One topic everyone always talks about when navigating the corporate world and career is the importance of networking. Sayings like it’s not what you know but who you know and your network is your net worth have become overused clichés at this point.
But how exactly do you go about networking? Is it showing up at as many business events as possible and introducing yourself to everyone there? Is it just adding and messaging as many people on LinkedIn as possible? I’ve done both. Not that effective.
I personally break up networking into 2 different buckets that I call active networking and ambient networking. These are both equally important to build that personal network that you will lean on throughout your professional career.
Active Networking
If you’re looking to expand your professional network it’s likely because you’re looking to increase your chances of landing a job, finding a fruitful opportunity, or to expand your knowledge. I like to call this increasing your shots on goal. The more shots on goal you have, the more chances you have to score. And the more chances you have to score, the more successes you’ll have.
In order to increase your shots on goal, you need to put yourself in the position to be able to have as many chances as possible. This is where active networking comes into play.
Active networking is exactly what it sounds like. It means actively and intentionally connecting with others and building the personal relationships that will lead to those shots on goal in the future. You have to actually go out of your way to meet new people, learn from them, share your knowledge, and ask something of them.
It means asking busy people who are more senior in your field to spend some of their precious time with you. It means attending professional events and meeting strangers. It means introducing yourself to someone on a completely different team in the office. It means raising your hand for a project that’s outside of your comfort zone.
If active networking feels difficult and vulnerable, it’s because it is. You are putting yourself out there and are unsure if your efforts will be rewarded or even reciprocated.
But the upside is that you continually grow your personal network. A weak connection can become a deeper connection, and can eventually lead to that opportunity you’ve been looking for.
Here’s some tactical advice to help make active networking feel less daunting, and ultimately be more impactful.
Put yourself in situations with people you want to learn from
Whatever your craft is, there’s probably someone who has been doing it for a lot longer than you have. Or who has gone through the same journey you’re currently on. The best way to grow and find more opportunities in what you’re interested about is to learn from someone who’s been there before. Find ways to be around these people more often. Attend events with people in your field, spend time with likeminded individuals, send messages to people whose work you admire, etc. Be open minded, be curious, and be willing to learn.
Make it easy for people to help you
If you’re going to ask for someone’s time in their busy schedule, make it easy for them to help you. Make your ask clear and upfront. Try to be helpful and see if there’s a way for you to provide value even before asking for something. Most people are busy, and their most valuable (and finite!) resource is time. Be respectful of it.
Be an active listener
A lot of the time people nod along in conversation without actually understanding what’s being said. They only wait for the opportunity to talk about what interests them or to share about themselves. Instead, try paying close attention to what people say and asking thoughtful questions as the conversation evolves. Ask for clarification if there’s something you don’t understand. This shows that you actually want to understand, that you actually care, and that you actually value what they have to say.
Go the extra mile
You’re not the only one who is looking to grow their network. The job market is rough, and everyone around you is doing the exact same thing. You need to do everything to stand out, especially if you’re earlier in your career. Connect with people after meeting them. Send the thank you email. Follow up with something you’ve built that might be interesting. Spend time to send something that’s meaningful and not AI generated. Remember small details from your conversations. These may seem like small acts in a vacuum, but over time they will compound.
Ambient Networking
So some people might call this personal brand but I think that idea has become a bit tainted. It often implies something curated or performative. Ambient networking is more about behavior: how you help people, how you treat colleagues, the quality of your work day to day.
This means going above and beyond in your work not because you’re looking for a promotion or raise, but because you take pride in the quality of what you deliver. It means being helpful to those around you without asking for anything in return. It means being kind and authentic with every interaction no matter who you’re speaking to.
Most people only think about networking when they need something, like a new job. But ambient networking is working in the background all the time, whether you're job hunting or not. By the time you need your network, it's either already strong or it isn't. You don't build it in a rush.
Nothing bad happens the day you let your standards slip. That's what makes ambient networking easy to ignore.
The upside is how people speak about you when you’re not in the room. If people have nothing but positive things to say about working with you, in terms of both enjoyment and quality of your output, they are advocating for you. Sorry, but it’s not just enough to be nice. You actually have to deliver too.
If you want to make it far, you will need people to advocate on your behalf. Referrals are still the best way to find a new role. And even if you do find yourself in the late stages of an exciting opportunity, backdoor references are becoming increasingly common (even for less senior roles). Circles are small, and people talk.
I can’t overstate how important it is to have people who have nothing but positive things to say about you, especially effective people who have the respect of others.
In terms of tactical advice, I’m going to keep it very simple.
Do really good work
You should hold an extremely high standard for the work you do and never compromise the quality of your output. Make the lives of your colleagues easier. If you make a mistake, own it, learn from it, and do better next time. Learn how to be visible and share your accomplishments. Continually learn and sharpen your craft. This doesn’t mean working yourself to death or not having work life balance. It means taking pride in what you do and how you deliver. Your personal network will advocate for you if they remember you as someone who always went above and beyond. Be the person who they select “superstar” on the referral without hesitation.
Be a good human being
Be good at your job, but be a better human being. Some might think this doesn’t need to be said, but I actually think it does. People will remember the work you do, but more importantly they’ll remember how you made them feel. Be kind. Be easy to work with. Be low ego. Be responsive. Help people without expecting something in return. Give credit publicly when it’s due. Apologize when you make a mistake. Remember small details about people. Be fun to be around. Smile. Literally just be a good human being.
Wrapping Up
Active networking helps you meet new people and create more opportunities. Ambient networking makes sure your reputation is strong enough that people want to help you when those opportunities appear. The first opens the door, the second is why people let you in.
Both matter! The best time to build your network is before you need it. Having a personal network is so valuable, and today it’s a non-negotiable when trying to navigate your career. And maybe, you might just create some meaningful human connections along the way.