Does Networking = Not Working?

Posted by Jeff Carter
on July 6th, 2012

Jeff’s on vacation this week. I (Robbie Abed) am running the blog while he is gone. You can also follow me on twitter.

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Hi, My name is Robbie and I have a problem. I quit my job 7 months ago, and I have spent the last 7 months networking my ass off. Starbucks is my second home. I’ve had to ditch my favorite Dunkin Donuts coffee since I can’t really meet people there. I go to networking events, follow up on emails, setup times to talk & connect people all the time. I’m what they call a “super connector in training”. Looking for a job? Seriously, I’m your guy. Already have a great job, but looking for a better one? I work anonymously.

Imagine if you hired a private investigator who instead of finding if your spouse is cheating on you, helps you connect with other employers who are looking to poach from competitors anonymously. That’s me in one sentence. I will help you.

Here’s the problem: I don’t charge anything for my “services.” I do it all for the sake of “networking”. I told you, I have a problem. But is it really a problem?

My wife now calls all networking events “parties”, because I don’t make money at these events. I tried to argue that building connections is worthwhile endeavor. It will pay off in spades a few years down the road. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Right?

She also told me networking = not working. I had to laugh when she said that because from her perspective, she is absolutely right. I am attending an event with no clear goal in mind. There is no check waiting for me when I get there. The other aspect is I actually enjoy it. I have fun networking, I enjoy it. I love hearing what other people are up to. I love hearing about the victories, the losses, their struggles and most importantly learning how I can help.

The other reason is quite selfish, but it’s to drum up business for my company. Where do I find the time to work blog & network almost every day, you ask? It’s called not sleeping. I’m sure many of you are familiar with that term.

I also have to say that my wife is extremely supportive of what I’m doing which helps out a lot.

What about the 9-5 workers who don’t have the luxury of “networking” during the day.

Most if not all networking events happen after to work. So this means making your day a little bit longer. It’s a tiring experience trust me. Is it easier for me? Of course, because I set my own schedule. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it while you have a job.

Has it been effective?

Yes & No. I’ll give you an example. I originally met Jeff (blog owner) at a networking event and 4 months later I’ve taken over his blog while he’s on vacation. Am I getting paid, no. Have we worked together on anything, no. Have we built a better relationship because of it, of course. What will the result of this relationship be? Another friend, maybe. That’s a win right? Maybe in 20 years we will create the next hottest web property.

So did it work? I’m a glass half full kind of person, so yes. But there are people out there that don’t value relationships and in their mind the answer is a resounding no.

The key thing to remember is that networking is a long term activity, not a short term.

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