# Good News for Young Strivers: Networking Is Overrated



## Daniel (Aug 28, 2017)

Good News for Young Strivers: Networking Is Overrated - The New York Times
by Adam Grant
Aug 24 2017

...It’s true that networking can help you accomplish great things. But this obscures the opposite truth: Accomplishing great things helps you develop a network...

Not long ago, I watched a colleague try to climb the ladder of success solely through networking. For a few years, he managed to meet increasingly influential people and introduce them to one another. Eventually it fell apart when they realized he didn’t have a meaningful connection with any of them. Networking alone leads to empty transactions, not rich relationships.

It’s a lesson I’ve learned in my own career. I once emailed an entrepreneur I admired and got nothing in response. Some months later he contacted me out of the blue, with no memory that I had tried to get in touch before. He had attended a talk I gave and wanted to meet — now he had proof that I could add value.

My students often believe that if they simply meet more important people, their work will improve. But it’s remarkably hard to engage with those people unless you’ve already put something valuable out into the world. That’s what piques the curiosity of advisers and sponsors. Achievements show you have something to give, not just something to take.

Sure, you can fire off cold emails to people you respect — they’re just a click away — but you’ll be lucky if 2 percent even reply. The best way to attract a mentor is to create something worthy of the mentor’s attention. Do something interesting, and instead of having to push your way in, you’ll get pulled in. The network comes to you...


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## Daniel (May 13, 2019)

Networking doesn't have to be difficult though and can take a back seat to academic/professional work:



> All you have to do is create a single Excel spreadsheet with five columns:
> 
> First: list the companies you’d like to work for,
> 
> ...



One can learn a lot too at LinkedIn about one's industry.


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## GaryQ (May 13, 2019)

Somehow I don't think Linkedin contacts are any more valid than the number of unknown friends in your facebook circle.

Sure if they need something you got then they're your friends.

The saying that "It's not what you know but who you know" is extremely true and valid.... but that's only goes if you actually know the person in question!


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## Daniel (May 13, 2019)

> Somehow I don't think Linkedin contacts are any more valid than the number of unknown friends in your facebook circle.



Some recruiters can't even see you though unless you have 500+ connections.  So the system rewards superficial connections.  I went from less than 10 connections to over 350 in the last few months, so obviously the connections are generally not deep at all.

When I request a connection, I always leave a note for the person so I can look back and see what our mutual interest is.  Often, I find people through something they authored elsewhere (open source project, blog post, academic paper, technical book).  So it is a way of keeping track of things I am learning at least.


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## David Baxter PhD (May 13, 2019)

Yes, I'm no longer seeking employment but if I were I'd up my LinkedIn profile. Even with freelance web projects, I occasionally get a hit there and at least they're not expecting me to make a website for $5-10.


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## GaryQ (May 14, 2019)

I feel more and more disconnected from reality and thankful in a way that I’m unable to work. I wouldn’t survive in this new superficial society where your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles and contacts actually hold any value.

i can understand the value of real social implications like volunteering or for programmers actively participating in open source projects but the rest. Nope

My only online social connection is this forum. No profile left anywhere whatsoever. Had twitter and Instagram for 2 contests didn’t win and terminated the accounts. Just no interest whatsoever. 

I get why people feel the need for it but it’s no longer for me.
if the forum goes down then most likely my internet social participation along with it.


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## Daniel (May 16, 2019)

> No profile left anywhere whatsoever.



BTW, I left a short review for a grocery store in Mexico, and that review got more views than anything else I have probably ever written in my life


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## Daniel (May 28, 2019)

After 400+ connections at LinkedIn, finally found a company I really hope to work for next year after I finish my degree :dance2:   Many of the other companies I already knew about through Indeed.com (or were out of my state and not hiring remote workers).

And even Google shows results from job classifieds if they determine that is what you are searching for.


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