Accessing other people’s networks
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This post was updated in 2019. You can find the new article here
A key way of improving your performance in role and access to career opportunities is to get outside your known group of people by strategically accessing other people’s networks.
We’ve mentioned this before when we talked about the different types of people you need in your network to help you achieve career success.
Today I’ll be focusing on the importance of having a team of job scouts – people who know what it is you’re looking for from your next career move, and who have a great relationship with you – so that even if they’re very busy they’ll make time to pass on tips about opportunities you might be interested in.
When it comes to accessing other people’s networks, there are three things I’d suggest thinking about:
Build warm relationships when other people are generous in sharing their networks. Interact with people as intelligent Search Engines who can help you meet new people – don’t treat them as mechanical Rolodexes. And build warm new connections over time, with more than one conversation.
A key way of improving your performance in role and access to career opportunities is to get outside your known group of people by strategically accessing other people’s networks.
We’ve mentioned this before when we talked about the different types of people you need in your network to help you achieve career success.
Today I’ll be focusing on the importance of having a team of job scouts – people who know what it is you’re looking for from your next career move, and who have a great relationship with you – so that even if they’re very busy they’ll make time to pass on tips about opportunities you might be interested in.
When it comes to accessing other people’s networks, there are three things I’d suggest thinking about:
- Pick back up with people. Over the last couple of years, scouting other people’s LinkedIn profiles to see their connections has almost become the norm. Like me, you may have been approached by people who want introductions to your contacts. Accessing other people’s networks has almost become a kind of “shopping” amongst friends – but what interested me as I prepared this blog was seeing how that situation is now reversing.
I googled “accessing other people’s networks” to see what other people had written on the subject – and found tips how to stop people using your IT network! So I googled how to access other people’s friendship groups, and what I got was a list of ways to stop people seeing your Facebook friendship groups… It seems the trend is now towards stopping people hijacking your network – both in terms of people and Internet connection!
I personally think it’s important when accessing other people’s networks that you involve them – tell them about your current career thinking, enlist them as a job scout, and allow them to give you the information and the support that you need. If they buy into helping you they’ll take the initiative to point you at the best people in their network to provide help.
The important point is to pick back up with people in person. It’s no longer acceptable to use purely social media to build those onward connections – we need to go back to person-to-person relationships. - Accessing their networks. Highly connected and successful people are being bombarded with emails and telephone calls asking for help, so a personal introduction from a mutual acquaintance is the best way to stand out. It also adds a degree of credibility if you’re being introduced, as it shows that the person they know values you.
If you’re in a position where you need to make the approach yourself, be sure to name drop. For example, using someone’s name in the subject of the email – “Kevin Blake suggested getting in touch” – can be great way to stand out. Bearing in mind how many emails the average person gets in one day, you need to make sure that yours gets read. - What’s in it for them? I’ve had numerous personal experiences where I’ve helped people from a friend’s network, and it’s been treated like a run-of-the-mill transactional relationship. They get what they need, and that’s the end of it.
Contrast this with an approach where you make a genuine connection and bring the new person into your network. Connect with them on LinkedIn, take their contact details, and be mindful of opportunities or news they might be interested in. At the very least email both the introducer and the new contact to say thank you. Even better, tell them the outcome of their help – what happened next? Show your appreciation. And even better than that – find some small way of helping them in return!
Build warm relationships when other people are generous in sharing their networks. Interact with people as intelligent Search Engines who can help you meet new people – don’t treat them as mechanical Rolodexes. And build warm new connections over time, with more than one conversation.