I agree it is very different from Europe. I am from the UK and found a number of jobs there without any networking. It is just much more common there to post jobs, interview people, and make decisions on the basis of CV, qualifications etc. There are some exceptions - especially the financial sector, where jobs do tend to be allocated to friends of friends.

But here I would guess two or three times as many jobs are found on the basis of networks. It would seem inefficient to me but that is the way it works.

I will say that it is not necessarily about the number of contacts you have as much as the quality. Having one or two very good and trusted people vouch for your abilities and work ethic can be worth more than 100 facebook friends pointing you in the right direction.

And learn once you have he job how to "manage up."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People always say networking is very important for your career. But I always wonder why? It seems to me that networking takes a lot of energy, effort, time, etc. With the same amount of effort, if you focus on your work/study, you usually can do very well if not outstandingly well. Then which strategy is better: spend all your energy on your work (the technical skills, etc.) vs. spend part of the energy to meet the minimum requirement of the work, then spend the rest of the energy on networking?

I have always been using the first strategy and have been out of graduate school not long ago. I started to realize that my old strategy will not work, but am currently in a confused stage and need some advice.

Because you won't always be entry level. Or doing easy peasy campus recruiting as you get more senior.,

? You mean, you will not be outstandingly well even if you only focus on the technique skills. So better spend some time/energy on networking to make up for it?

No. It's because most job openings, especially Midlevel and up, are NOT posted. Your network refers you, or you talk with them about options. Or you help them. Blasting away at an online job posting along with hundreds of other people is not fun for you nor the company.

Always have your Personal Board of Directors teed up! Oh, and learn English grammar and parts of speech better.

Anonymous wrote:I went on an informational interview that I got through networking. I was offered a job at the end of it.

If that's not a good reason, I don't know what is...

When interviewing to become a law clerk I used my "network" to do a phone interview with someone who clerked for the same judge -- not someone I knew but someone a professional acquaintance knew. He talked to me for about 15 minutes, and said I should tell the judge we spoke. After the interview, the judge called him and he wound up recommending me and I got the job. Note my conversation with him was 15 minutes and he did more of the talking than I did. So that was my first introduction to how "networking" is important.

I went on an informational interview that I got through networking. I was offered a job at the end of it.

If that's not a good reason, I don't know what is...

I don't do superficial networking, but I do keep up professional relationships with former co-workers, etc.

Keeping up those relationships enabled me to find a new job when I was no longer challenged in my former job. Called an old collegue, asked if they were hiring, they were, and he helped to vet my resume to the point of getting an interview. Then it was all on me. But I doubt I would've gotten through the process without my connection; I was told later 217 people had made it through the cert list, and only 15 got calls to interview for one of 7 positions.