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How many times have you met someone and then immediately forgotten their name? What about meeting someone, forgetting their name, but then you see them frequently enough that it becomes too awkward to ask them again for their name? Most of us are guilty to each of these.
Sometimes I ponder about the missed opportunities to foster a genuine relationship with someone, whether it be personal or professional. What constitutes as a genuine relationship with someone in our professional network? Would meeting someone and exchanging business cards at a conference suffice? I’d say no. How about a simple introduction to someone led by a coworker or colleague? Probably not either. How many of us follow up with someone we’ve met professionally by email? LinkedIn?
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” Obviously, the saying implies that doors do not open for you based on your expertise or background, but rather who in your network can help you progress to the next step in your career. Whether it’s an introduction to a new company, getting your resume to the top of HR, increasing our professional network is crucial to our success.
I bring these examples up because what I’m finding in my early career is that these are potentially missed opportunities to utilize the “it’s not what you know it’s who you know” saying for your benefit. Last week I finished up an orientation for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship. During orientation we met many political appointees, government officials, and current and former fellows. Everyone continually reiterated that we need to forge as many relationships as we possibly can. Not only for our future careers beyond the fellowship, but to be successful during the fellowship too.
Too often, we fail to realize that broadening our network will help us carryout the tasks required of our current work. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” If you do not have a positive relationship with your coworkers, how can one expect to collaborate well on projects? These relationships require care and showing respect to others. Failing to respond to an email on time and letting a coworker pass a deadline is a missed opportunity for you to rely on your coworker in the future. Investing in others in the present can be the catalyst for your future gain, and it is exactly where many go wrong.
My next post I will discuss some of the few tips during AAAS STPF orientation on how to network effectively and build relationships to be successful in our careers, particularly while starting a new job and working in a new organization.