What is your awareness level on the impact of networking when considering a job change or career transition?  Would you be surprised to hear that nearly 60% of new jobs are obtained as a result of networking (and p.s. that was before the COVID-19 pandemic hit)?   If you’re reading this blog entry on LinkedIn, then maybe you already knew that…. or maybe not.

The old saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” irks me a little bit.  That’s because what you know – or more specifically, the combination of your skills, strengths, experiences and knowledge - is pretty darn important and shouldn’t be diminished.   However, the power of the “who you know” piece of the equation is unquestionably huge and can often provide the entry-point to conveying the “what” piece.   

So, I take some license with the old saying when collaborating with my coaching clients to say:

“It’s not just what you know, it’s also who.”

Some challenges I hear my clients articulate when it comes to networking include:

1. I’ve worked with the same people for most of my career; my network isn’t that extensive.

2. What’s the point?  We can’t network right now because events are canceled and there are no good jobs out there right now anyway.

3. I’m more of an introvert and I’m not comfortable with networking.

4. I don’t like LinkedIn and other social media.

Uh-uh.  Sorry, but here’s some tough love:  Those are excuses that are barriers to your potential career path and trajectory.  Let’s peel them apart a little bit… and I’m going to start with #4 above.

1. LinkedIn is an extremely solid and important networking tool.  It helps you facilitate your network growth and maintenance efforts and has amazing power to unearth other potential network connections that you may never have come across if you weren’t on LinkedIn.  At the end of the day though, it’s still a “tool.”  The value of human connection – in person or by phone / video is where the real connection happens.  So, if you’re not networking because you don’t like social media, you might want to think about HOW to use it vs. IF to do so.

2. Your network is more extensive then you think.   It’s more than your co-workers – it’s your neighbors, your friends and family, their friends and family, people you went to school with, the other members of your place of worship, the people you meet randomly in life.  I challenge you to start a list and I think you’ll be amazed at how many people are on it.

3. Two things: (1) networking isn’t just about finding another job or changing careers, it’s about building mutually-beneficial relationships; (2) there are absolutely jobs out there depending on the industry, functional area of expertise and geography you’re in; and (3) networking events are still happening amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic.  They are happening virtually, but they are happening!   In fact, in mid-March I joined a Women’s Business League chapter and we’ve been meeting regularly via Zoom. Even though I’ve never met any of the other members in person, I’ve already begun to establish relationships with many of them.  And as for good old one-on-one networking, remember that device you have called a “phone”?  There’s also Facetime, Zoom, Google Meets and other mediums.

4. Fellow introverts – Newsflash:  I’M AN INTROVERT!  That doesn’t mean that networking hasn’t had or doesn’t continue to have a very important impact on my career and my business.  What it does mean is that I’ve had to push myself outside of my comfort zone sometimes to achieve my goals.  And as a bonus, I’ve made some really great connections and built many solid relationships along the way.

How have you been getting creative with your networking the past few months?  What suggestions do you have for others?  I bet others reading this want to know!  And to have a chat about career transitions including getting more comfortable and active with networking, give me a shout.