Happy Memorial Day. I hope you’re taking a moment today to honor those who served and to spend time with the people who matter to you.
Speaking of people who matter.
That’s what I want to talk about this week.
Your network is your career insurance.
You’ve heard the stat: You’re 14x more likely to get hired through a referral than by applying online.
But most professionals don’t have anyone ready to go to bat for them.
Not because they’re bad at their jobs. Because they never learned how to build and maintain relationships that lead to referrals.
Here’s what I’ve been noticing lately:
Over the past few months, several people I used to work with have reached out to me, for coaching, for career assistance, and LinkedIn strategy.
These weren’t people I’d talked to last week. Some of them I hadn’t spoken to in years.
But at some point, we built a real connection. We stayed loosely in touch. And when they needed support, they remembered me.
That’s the power of investing in relationships, even imperfectly.
The good news? It’s never too late to start.
You don’t need to be an extrovert. You don’t need to “network” in the traditional sense. You just need to be intentional about staying connected with people who know your work.
Here are 3 simple ways to start:
- Reach out to one former colleague this week. Not to ask for anything, just to check in.
- Engage with people’s content on LinkedIn. A thoughtful comment goes further than you think.
- Be someone who helps. Share a job lead. Make an introduction. Be useful without expecting anything in return.
Relationships compound over time. The people you invest in today may be the ones who refer you to your next opportunity or reach out to hire you years down the road. Like a few former bosses of mine.
If you want to go deeper on this:
I’m hosting a free webinar called “Referred! How to Network Like a Boss for Job Search Success.”
You’ll learn how to grow and leverage your network, even if you’re an introvert, outreach makes you squirm, or you consider yourself “not a networker.”
Jaime Chambron, The Career Catalyst & Visibility Architect
Unlock Your Future with the Career Agility System