The Networking Blueprint

Episode Transcript

Julianna: Welcome to the Flourish Careers or Daring to Succeed podcast, depending on where you’re tuning in.

Jenn:I’m Jenn.

Julianna: And I’m Julianna, and today we’re going to dive into the topic of networking.

Jenn: Yes, if the word networking makes you feel a little uneasy, we get it, but trust us, it doesn’t have to be intimidating. So today we’re gonna cover what networking really is and what it isn’t, we’ll debunk some common myths that are holding you back, and we’re gonna get into the nuts and bolts of how to network. So, if you’re just starting to explore networking or you’re ready to level up, we’ve got you covered. So, Julianna, let’s start with kind of the fundamentals of networking. Why is networking so impactful for our careers?

Julianna: Yeah, I think traditionally networking has been really important because it’s been hard to kind of figure out who to talk to at different companies and how to expand your career without like everything we have access to now on the internet. But what I’m finding is With the internet, we still really need networking just for a different reason because it’s so hard to make sure that the person you’re dealing with is a real human being. And there’s that whole aspect of like, authenticity and making sure that the person you’re dealing with is really who they say they are. So networking is still really important, but it’s kind of shifted in its importance with careers because it kind of gives that little verified stamp in person that this is a person that you want to work with.

Jenn: Yeah, that’s a really good point. I mean, think about that with all the scams and stuff that’s out there too. And I guess I was coming from it a little bit differently, just the fact that the world of work revolves around humans. People want to hire and promote and collaborate with people that they know and trust and like. To your point, there’s a lot of riffraff out there on the internet. Depending on what industry, there might be more than less. So yeah, and you think about like different opportunities and expanding knowledge and it’s all through other people. And really that’s how you grow your career is through collaborating and working with like-minded folks. So the other thing that comes to mind here, it just kind of popped in, is this whole idea of like the hidden job market. So have you heard that term and do you talk to your clients about that at all?

Julianna: I do. And sometimes, so I kind of see it as two. One is the very obvious hidden job market where we know, especially as you get more senior in your career, a lot of those jobs aren’t posted or especially with so many startups and like incubation companies out there right now, they don’t necessarily hire based on like a job description in the traditional sense anymore, where they’re more looking at the gap in the company and trying to find the right person to fill it. Right. So that I think is that like traditional hidden job market. But then there’s also the fact that like just getting into even the open job market.

Jenn: Yes.

Julianna: What a lot of my clients are finding is that if they don’t know somebody at that company, they don’t even hear back. That’s why it’s like totally so saturated.

Jenn: Yeah, and I can attest to that just from a recruiter standpoint. So there was a point where I was recruiting for a lot of different jobs. And I’ll tell you, we would open a job and this was before the pandemic and like all the chaos. And so we’d open one job and within a couple hours, we’d have hundreds of applicants. And then as a recruiter, you’re recruiting for maybe like 25 different jobs. So you take that number, 25 jobs times hundreds of applicants, it’s really almost impossible to get through every single person that’s applying. But then if you know that someone’s coming through as a referral, somebody recommended somebody, you’re gonna go right to them because you most likely know, like, and trust the person that referred, you know, that candidate. So it totally like bypasses all the, saturation of the online market, which quite frankly in my mind is completely broken. So that’s really the essence of networking in your job search and then growing your career throughout your career. Your network can be the thing that opens up new ideas and partnerships and collaborations and expands your knowledge and all of those things that make careers a little more fun.

Julianna: Yes, and I think if I can kind of wrap up what you’ve been saying is really the importance of networking isn’t just for finding a job, but like you said, it’s also in moving to your next step in your career and like everything to do with your career growth and development long term.

