Build Your Network Before You Need It
Posted by Jeff Lu on February 26, 2009
by: Keith Ferrazzi, Tahl Raz
Guy Kawasaki is great at writing insightful and easy to understand “how to” articles. He wrote another good one earlier in the month titled “Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job“. He actually gave 11 pointers in this article and I thought the 11th was the best:
“Build your network before you need it. As a last tip, no matter how the economy or your career is doing, having a strong network is a good form of job security. Don’t wait until times are tough to nurture your network. The key to networking (or “schmoozing”), however, is filled with counter-intuitiveness. First, it’s not who you know—it’s who knows of you. Second, Great schmoozers are not thinking “What can this person do for me?” To the contrary, they are thinking, “What can I do for this person?” For more on schmoozing, read “the Art of Schmoozing”
This advice might seems obvious but it’s hard to implement. It’s natural to only want to network when we need something from someone, or when we are out of job.
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