The 6 Networking Rules I Wish I Knew Before I Started Job Hunting

Networking Is a Skill You Can Practice

I.

Nicole Leverich grew up in a small town in Oregon. After college, she moved to San Francisco. She knew no one in communications.

After she found her first job, she volunteered for the grunt work no one else wanted. She filed archives no one filed. She took clients no one took. She stayed an hour later after everyone else left. She did not announce that she was building a network. She did the work. The network grew from there.

“Once you connect with your classmates, former professors, people you met at summer jobs, family, and friends, you will be surprised by how many connections you already have,” she says.

The key word is “already.” You are not starting from zero. You just have not counted yet.

II.

Taylor was in the library at 2 a.m. Her LinkedIn page was open. She copied the same paragraph, changed the name, and sent it.

Message 47 got no reply. Message 89 got a “no.” Message 134 got one reply: “We can talk.”

She sent more than 200 cold messages during college. She calls it “very awkward.” She does not claim she overcame the awkwardness. She says, “To get the job I wanted, I had to do it.”

“I had to” is more honest than “I was brave.”

Her colleague Vicky, 24, put it more directly: “The point is not being good at networking. The point is not being afraid to reach out.”

Vicky said this while drinking a convenience-store coffee. Water drops sat on the cup. She wiped them off with her finger.

“I had thought I was not qualified to have those conversations. Then you notice there are no rules. Sending an email or a message is free and easy. The worst thing that can happen is rejection, and that is okay.”

Those two words remove the fear.

III.

Leverich was in a podcast studio. A mug sat on the table. As she spoke, her finger traced circles around the rim.

“If you cold-call me and say you want a job, I am far less likely to help than if you call and ask for five minutes of advice.”

The sentence has two parts. Five minutes of advice is a request the other person can complete. “Help me find a job” costs a huge amount of time and energy. People help with favors that make them feel, “I can do that.”

She also said something many people overlook: “You would be surprised by how many people are willing to help, but I rarely get a thank-you.”

She did not say gratitude matters. She said she rarely gets it. That “rarely” carries a specific disappointment. One thank-you is the reason someone will help you next time.

IV.

Katherine Leopold, a coach at Greenwich Business School, says the biggest obstacle is taking the first step. If you do not take it, you “rule yourself out.”

She says institutions receive an “absolutely enormous” number of applications, so try to meet employers in person and show them your most honest experience.

“Tell them: I have this skill. I have this knowledge. I believe your team will be stronger with me on it.”

The sentence avoids “I believe in myself.” It avoids “I love this industry.” It uses “I have,” “I know,” “I can.” Take out the adjectives, and the claim still stands.

V.

Madison worked in corporate for 10 years. Now he works in tech partnerships. Many young people ask him for career advice. He says many of them could be clearer about what they want.

“There is nothing wrong with saying your goal, or what you want from this interaction.”

He also says, “If you are sincere with people, more doors will open for you.”

Sincere here means do not pretend, do not exaggerate, do not play games. You do not need to act as if you are impressive. You only need to say where you are, where you want to go, and what you are willing to do.

VI.

If you are looking for a job, or planning a career change, start with one thing today.

List 10 people you already know. Classmates, former colleagues, teachers, friends. Pick an industry you want to enter. Write one message that does its homework, respects boundaries, and says thank you.

Then go to one event and stay 15 minutes. If you get rejected, that is okay. Move on to the next person.

Leverich says, “Even if your network is small, do not be discouraged, because not having a network now does not mean you will never have one.”

Her sentence ends with “will never have one.” The tone is flat, almost dry.

Networking is a skill you can practice. You do not need to know everyone. You only need to start connecting.