Me, captured by a professional photographer mid-networking!
“What’s that “N” word we were talking about last week?” I asked my students today.
“Networking!” shouted a flock simultaneously.
“Right!” I exclaimed, thrilled at how well the ongoing training was progressing. “And what does ‘Networking’ mean?”
“Meeting other people to connect ideas and opportunities,” one 8th grader offered. ”Seeing how you can help someone with their project and goals,” added another, “and how they can help you on yours.” I nearly fainted in happiness. My Campaign for the Teaching of Networking is starting to bear fruit!
These photos are from the Venture Cafe EdTech Networking Night.
You see, the more I look at the skills that have helped my life and the lives of successful people I know, the more I see the paramount importance of Networking. Lately, I see that if we don’t teach our students how to Network, all the writing instruction we do, all the To Kill a Mockingbird analysis, and all the their/there/they’re practice we beat into their heads won’t be used to its full potential!
Just HOW important is the skill of connecting with others for mutual gain?
Or, put another way, just HOW correct is the quote from the movie A.T.L. (starring esteemed rapper, T.I.): “Sometimes it’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know”?
It's so exciting to be in a room of people building ideas!
Check out these facts:
1. Jobs: Can we agree that the majority of job offers are from connections (“who you know”), not formal applications? Seriously: ask around among successful adults. And readers, I invite you to share your own experiences in the Comments section: How much has Networking built your resume?
Me, I have held about twelve formal jobs in my 29 years, and seven of those (including the most important and high-paying ones) were because I had gotten to know someone who knew someone who knew someone who was hiring, who trusted me for the job because of our connection. Now, I did get the other 5 jobs through a formal application process, so students mustn’t give up on that route forever… but let’s really acknowledge the clout of connections for careers!
2. Opportunities: Many successful people started their career path because of an opportunity they heard from a casual conversation with another person they didn’t really know.
Signing into the Venture Cafe with Virtual Name Tags!
For example, my friend Marleny, who is Boston Public Schools graduate and now a doctor (woo hoo!), earned over a quarter-million dollars in scholarships for elite schools because she heard someone mention a scholarship she had never heard of and asked follow-up questions. She found the scholarship, applied… and won! Networking is about listening well, valuing the ideas of others, and following up!
3. Free stuff: Our classroom now has 2 new computers and a spiffy new printer, generously donated from a business philanthropist who knows someone who knows someone who I know! Our class helped his company with editing and testing a new website, and his company compensated our technology-starved classroom richly. Networking!
A room full of amazing people and free food. YES!
4. The growth of your dreams and projects. Exactly a year ago, I spent 3 wonderful months volunteer teaching at Youth Creating Change of Ghana thanks to online networking I did through the website Couchsurfing.org. Moreover, the reason that YCC Ghana, a small, locally-run nonprofit group, was able to reach the eyes of an American like me is because YCC’s Director is a brilliant online networker, himself. There are millions of small Nonprofits around the world that never get a single international volunteer, but because of YCC’s proficiency in Networking, YCC now has a ton of amazing, growing opportunities and international ties. Given that, what could Networking do for YOUR dreams and projects?
5. Saving money during travel. I can’t tell you how much money I saved during my 9 months traveling around the world thanks to Networking. Time after time, I got free housing due to connections (in person and on Facebook and Twitter) with friends of friends of friends of friends. In the case of my first night in Bangkok, Thailand, I got free 5-star lodging with my mother’s co-worker’s former co-worker’s wife’s co-worker! This tongue twisting “braid of human kindness” works all around the world.
Networking and BUILDING ideas and connections: a true joy!
6. Mentorship. You may or may not know how I stalked and tracked down the #1 Travel Blogger while he was visiting Spain. Long story short, we’re now good friends and I’ve learned SO much about blogging, business, and travel from connecting with him! There’s a fine line between Networking and Stalking, but as long as you can stay out of jail, linking up with the star players of your dream field is euphoric and extremely helpful in achieving your career goals.
