How important are networks to you?

[Rail Tracer]

I recently found how valuable networks are. Whether it is from friends, a common job, a person that owns a business, a professor, or in high education places like UC Berkeley/UCLA, you'd want them because those network may help you towards your endeavors faster than a degree or good work ethics can. This is especially true when both parties see that there is some mutual benefits in the process (maybe you'll be their future place to go to when you climb up.)

The only networks that aren't beneficial are the ones that you may seemingly think will not benefit you in the long run (the person is detrimental to your job career[maybe is a bad person]) Other than that, there can be little harm done when you network correctly.

I think, in a few years, I may be in a higher position than I'll be currently (still considering myself as a student.) The trick is to not be your introverted self.

 

[entropie]

A und O

 

[Anew Leaf]

I think the real trick is having SO as one of your instincts. I am so clueless when it comes to these things. It just doesn't even register on my radar that this is important... and even if I brain know that it's important... I don't have any idea of how to accomplish such things as an actual goal.

 

[UniqueMixture]

I kind of hate networking, but it is very very useful. You learn that a lot in sale with getting referrals. You try to get 10 referrals per contact so you always have a flood of options available to you.

 

[Rail Tracer]

[MENTION=4109]entropie[/MENTION], I am assuming you mean Alpha and Omega? Correct?

I think the real trick is having SO as one of your instincts. I am so clueless when it comes to these things. It just doesn't even register on my radar that this is important... and even if I brain know that it's important... I don't have any idea of how to accomplish such things as an actual goal.

Simple, that would be people (or a group of contacts that has other contacts.)

A network would be a goal within a goal.

If you were to start a business. A network is a good way to broaden your business fairly rapidly. I think business majors (or business people) instinctively know or learn this because a business without a network won't grow beyond a small shop. I'm not a business major, but I know people who are who makes frequent contacts with people and who also start up lots of ideas in my college. I'd be sure to contact him because I'd never know if I need him in the future or not.

However, a network does not just benefit business majors, it benefits all majors and people who don't even have a college degree, let alone a business degree.
An art major selling his/her work will benefit quickly by making contacts with many galleries. If that same person has interned in one of those galleries, he/she may very easily be able to get his/her piece up in the gallery. Maybe not as easily as a major artist (like this guy) but you have a bigger chance than someone who hasn't made those networks. It is big if you can even get one of your artwork in a small part of the gallery.

A doctoral degree will benefit from interning at a medical clinic, hospital, or under doctor. These future contacts make it easier for this person to get a job straight out of college. Some of these contacts may even refer you to other regions of the U.S. if you wanted to work at another place. Since they have referred you to someone they know, you are more likely to get a job than someone else from that person.

Etc.

 

[entropie]

[MENTION=4109]entropie[/MENTION], I am assuming you mean Alpha and Omega? Correct?

Yes, its derived from alpha and omega. When you say in german that something is the A and O it means "everything you need / everything that is important".

 

[garbage]

If the world were strictly a meritocracy, it wouldn't be necessary to network. As it is, however, networks can be valuable.

Once one has a few lucrative lines/contacts, though, it's often best to concentrate on them. Doing good work along those lines becomes a way to reinforce those lines.

But every once in a while, the network ought to be expanded to increase the number of opportunities for reliable/lucrative contacts. I've seen many contracts fail to sustain themselves long-term, perhaps because the customer runs out of money or the program is otherwise no longer supported. When that happens, the agency's screwed and winds up having to scramble for more work. So, it's best to look ahead a bit and see when our map of nodes will have to be expanded.

That goal has to be kept in mind, however; networking becomes a pain in the ass and is no longer value-added when we seek too much breadth, spread ourselves ourselves thin, and wind up chasing networking for its own sake.

 

[entropie]

If the world were strictly a meritocracy, it wouldn't be necessary to network.

Hitler once said in one of his speeches that the Jews meritted their destinies... how'ld you measure merit ?

 

[garbage]

Hitler once said in one of his speeches that the Jews meritted their destinies... how'ld you measure merit ?

Godwin

I'm leaving it to be very, very open-ended here. But I'm using 'merit' only to separate 'doing work and reap benefits from it' from 'gathering opportunities to do that work.' The latter is a prerequisite to the former, and it must be recognized as part of business in general.

That is--in reality, it is valuable to network (and otherwise gather opportunities)--and it is technically work in and of itself--because it's part of how we function.

That is--many an inventor and researcher laments the fact that they have to 'sell' their good ideas--that they have to find a target audience. C'est la vie; it turns out that we have to adjust our skillsets and/or organize our resources accordingly.

 

[entropie]

Godwin

I'm leaving it to be very, very open-ended here. But I'm using 'merit' only to separate 'doing work and reap benefits from it' from 'gathering opportunities to do that work.' The latter is a prerequisite to the former, and it must be recognized as part of business in general.

That is--in reality, it is valuable to network (and otherwise gather opportunities)--and it is technically work in and of itself--because it's part of how we function.

That is--many an inventor and researcher laments the fact that they have to 'sell' their good ideas--that they have to find a target audience. C'est la vie; it turns out that we have to adjust our skillsets and/or organize our resources accordingly.

Oh man... bulletball, dunno if I should feel sorry for that guy or laugh my ass off . But that game is never gonna win.

I understand what you say and I hadnt too so much in mind to start a debate about merit. When you said that I was reminded of that 'elite school' kind of thing. And it remembered me of a thing I learned as a child. The big societies, clubs or gatherings of people who make up those elites are basically networks you have to be connected to. I could imagine having someone who graduated from Harvard in your family automatically raises you chance too to get an opportunity for graduation there. And thats basically what networking is, it is the rich mans game and always has been. You have a network of rich and influential people who hold their shit together and dont let anybody in. The dream of being an inventor, a rockstar or whatever is actually the poor mans dream. Those things have changed today but not so much. You see people in influential positions and wonder what they did do to get their. Wonder how many A++ they wrote in tests. Well they did noone of that, they just knew the right people.

