“Networking” is terrible advice

Yet it is probably the most common advice people give when it comes to job hunting. It is bad advice because it is vague and based on a selfish premise: “what can you offer me?” You must trade something valuable to get something valuable in return. A good job opportunity, a referral, is extremely valuable. To earn it, you must be offering something of equal value in return.

A better premise for “networking” should be “what can I offer you?” This is an improvement, but it still frames networking as a transactional relationship. That is why it is ultimately bad advice. By the time you are looking for a job or a referral, you are in a weak position to offer something valuable. Your skills may be valuable, and they may hold great promise, but you are still asking the other person to trust you. Most people will not. Your friends will, though, because over time you have consistently offered them something of value. That history is why they are still your friends.

“Networking” is a terrible job-hunting strategy, but it is a great emergency-preparedness strategy. You should not be doing it to find a job, but to make meaningful connections that bring satisfaction, fellowship, and support to your life. You build meaningful connections by serving others, being a good friend, and creating value for people. A better name for this strategy is simply “making friends.”

When you have strong relationships with your peers, community, and friends, you will have the confidence to exchange all the value you have built as a friend and contributor for something as valuable as a referral, recommendation, or endorsement. So please, stop “networking.” Just go out there and make some friends.