Networking Strategies

What Is Networking and Why Is It Needed

Networking is the purposeful process of establishing, developing, and maintaining professional contacts that create mutual value. Networking is not just "collecting business cards," but a strategic activity to build a network of relationships that foster professional and personal growth.

Why is networking important? Research shows that between 60% and 85% of jobs are filled through personal contacts and referrals, not through public job postings. This "hidden job market" is only accessible to those who have a developed professional network. But networking is important not only for job searching:

• Access to information. People in your network possess knowledge, insights, and information that cannot be obtained from open sources.
• Business opportunities. Partnerships, contracts, investments—all of these more often arise through personal contacts.
• Professional development. Sharing experiences with colleagues from other companies and industries broadens horizons and accelerates learning.
• Support and mentorship. A network provides people you can turn to for advice, support, or recommendations.
• Reputation. Active presence in the professional community strengthens your expert status.

The Six Degrees of Separation Theory (Stanley Milgram)

In 1967, psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a famous experiment in which he asked random people in the state of Nebraska to pass a letter to a specific person in Boston through a chain of acquaintances. The results showed that on average, 5-6 intermediary contacts were required to deliver the letter—hence the concept of "six degrees of separation."

For networking, this principle has practical significance: the person you need (investor, client, partner, employer) is separated from you by 5-6 steps through your existing network. The question is not whether a path exists to the person you need, but whether you know that path and are ready to take it.

In the age of social networks, the “distance” between people has shrunk even more. A Facebook study (2016) showed that the average distance between any two users is 3.57 steps. LinkedIn allows you to see through which of your contacts you can connect with the desired person.

Weak and Strong Ties (Mark Granovetter)

One of the most influential studies in the field of networking was conducted by sociologist Mark Granovetter, who in 1973 published the article "The Strength of Weak Ties."

Strong ties are close friends, family, and closest colleagues. People with whom you communicate frequently and deeply. They provide emotional support and are willing to help.

Weak ties are acquaintances, former colleagues, people you meet at conferences or on social networks. Communication with them is superficial and irregular.

Granovetter’s paradoxical conclusion: weak ties are more valuable for career and business than strong ones. Why? Because strong ties form closed clusters—your close friends know each other and have access to the same information. Weak ties, on the contrary, act as "bridges" between different social clusters, providing access to new information, ideas, and opportunities.

Practical conclusion: Don’t focus solely on strengthening existing ties—actively expand your network by creating new "weak" ties in different professional circles.

Types of Networking According to Herminia Ibarra

INSEAD professor Herminia Ibarra identified three types of networking, each serving different purposes:

1. Operational Networking

Aimed at building connections necessary for completing current work tasks. These are contacts within the organization: colleagues from related departments, management, subordinates.

Characteristics: Connections are determined by organizational structure. The focus is on the effectiveness of current work. Relatively easy to build since the context is already established.

Example: A project manager who builds relationships with key developers, designers, and analysts to successfully implement a project.

2. Personal Networking

Aimed at personal and professional development. These are ties beyond the organization: friends from other companies, members of professional communities, mentors.

Characteristics: Built on personal interests and initiative. Provides access to external information, new ideas, and alternative points of view. Helps in career development and transitions.

Example: A specialist who regularly attends professional meetups and maintains relationships with university classmates working in different companies.

3. Strategic Networking

Aimed at achieving long-term strategic goals—both for oneself and for the organization. These are ties with key people influencing the industry, with potential partners, investors, and clients.

Characteristics: Requires proactivity and strategic thinking. The most complex type of networking, but the most valuable for career growth and leadership.

Example: A business development director who builds relationships with leaders of related industries to find strategic partnerships.

Ibarra emphasizes that most managers are good at operational networking but do not invest enough in personal and strategic networking—the very types that are critically important for career growth.

Where to Find Contacts

Offline Platforms

Industry conferences and forums are some of the best places for networking. Participants are united by a common topic, making it easier to start a conversation than in a chance setting. Choose conferences where your target audience is present.

Professional meetups—less formal than conferences, but often more effective for building connections. The small format (20-50 people) allows for deeper communication. Platforms: Meetup.com, Timepad, Eventbrite.

Professional associations—membership in industry associations gives you access to a structured community. Many associations hold regular events and have mentoring programs.

Alumni networks—associations of graduates of educational institutions and business schools. Alumni ties are especially strong because they are based on shared experience.

