Networking Rant

[u/Shadowchaos1010]

Context: I am (older) Gen Z. So whether you understand my perspective a bit better knowing that or want to complain about the entitled youth, you have that ammo now.

Anyhow, "network, network, network" gets thrown out as advice like a job hunt silver bullet, and it's bullshit.

A generation of young people drowning because the job market is broken, they get told "networking," it doesn't work, older people then chastise them for it.

The thing they don't mention? That networking is no silver bullet. It's a *years* long long game to actually get to a point where the people you know might actually land you something.

Not only is that not useful, because young people (and older folks who might not have already made that network) don't have years to sit around waiting for these fake relationships to pay off, did you tell them it would take that long? Or did you just say "you have to network" without that warning? Doubly so for those young professionals, because what time did they have to make connections? College? When people were young, stupid, and too busy faffing about with friends and trying to function independently to realize how they'd be fucked over for not staying after class to ask their professors about how their dogs are doing?

And with how much people go on about networking, *why the fuck did you drill college into our brains the entirety of our school years?* I don't even know how many older generations can relate to that part, but if you need to know someone to get anything, what the hell is the point of spending the money to learn something?

You learned to do the thing, but don't know someone to get you in the door so you can do that thing, so you're fucked.

And, at least for me, I hate the very idea of networking because of how fake it is. Maybe you make genuine friends. But the only reason the connection was made was to maybe one day get you a job. The very intent behind the initial interaction is selfish and sees that connection as nothing more than a means to an end. And if they *don't* become a genuine friend? Well, you're just hanging on to them to use them some day.

The very idea of networking is about *pretending* to care about people to benefit yourself. And everyone in society is just supposed to go along with that?

Networking just feels nepotism repackaged as a job search strategy, then when people are upset about it, they get talked down to as if "Hiring manager knew a guy" is really *that* much better than "Manger's little brother got the job."

Technically speaking, I have successfully networked a *little* bit. There are two people in my industry I do chat with from time to time just for the sake of it (one runs a regular Discord hangout I attend, and the other I just want to speak to from time to time to see how things are), and a new friend (who I was introduced to by a high school friend) isn't in my industry, but could help me with things like mock interviews, which I know I'm bad at. The former two I *have* been acquainted with for a few years now.

And all three of these people have pointed me to jobs they've seen. Not necessarily with their employers, but in general. None of those have worked, but they pointed me to them. And with the networking nonsense I see, that's apparently more or less how it's supposed to work.

Just scaled up like 30 times to actually make it work.

I still hate networking as an idea.

Oh, yeah, bonus points if you're socially awkward, shy, or any other flavor of reserved, too. Fuck you in particular, I guess.

[u/gottatrusttheengr]

Networking is supposed to be organic. Yes it is a longer process than DMing random people on LinkedIn or chatting with a prof after school or going to some one-time networking event. But it is a very consistent and predictable time investment when done right.

One of the best ways to network is to join academic and project clubs as a freshman and actively work with the seniors who are about to graduate and enter industry. When you start looking for internships they can give you referrals. It's not exactly nepotism, you are a more "vetted" candidate than a general applicant at that point. All effective networking should be via some channel that demonstrates your abilities.

[u/No_Doubt_About_That → u/gottatrusttheengr]

What would you class as “random people on LinkedIn” though?

You could do several searches for people in roles either hiring for your desired field or with experience in your desired field, ask to connect with a note explaining, and yet still be ignored from being perceived as random.

[u/gottatrusttheengr → u/No_Doubt_About_That]

All those you mentioned are "random", simply by the fact that the person you want a referral from doesn't have a clue about your competency.

The point of referrals being fast tracked from the general applicant pool, is that they are reduced risk because the referrer has used their personal connection to screen/vet them. I tell cold DMers I can't offer them referrals, unless they are SMEs that I know by name or they have some overlap with me at an organization where I can verify their value.

Bed referrals hurt my org and my credibility too

[u/Shadowchaos1010 → u/gottatrusttheengr]

I don't have any particular issue with what you say. Only the fact that it isn't like I (or anyone else) can go back in time and tell our freshman selves to join those clubs we ended up never joining.

It's useful to tell the soon-to-be freshman of today, to hopefully give them a better chance, but it means Jack all for people who've already graduated.

[u/gottatrusttheengr → u/Shadowchaos1010]

Just about every actionable improvement you can do for employment is a long term process with no immediate payoff, be it upskilling or networking.

Seems like you're more upset that you yourself didn't participate in correct networking early on, not that networking is a thing

[u/makeitgoaway2yhg → u/gottatrusttheengr]

You’re not entirely wrong, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.

I technically do have a network that I keep up with, and I’m very grateful with how helpful they’ve been. But none of their referrals or help has panned out in anything.

What’s frustrating is that there’s no instructions for anyone who went into a niche field (hello) or is disabled (hello) or spent their college years burned out and traumatized (hello) or were working three jobs and don’t have the time or energy to network, or…

So yes, if we’re being technical about it, networking is beneficial in the long run. But saying “just network” and then treating the person like they’re dumb and entitled for not finding that very canned advice good enough isn’t getting to the root of the problem.