Jenn: Yes. And I’m so glad you mentioned the long-term piece because that’s right. It isn’t like a transaction. I think that’s like a lot of times people get caught up in the word networking, like I’m asking strangers for jobs. Like that’s not what it is. It’s building long-term relationships. And I actually have a really good example of this that happened recently. Somebody that I worked with over 10 years ago reached out to me on LinkedIn, they were in the job market, they found themselves caught up in a layoff. And they were in the job market and wrote me this very heartfelt message on LinkedIn. That brought me back to the exact time we worked together. I knew exactly you know, the moment where we met, they even mentioned like a memory of like a fun project we worked on together and then mentioned like, hey, I’m finding myself in the job market for the first time in a long time. I know it’s been over 10 years. Remember when we worked on this project, it was so much fun. Here’s what I’m looking for next in my career. You know, if you know anybody or if you, you know, can point me in the right direction, I would be super grateful. If not, it’s just great to connect anyways. And immediately, I knew exactly who the person was, what they needed, what they were looking for, and I was able to help. And that was over 10 years ago. And this person ended up getting a job pretty quickly. It wasn’t due to anything that I helped them with, but I’m pretty sure it was because they have a network, they leverage their network. Yes, this was a situation where they needed a job, But it was a very heartfelt connection, and it was a long-term relationship where we’ve stayed in touch over LinkedIn through the years and things like that. So that’s just an example, I think, to your point around the long-term play that this could have.

Julianna: Yeah, and I really love that example because it almost sounds like that person either had some coaching or is just like a pro at networking if they were able to craft a message to you that brought you back to that time you were working together because I find a lot of the people that reach out nowadays, like you said, it’s so transactional and it’s It doesn’t feel the same as that relationship-based networking where it’s really about, hey, I’m a person in your life before. If you remember me fondly, let’s see if there’s a way for you to help me out, or like they said, just connect, reconnect, and just rediscover each other. And I’ve got an example as well, which isn’t quite as long-term, but is an example of why networking really makes a big difference. Because I was working with a client who had been looking for another internal opportunity for actually about two years, but various things with changes inside the company, changes with her personal situation, just wasn’t working out for her. And she found out about a position internally and went to speak to the hiring manager who she had a relationship with, who was part of her network, and unfortunately found out that they had already placed the position by the time that she was reaching out. But that conversation was still really important because the person they hired ended up quitting within the first two weeks on the job because they realized that it wasn’t a completely remote role. And she ended up getting the job because she reached out even though it was mostly discovery even though it was already a position filled so I think my takeaway from that story is even if it doesn’t seem like it you’ve got a chance a shot at something reaching out isn’t going to hurt anything. You never know what’s going to happen, especially in today’s climate where things are changing so much.

Jenn: Yeah, yeah. That’s a great example. It made me think of not just internal career changes, but just getting work done in general inside an organization. building your network to get things done is so critical. And here’s a great example of building their network, you know, to move into a role that didn’t work out at first, but then did work out and that that happens internally and externally. So keeping in touch with folks, you know, through job changes through promotions, through all of those things is really helpful as you’re trying to grow your career. And Julianna, before you and I kind of hit record, we were talking about our own networking in the world of being a solopreneur. If I didn’t have a network, I don’t even know where I’d be in this world. I mean, it’s so critical when you’re working on your own to have folks like you that you can build the relationship and rely on and talk shop and have fun podcast recording like this. It can get a little lonely, quite frankly, sometimes, too. And so then you think about referrals and being able to refer people within your network. And so it’s just such a critical piece of our work today.

Julianna: Yeah, and I kind of latched on to the word lonely as you were talking about that because what I’m hearing from a lot of people as well is now that people are in hybrid or there’s a lot more work from home, that feeling of loneliness has crept up and people aren’t noticing it until now, where whether it’s in your own work environment or just having somebody to support you, I think a lot of you out there who are still in corporate, still in career mode, are probably missing out on what we used to have with networking, with like having those relationships, those people you could go to just to like have that water cooler chat and just kind of debrief on your day or even just to be like, oh my God, I’m having such a terrible day today. I just need someone who isn’t my family member who’s tired of hearing about work. that I can talk to and have that connection with, or even just help me kind of figure out what to do or, like you said, collaborate on getting the work done. Yeah, yeah.

Jenn: And it takes work. It’s not something that you can ignore, especially in our remote world. You have to go that extra mile to set up a Zoom coffee chat or send somebody a note and let them know you’re thinking of them. There’s a little bit of effort that has to happen there, which I know we’re going to talk about in a minute. Let’s talk about some of the myths. So I know the word networking itself holds a lot of people back. So it might feel like schmoozing or it’s only for extroverts or things like that. So let’s talk about a couple of these myths. Which one comes to mind for you?