Educational programs—MBA, professional development courses, intensives. Studying together creates strong ties because people go through a shared experience.

Online Platforms

LinkedIn—the main platform for professional networking. Groups, events, posts, direct messages.

Telegram communities—thematic chats and channels uniting specialists by interests.

Professional forums—Habr, Stack Overflow, industry forums.

Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces—audio rooms for discussions.

Preparation for an Event and Setting Goals

Effective networking starts before the event. Preparation increases effectiveness many times over.

Before the event:

1. Define a goal. "I want to meet 3-5 people from the fintech field" is a specific goal. "Just to socialize" is not a goal.
2. Study the list of participants. Many conferences publish lists of speakers and participants. Identify whom you want to meet.
3. Prepare an elevator pitch. Know what you will say when asked "What do you do?"
4. Prepare questions. Keep 3-5 questions in reserve to start a conversation: "What brought you to this conference?" "Which talk was the most interesting for you?"
5. Business cards. Despite the digital era, business cards remain a useful tool. Also, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date.

At the event:

1. Arrive on time or a bit early—fewer people, easier to start a conversation
2. Don’t spend all your time with people you already know
3. Look for "loners"—people standing alone. They also need someone to talk to
4. Quality over quantity—better to have 3 deep conversations than 20 superficial business card exchanges

Practical Assignments

Assignment 1

Question: A young entrepreneur is launching an EdTech startup (online education for corporate clients). Develop a six-month networking strategy specifying: (a) target contacts; (b) networking platforms; (c) specific actions by month.

Solution:

(a) Target contacts:

• HR directors and heads of corporate universities at large companies (potential clients)
• Investors specializing in EdTech (financing)
• Other EdTech startup founders (experience sharing, partnerships)
• Experts in educational methodology (product expertise)
• Journalists and bloggers writing about education and HR Tech (PR)

(b) Platforms:

• Conferences: EdCrunch, HR Digital, Startup Village, EdTech Russia
• Telegram communities: EdTech chats, HR Tech, startup community
• LinkedIn: corporate learning groups, EdTech
• Meetups: EdTech Meetup, HR Meetup in one's city
• Accelerators: consider participating in an EdTech accelerator

(c) Actions by month:

Months 1-2: Optimize LinkedIn profile and begin publishing about trends in corporate learning (2 posts per week). Join 3-5 themed Telegram chats and start actively participating in discussions. Compile a list of 50 target contacts.

Months 3-4: Attend 2 profile conferences aiming to meet 10-15 new contacts at each. Hold 5-7 "coffee chats" with HR leaders to understand their needs. Start a Telegram channel with expert content on corporate learning.

Months 5-6: Speak at 1-2 conferences or meetups as a speaker. Organize your own webinar or round table on the topic of corporate learning. Begin working with 2-3 pilot clients obtained through networking. Submit an application to an EdTech accelerator.

Assignment 2

Question: Analyze, using Granovetter’s theory of strong and weak ties, why a manager who has worked for 10 years in one company may encounter difficulties finding a new job despite having an extensive network of contacts within the organization.

Solution:

According to Granovetter’s theory, a manager with 10 years’ experience in one company has most likely built a network consisting mainly of strong ties—colleagues with whom he works daily, managers, subordinates, project partners. These ties are valuable for work within the company but have significant limitations for job searching:

1. Redundancy of information. People in the same organization have access to the same information. They know about the same vacancies, the same companies, and the same opportunities. Strong ties rarely provide new, unique information about market opportunities.

2. Cluster closure. Contacts within the organization usually know each other—this is a dense cluster with high transitivity. There are no "bridges" to other professional clusters (other industries, cities, types of companies).

3. Lack of weak ties. A manager who has not invested in networking outside the company does not have "weak ties"—acquaintances in other organizations and industries. According to Granovetter, it is precisely these ties that are most valuable for obtaining new information and accessing the "hidden job market."

4. Limited visibility. If the manager was not active in the professional community (conferences, publications, social networks), his professional reputation exists only within the company.

Recommendations:

• Start building an external network of contacts long before needing to change jobs
• Regularly attend industry events and maintain relationships with former colleagues
• Be active on LinkedIn—posts and comments create "weak ties" with professionals from other organizations
• Diversify your network: include people from different industries, functions, and geographies
• Activate your alumni network (classmates, MBA graduates), which is a natural source of weak ties