When the op spoke of networking I tho had something completly different in mind. Its more the kind of thing that when you for example meet a person in business or somewhere you get along with, you try to keep in touch with them. So you maybe change numbers and call them a few weeks later to go over for a beer. Its a very relational life cause much of your freetime you devote to caring for your networks. That way you gravely expand your information circle, cause you know many people who tell you a lot of intresting things. Its very valuable, strategically and can be fun if you like that lifestyle.

I always wanted to be like that but then I suffered from strong acne for 10 years and turned into a computer geek in that time. Nowadays I have recovered a bit but I am still more comfortable in front of my PC than in public in a bar. Therefore I can understand the pros and challenges to networking.

Bottom line is and I think that is what is important, neither as a geek nor as a networker alone you'll be completly happy in life. As with all things one should try everything out and learn a bit about the things he or she doesnt know. Thats the only way to enlightenment. Amen

 

[Ism]

So important right now. Thankfully I've got a few referrals at the moment should I need them, but it's difficult trying to get them.

 

[miss fortune]

I've actually used networking less than one would assume considering that I worked sales for several years (and was pretty damned good at my job according to the rankings )... I'm terrible at remembering faces and have a tendency to be rather "out of sight, out of mind" in many cases which doesn't help...

however, I'm pretty damned charming and disarming in person when I want to be... it generally takes me less than 3 minutes to make almost ANYONE laugh and smile and feel comfortable with me- this has led me to assume, whether truly or falsely, that I can do, by showing up in person, what other people do through networking- this may just be arrogance speaking, but I have a pretty good track record

I do have the luck (in most cases) that other people remember ME if they've met me before, which has led, in the past, to people calling me and asking for me to sell them things because I helped their friend out- voila... about half of my work was done without me really having to put in any effort

 

[Redbone]

More important that I would have previously thought. I didn't actively pursue but I've had several family members to set me up with contacts on this side of the country.

 

[Rail Tracer]

[MENTION=4109]entropie[/MENTION] [MENTION=5578]bologna[/MENTION]

It can mean both ways. Both networking as in being able to get into those clubs or societies, or just knowing someone and befriending them. Both ways give a benefit to the person because both give you opportunity. That opportunity is knowing someone (anyone) who may be able to help you in the long run. The more they are related to the field you are getting to, the better. But you do get benefits if they aren't related to your field.

I may not have the luxury of family members graduating from Harvard or Berkeley, but that doesn't mean I can't go Greek, meet someone from my local chapter that knows someone prominent in Harvard and make a connection that way (the chances of that is slim though.)

Of course, that person that has gone to more prestigious colleges like Harvard or Berkeley definitely has advantages, but for me it all comes down to location, location, and location.

But luck does play a role.

 

[chickpea]

not at all. objectively I see how useful they can be, but kissing ass makes me feel dirty and I really don't like or feel comfortable with that kind of interaction. luckily I people close to me use their connections to help me out sometimes so I don't have to participate in it as much.

 

[Rail Tracer]

not at all. objectively I see how useful they can be, but kissing ass makes me feel dirty and I really don't like or feel comfortable with that kind of interaction. luckily I people close to me use their connections to help me out sometimes so I don't have to participate in it as much.

I don't see it as kissing ass, especially if both parties get a mutual benefit of some kind.

Example?

Because I was helping a friend out, I was able to get dental work that would of cost upwards of 1.2k for only $500. Not only that, because the person decided to infer me to someone who was willing to do such work for me, I've found a good group of people that I would consider to do dental work on me. That is, once I stop becoming a poor college student, they'd more than likely become my de facto dental workers. So

I help a friend
Friend helps me
Dentist gives me a huge discount
Dentist gets a new customer.

In another case, for the fact that I decided to ask a professor for any internships he knows of, I am able to get job experience (one in which he is able to contact me in the future for any help if he wants.)

Professor helps with internship
Internee gets free work
I get free job experience.
Professor gets future reference.

 

[chickpea]

I get it, I just still am not concerned with how someone can benefit me, I care if I like them or they're interesting to me. if they can help me out in some way it's a nice bonus, but I don't want to be used by other people in that way so I avoid doing it to others. that being said I still do it sometimes. it's not my natural state though. /so-last rant

 

[skylights]

Ugh. I wish I were better at this, but it does not come naturally to me. Like @chana, I really just don't think in those terms... it always feels awkward and staged. Fortunately I have FJ friends and so I usually end up having others network me!

 

[FDG]

I am really not bad at networking, because I'm pretty extroverted and I see what the benefits are...but I can't really do it with boring people. They need to be interesting / engaging, otherwise I won't even try. Generally, I like networks that develop themselves naturally, not purposefully.

I may not have the luxury of family members graduating from Harvard or Berkeley, but that doesn't mean I can't go Greek, meet someone from my local chapter that knows someone prominent in Harvard and make a connection that way (the chances of that is slim though.)

I know a number of people at Harvard, but uhm, what do you really expect the benefits to be? They're usually pretty busy and competition for their attention is extremely high, so either you are super interesting and smart and successful already, or having a connection "up there" is only marginally useful. In my experience, horizontal connections are much better (or perhaps slightly diagonal, where both of you are more "advanced" in a spefic theme/setting), since you both have clear benefits from cooperation.

 

[KDude]

I have the distinction of not making much use of anyone I've ever met. I've tried a few times though. Just doesn't go anywhere.