavior. It conjures images of country club golf courses or social 'mixers' at a bar. Yuck.
But if you stop and think about it, network has another meaning: the web of social relationships of which every one of us is a part. You already have a network (noun), made up of people with varying degrees of closeness to you. Never underestimate the power of this existing network!
According to San Jose State University's iSchool, you know more people than you think:
family, friends, roommates, and significant others
faculty, staff, fellow students, and alumni of your college/university
past and present co-workers
neighbors
members of clubs, organizations, and professional associations
people at the gym, coffee house, barber shop, or local stores
people in your religious/faith community
As you're forging your career path, it's appropriate to ask your contacts to introduce you to their contacts (don’t forget to offer to reciprocate!). This can help you expand your network to include a more diverse set of connections.
And if you approach these new connections with genuine curiosity and empathy, then "networking" changes from a sleazy, self-serving act to a sincere effort to build meaningful relationships. Who doesn't want more of that in their life?
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