By Hannah Morgan (Career Sherpa)
Networking is often misunderstood as a “who you know” game. In reality, it is a deliberate, proactive strategy to understand the marketplace, refine your value proposition, and identify the gaps where your skills are most needed.
According to groundbreaking research from Stanford, MIT, Harvard, and LinkedIn, “the greatest job mobility comes from moderately weak ties” (those social connections between your closest friends and complete strangers).
If you are waiting for a job to appear on a job board to start networking, you are already behind the curve. Here is how to build a robust networking foundation that will serve you throughout your career.
Redefining Your Network: The 10 Types of People to Approach
Many people limit their networking to industry peers. This is a mistake. To broaden your reach, you need to be methodical. Start by documenting the names of people you already know, and then expand your list using these ten critical categories:
Mastering the Art of the “Pitch”
“What do you do?” It is the most common question in networking, and it is your single biggest opportunity. You need an “elevator pitch”. It’s a succinct, 15 to 60-second summary that explains your value.
The 7-Step Pitch Framework:
Define your goal: What role are you interested in?
Highlight your industry experience: How do you translate your past into your future?
Solve the problem: Focus on the skills you use to solve problems, not just your job titles.
Show your impact: What results did you create in your last role? (e.g., “I cut production time by 20%”).
End with a question: Keep the conversation moving.
Deliver with energy: Smile and show excitement; people want to hire humans, not robots.
Identify what the employer needs: Research the role, look for keywords in job descriptions, and tailor your pitch to show how you meet those specific needs.
You may not know exactly what job title you are pursuing or where you want to do it, but you can still start having conversations to find that out!
Template:
Building Your Proactive Target List
Stop blindly applying to job postings. Instead, create a target list of 25–50 companies you are genuinely interested in. I wrote a whole post on how to identify target companies and how to find target company insiders.
Keep your list organized in a spreadsheet or CRM. Include company name, whether you have any connections there, your motivation (1–5 scale of interest), and the status of your job postings. Once you have your list, identify the person you have the strongest link to and reach out. When you go directly to the source of opportunities rather than the “apply” button, you arrive ahead of the competition.
For more advice on networking and other job search topics, visit Hannah Morgan’s Career Sherpa site: https://career-essentials.beehiiv.com/
