Designing Your Career: The Networking Reframe

What do you picture when you think about "networking?" Many people think of slick, self-interested people manipulating others to get things they don’t deserve, or pretending to care about someone just to use them to get to someone else. But what if instead of considering networking sleazy, we reframed the way you think of it, and reimagined it as something else entirely? One way to reframe networking is to picture it as asking for directions. Think back on the last time you lived or worked somewhere where you really knew your way around. Can you remember a time when a stranger came up and asked you for directions? What happened? If you were able to point them in the right direction, how did you feel? Did you feel like they were using you? No! If you’re like most people you felt good about being able to help someone out. In general, just like you’re happy to give directions to a stranger, most people enjoy doing small things to help others. And asking for help finding people or information in a professional context, is actually a lot like asking where you can find the nearest ATM or coffeehouse. Networking allows people inside a community to help people like you - who may be from outside the community - find their way, learn new things, and better participate in a domain or type of work. And the community benefits from bringing new people into the conversation, too: the more introductions that are made, the more information everyone has to take advantage of. Good networking is just like asking for directions, and people are happy to help. The point isn’t to "do" networking; the goal is to become part of the network. And someday you’ll help someone too!

Channel: Stanford Life Design Lab

Views: 85,705

Keywords: design thinking, d.school, career coaching, networking, life coaching, design, Stanford, stanford university, design school, designing your life, bill burnett, dave evans, recruiting, informational interviewing, internships, job-searching, job-seeking, stanford design school, career, passion, design interviewing, designing your stanford, united states, english, tutorial, stanford d.school, stanford, learn, jobs, job

Id: j8cfh6WdHn0

Length: 2min 5sec (125 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 29 2017