Professional Networking 102: The stages and steps to grow a network

Think of it less like a spiderweb and more like a garden

This is part two of a three part series I’m writing about professional networking. You can find part one here.

“It’s a networking event.”

When I worked for Syracuse University’s NYC office I could see people’s faces drop when I described any kind of sponsored outing with those four words. Annoyance. Anxiety. Resignation, if they had already agreed to attend. Why would those four words elicit such non-positive reactions?

Because for most people, networking events have become a time wasting exercise (unless the bar is open) organized with good intentions but woefully behind current job landscapes. The amount of managers with the authority to push a candidate to the top of the pile has dropped dramatically, and no one is able to apply for any role without going to some online portal where a resume must be replicated.

Best case scenario? There is an opening listed on a portal, a job hunter meets someone who can refer the job hunter, and the slot machine is pulled but with slightly higher odds. Most of the time a conversation ends with a nebulous “let’s stay connected,” parting, followed by a LinkedIn connection made.

As I have built my professional network over the last 15 years, I’ve realized the old “networking” playbook is built off old transactional models that do not fit the current labor landscape. What I’m outlining next isn’t so much an instruction guide, but a reframe for your perception of what a professional network should look like and how to continually grow the network into something that is both valuable and sustainable.