Let's Talk Networking!


A couple of weeks ago I polled LinkedIn, asking how people who were recently hired landed their job. I was honestly surprised by the results.

I've always known networking works but I didn't think the disparity would be that large. When I was getting started in my career I was pretty dismissive of networking - thinking it was some relic of the past like a Rolodex, or pagers. People who talked about "networking" were just as likely to call computers "word processors."

Then, over time, 3 of my own 7 jobs were landed through networking. Many more opportunities had come my way through my network. Finding a job without a network is HARD.

Your. Network. Matters.

And let's not get Networking confused with Social Networking - Sure, LinkedIn is a Social Network, but it's first and foremost a tool for building professional contacts that may immediately, or at some point in the future, provide some career benefits.

I've hired people after networking on LinkedIn. I've purchased services and signed contracts. I've formed friendships. Networking is a long game, and it's rooted in reputation.

But, you have to get started somewhere - so with that, I decided to make a quick primer on how you can build your Network.

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FAQs for a Software Engineering Hiring Manager

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