Danielle* has been telling me about an investment banker her aunt knows in the business industry. Said I-banker (we’ll call her Mary) has always told Danielle to call her once she graduated to talk about the possibilities of finding her a job at her company. This is a classic case of networking. Let’s explore a little further.

Unfortunately, in this world, it seems that who you know is definitely worth a lot — sometimes more than what you know. Of course, you must know something in order to work in a particular industry. It would be crazy to go in blind (but let’s not doubt that there are cases of this out there).

Mary would never recommend Danielle without knowing that she could perform well in any situation, even though she majored in psychology and only took a couple of business courses in college. If Mary were to suggest Danielle to her boss and Danielle didn’t do a good job, then Mary would be looked upon unfavorably by her boss. The fact that Danielle has that connection at the company is good for her because it raises her credibility to a certain level. She’ll still need to interview and work on a trial basis, but she’s more likely to be hired in this case than if she knew no one at all.

The bottom line is this. If you know someone in an industry and they recommend you to their boss as someone who may be a strong candidate for a job, you’re more likely to be taken a bit more seriously. And you should really use this to your advantage. I’m not saying take advantage of the situation in a negative way because that wouldn’t be ethical, but networking is a very big part of the working world.

In each situation you should seize the opportunity to network, even if it’s with people your own age. You never know how it may help you in the future. Don’t brownnose, of course, but attempt to establish relationships with others so that you can learn from them and let them help you network even more. It’s especially important when you’re starting out in an industry because you need to get your name out there. Introduce yourself and start a conversation. What do you have to lose? Just do it properly and professionally and you’ll be on your way to establishing your future.

Danielle kept telling me since graduation that she knew she should contact Mary, but just wasn’t doing it because she was too shy. It frustrated me because I knew Mary could be a good resource for her and that Danielle is a very smart girl who could do well. When I saw Danielle the other day, she told me that she had contacted Mary. It made me very happy! We’ll see what happens next…

*names and industry have been changed

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-Amanda Fornecker