Leveraging Your Professional Network

Leverage is something created by how you use something (e.g. a tool).

For example, if I hand you a hammer and say, "Leverage with this," you might think I give pretty bad advice.

But, of course, a hammer can be used to leverage substantial force against, for instance, a stubborn nail that doesn't want to come out. I would dare to say that most of us cannot pull nails out of wood with our bare hands; yet, with the back end of a hammer, it's a fairly simple task.

The same is true with your professional network. You may think it's odd that I asked you to leverage it, but the truth is that this tool (your network) can make nearly impossible things possible for you. Jobs you could have never known about will suddenly become visible to you. Opportunities you may not have been considered for can become real possibilities for you--but only if you leverage the tool!

Image generated by ChatGPT on 26 Sep 2024.

How Do I Leverage My Network?

First, you need to have a network! If you want to know more about how to start and grow your network, check out this article.

Next, you need to know what special, specific things those individuals can provide for you. It's great to meet someone and get their email, or connect with them on LinkedIn; but it's just as important to understand what they do and how they can help you.

That may sound a bit self-serving, but remember that they are also getting the opportunity to know you; and they also may call on you in the future for help or support in their career. Hence, the relationship is often one of mutual benefit. If it's not (e.g. you're connecting with someone far more successful or advanced in their career), then perhaps that person is just being kind and genuinely wants to help people be successful (altruism). It happens. There are lots of great people out there!

Lastly, you need to be willing to ask for assistance, advice, or whatever it is you're needing.

I'll share two examples with you where my network became very important to me, and I was able to leverage it (specific people in it).

Example #1:

I was a postdoctoral researcher at St. Jude at the time, and I was talking to my PI (principal investigator) about the future of my career. I was beginning to sense that I did not want to stay in academic research for the rest of my career, so I was looking for options. 

I logged into LinkedIn and noticed that there was a former postdoctoral researcher (let's call him Eric) that has transitioned into a role in Quality Control at a pharmaceutical manufacturing organization. I was interested in learning more about these types of opportunities, but I didn't know this person yet. However, LinkedIn told me that we (Eric and I) shared a few connections. 

So, I asked those people that were my connections if they thought Eric would be willing to meet with me to discuss what it was like to work in that industry & environment. At the time, I was truly a novice and had no idea what it would be like! These people told me that Eric was a really nice guy and would be willing to meet with me.

Next, I connected with Eric on LinkedIn and messaged him about my situation. He responded fairly quickly with an enthusiastic "yes" to my invitation to meet and discuss more. Thankfully, he worked very close to where I worked, so we grabbed a coffee one day; and he encouraged me to apply for some of the open positions there. He knew the hiring manager and was convinced they would be interested in someone "like me."

It turns out that he was right, because I did apply (with Eric as a reference); and I did get that job (which also brought a ~50% pay increase for me). 

Now, of course, Eric didn't get the job for me. I had to prepare for the interview and then make a good impression; but Eric definitely encouraged me and helped me understand what I was getting into. He also coached me a bit on how to be ready for the interview! 

I am still friends with "Eric" today, and I will forever be grateful for his help.

Example #2

While working at the job that "Eric" helped me land, I worked with many wonderful people. One of those people (we'll call her Sally) worked very closely with our team and supported us through many of the challenges we faced. 

As we did our jobs, we built trust with each other, not only professionally, but personally. This is important, because personal connections tend to be more meaningful and long-lasting than professional ones.

This all happened around 2014-2016. 

Fast forward to 2022, and Sally and I are not working together anymore. We're in different parts of the country at different companies.

I apply for a new job at a company, and the hiring manager says, "Hey, I noticed you worked at St. Jude. Do you know Sally?" I say, "Yes! She's great. Really enjoyed working with her." 

I thought that was cool, but never expected it would have much impact on me being hired or not. But it did.

Only after I was hired into that job did the hiring manager tell me that he immediately got off the call with me and called Sally to ask her about me. She gave a very positive review of who I was and the quality of my work. The hiring manager told me that discussion weighed heavily in my favor. I figured he was telling the truth since he also told me that they tried to hire someone else instead of me, but that person wanted too much money; so they moved to me! Ha! I don't mind being second place, as long as I get the job.

This job made a big difference for me professionally and personally, and it's the job I'm currently in (as of Sep 2024). 

Outro

I hope that the importance of building and leveraging your professional network has become evident from reading these experiences; but I know that many, many other people have had similar experiences. I suggest you ask some people you know about their stories to find out how they ended up in the positions they have. I suspect you will hear more stories about someone in their network making a difference. 

It's great to have intelligence, education, training, skills, etc., but those may not be enough by themselves. Don't ignore the 'people factor'!

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with someone you know.

If you would like to discuss more about this topic with me directly, let's connect online (see 'Connect' section on left sidebar).