7. Joy! Last Thursday night, returning home from the Venture Cafe in Kenall Square, Cambridge, I was so truly, deeply excited and HAPPY, that the friend I called to chat with thought I was on some heavy stimulant drugs. But no drugs were involved, honest! The reason for my bliss was that I had just attended an unbelievable 150-person EdTech (Education Technology) entrepreneur networking meet-up. It wasn’t just the free food, gorgeous high-tech surroundings, or awesome people that made that night such a revelation, no. What was so exhilarating was the almost palpable feeling of BUILDING connections. What a high to realize that you can contribute to someone else’s project or business, and they can contribute to yours… and the world will be more fabulous as a result!
Networking is a true joy of life, and it is a skill that can and should be discussed and taught in our classrooms. Even the shyest student can practice and learn Networking, and once a student masters it, success and results will come!
Readers: Thoughts? Questions? Stories? Speaking of folks I networked with last Thursday, big thanks to photographer Sidi Gomes (www.SidiGomes.com) for today’s fancy photos.
Your definitely right, networking is a great thing that should go around for students to know about. It can lead to so many great opportunities you would never expect in life. Teachers should really encourage their students to get more into networking.Very inspiring article Ms.M.
I totally agree with you. I have 4 other siblings and they’re consistently telling me about jobs interview and such. My older brother and sister seem to rely on WHO they know a lot more than WHAT they know. And networking is useful in many differents ways. The majority of athletes had some type of connection in the past that helped them get to where they are now. Great story btw!
I work for LinkedIn and I believe you are on the right track! We’ve recently shifted our focus towards helping students find career paths, jobs and create a professional social network of contacts. It truly is important for your career to network and maintain contact with people that you’ve worked with in the past.
I give you a lot of credit for guiding your students on all of your points! They’re great advice!
As someone newly obsessed with LinkedIn, I am thrilled and honored to get your comment. Thanks, and keep up the great work, yourself!
I don’t like how you think that anyone can just start doing this. Why would people honestly try to help you in such ways when truly there not gaining anything?
Thanks for your fascinating comment, Juan, and it shows why many of us don’t even try to network: because we don’t see why others helping us could possibly help them, so we don’t believe they would do it. But time and time again, I’ve seen it happen. Here are reasons why:
1. The other person may get genuine joy out of helping another human. What’s in it for them is the feeling that they’re making the world a better place.
2. But more often than not, Networking is done because BOTH parties get something out of it. You may not totally understand what the other person is getting, and they may or may not tell you, but the likelihood is that they are getting just as much out of the connection as you.
Make sense?
I would help you, Juan! I’ve found a LOT of people are very willing to go out of their way to help ‘new professionals’, mostly because someone helped THEM when they were starting out, and they are just paying it forward!
I like being a mentor and coach and would totally help someone, even if there was nothing in it for me. You never know until you ask.
I think that networking is very important especially when it comes to meeting new people. I am on the New England Aquarium’s blog and I love it. It helps to get yourself out there!
At first I thought you meant the real N word, but I am glad that that was not the case. It was so nice to meet Marleny in class, she truly is an inspiration to all and is living proof that networking works. I am sometimes scared of networking sometimes, but slowly but surely I am getting over that.
Lillie, what a great post!
Networking is just as important, if not more, than anything that you may learn in school. Once you get a degree, if you can’t talk with people you wont get anywhere (and talking here I mean both digitally and in real life). The better you are at it (the more socially smart you are), the easier things that involve anything other than yourself become for you.
It is just assumed that eveybody has it “down” since we are, most of us
, social creatures since birth. But just as there are different degrees of what one could call “academic” intelligence, there are different degrees of “Social Intelligence,” and just like “body or physical intelligence” the more one practices the better one gets…
It is funny though, how teaching “social intelligence” is looked down upon, when all the others are encouraged… I remember buying one book once about “persuasion” and feeling all guilty about it.. reading in hiding
Why?
I do not think that this article is correct in the way of saying networking is a great thing because it might not interest everyone or provide good things at all moments but this is a great story.
I agree that networking can make your life easier. One time, I went to the grand opening of a new bakery. I was the first one there and the baker and I were having a conversation about the shop. I gave him some great tips on how to make his shop better, and for that I got a bunch of free pastries every time I go back to the bakery
I disagree, I believe that networking does not help much. Most teens or pre-teens get involved in drugs, prison, and sexual interests through networking. Although I like the Internet and find it as a way to socialize with friends, I also belive it is an addiction that could result in a lot of trouble for the people who are using it. I have seen people get hurt and killed through networking, such as Myspace and Facebook. You have only listed the good things about networking but the things that cause trouble overweight them significantly.
hahaha
I don’t think she meant just “online” networking – it means meeting people in person, making new professional contacts, talking to people who might know someone who can help you find a job!
who knew can travel around the world as well as SAVE money due to connections! I think its great to be kind to everyone you meet because it will pay off in the future! Having connections with the right people will make your future a very good place!
I do agree that networking can lead to new possibilities. One time I had a friend who worker at a Bubble Tea store. Occasionally I would get discounts!
Great Article! Networking can really make a difference for everyone out there! I really like the fact about how your friend had won a scholarship to a great school and how you were able to get accepted to many jobs too! I’m lastly really happy about how our school gets to have new computers thanks to networking! I will really try networking when I get into high school so that way it will help alot in the future.
This article makes me laugh, in a good way because it says how you,”stalked” a blogger, and how the article says stay out of jail… I love all of these articles!
Lillie,
As manager of the Venture Cafe, I want to thank you for attending the EdTech meetup and let you know that I believe deeply that ‘networking’ or building connections through conversations is critical to success and personal fulfillment – and so I am so glad that you are teaching your students some of these soft skills!
Looking forward to seeing you in the cafe again soon,
Carrie Stalder
Founding Manager
Venture Cafe
I try to network whenever I meet influential people. I networked last Saturday at Harvard.
I network socially on facebook. That’s my form of networking.
Well, you may be joking in this comment, but Facebook has been amazing for my career/travel networking. When I would plan to go to a new country, I would post on my status update something like: “I’m headed to Japan in a few weeks. Anyone have connections or suggestions for that country?” As a result, I got tons of great advice and a bunch of “new friend suggestions” from friends of friends who live there. I stayed for free with a lot of these friends of friends, and they were wonderful people. More on this here: http://www.aroundtheworldl.com/2009/12/02/ways-to-make-buddies-while-traveling/
I agree with you completely! It doesn’t hurt to go to public places and socialize as well as take on other extracurricular activites. This kind of stuff looks good on your college applications and helps build character. It opens many oportunities for you!
This is such a great article Lillie! We have found that networking is immensely important when looking for international teaching jobs and I love that you are practicing this with your students. I will have to steal your idea and start practicing this more with my own students!
Awesome! Right: learning about job openings is usually first through word-of-mouth and connections, even before it’s formally posted for the public. My friend just told me that she learned of a job vacancy yesterday from a woman who was walking her dog in the same park!
Enjoy teaching Networking strategies to your students and keep us posted on how it goes.
I really enjoyed this post! Being a journalism student within strategic communications we are always told to network, but I did not have a clue how to when I got to college! I really wish our schools would have taught us at least a smidgeon about that aspect before going to college. Sometimes I struggle with the word networking because I hate the idea of using someone to get ahead. I know the majority of people who do network do not use their skills in that way, but I can’t help but think about the small portion that does. What do you think is the line between networking and using someone?
Thanks, Virginia! Indeed, you’ve brought up a question that my students have sometimes posed, too. “Are you saying Networking means glomming onto rich and powerful people so you can milk benefits from them?” But, NO, Networking does NOT (and of course, SHOULD not) be that way!
Humans have free will, and thus most times folks won’t agree to an arrangement unless they are getting something out of it for themselves, too (or someone is threatening to beat them up, which I rarely do!). In our class, we could feel guilty that we have 2 new computers in our classroom, but the reality is that we helped the donor out with his website project, and that’s why he helped us out. You could feel guilty getting journalistic information from sources, but they’re likely getting something out of the exchange, themselves: the thrill of fame? The excitement of helping reveal the truth? The joy of telling one’s story helping another person? What else?
Good point that we should be wary of Networking veering into “Using,” (and we should explicitly address this with students, too) but there are so many ways to do it with mutual benefit and respect that there should be no need for it to veer into negativity.