Julianna: Let’s start with the extrovert one, because that’s always my final idea. And if any of you are out there listening and have been listening to either of our podcasts for a while, you know Jenn and I are introverts, but obviously since we have our own podcast as well, we’re not I don’t know, anti-social? We still like to get out there, talk to people, meet people. So I think this concept of networking being just for extroverts or needing to do it the, air quotes, extroverted way, is just really antiquated because I think what I’ve found is with introverts, our networking can go a lot deeper than, you know, the archetypal 80s business person networking and schmoozing and collecting business cards, right? Where we’re so focused on building that relationship and getting to know people and bringing them into our world that it’s a whole different flavor of networking is kind of how I see it.

Jenn: Yeah, I think that’s a great point that it gets to be whatever you want it to be. It doesn’t have to be going to a party or an event with all these people and loud music or some type of event. It doesn’t have to be that way. It can be a one-on-one conversation to build those deeper connections. And really that’s what the long-term play of networking is, is to build deeper connections with intention and authenticity and not just collecting business cards. So I’m glad that the two self-proclaimed introverts could talk about that. The other thing that I hear a lot is that And I mentioned this earlier, is networking is only useful when you’re looking for a job. And that’s what ends up making it feel real slimy. Like, oh, how do I go ask a stranger for a job? That’s not what networking is. And that is going to feel slimy. And so we’re not going to do that. And I think the most impactful time to network is when you’re not looking for a job. So you start building your network and building your relationships in an industry that you’re interested in. in a type of work that you want to be doing. And so then when the jobs do come open, you have people that you can connect with and that you can talk to and that you can ask for a referral or whatever it is before the jobs actually come open. And I guide a lot of clients around like, hey, go talk to people that work at the companies you’re interested in and start building those relationships, even if there’s no job open. And people look at me like I have 10 heads, why would I do that?” I’m like, well, you’re going to build the relationship so then when the jobs do come open, you can get that referral and get your foot in the door. So it’s not really just useful when you’re looking for a job. So what’s another one that comes to mind?

Julianna: Yeah maybe building on that it’s more about like how to leverage your network and what to do with it at different points in your career because as you were speaking I was thinking about how yeah you’re right it is it does feel so slimy to network and be like, can you give me a job? I’ve had people come to me being like, how do I do that? And similar to you, I’m like, you don’t. You don’t just go to someone and ask for a job. That’s definitely a career stopper. And it’s more about knowing both the the intentional and the general networking that you need to do to, let’s say, if you are planning to target a specific thing in your career short, mid, long term, you need to have that network to help you guide you through that. But then there’s also just building relationships that are fun and meaningful. Because you never know where other people’s career paths will take them, where their networks are going to expand, and how they might help you, or vice versa, how you might be able to help them in the future. Because we always have our paths that we plan out, but Who knows?

Jenn: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that kind of brings up another good point around who. Who should we be networking with? And I love how you said it should be fun because it is fun. Making new professional friends can be fun and that’s really what networking is all about. So it’s like thinking about peers and mentors and industry leaders, and it doesn’t just have to be up. You don’t have to just network up to the next level. I actually think peer-to-peer networking is way more fun, and it can lead to collaborations. And even in the job search process, I like to recommend to folks to reach out to peer-level folks at organizations you’re interested in. learn about their career path what they love about it what they don’t love about it and start building that relationship it can feel a lot more natural that way and then you don’t get that like kind of just going back real quick to the debunking the myth like that schmoozing like it doesn’t have to be schmoozing you’re not schmoozing or selling anything it’s really about hey Tell me about your career path. How did you get where you are today? And again, it doesn’t have to just always be to the next level. So any other thoughts around the who we should be networking with?

Julianna: Yeah, I think if we’re going to put together the who and the misty monkey, one thing I kind of want to call out is do not forget about your personal and your familial network.

Jenn: Oh, yes.

Julianna: I think so many people like just really, really focus on, you know, people at their current company, people at other companies, people at like professional associations. But remember the people who are your friends, your family members. they already want you to succeed. That’s already baked into the relationship. Or at least, I guess, depending on the relationship. But the people that you’re going to kind of reach out to to talk about your career, they already have that investment in you as a human being, as someone in their life, who they want to see as successful. So I think don’t discount the people who, whether it’s through your spouse or your extended family, whatever, that is part of your professional network as much as the cut-and-dry corporate network.

Jenn: Yes. I am so glad that you mentioned that. It’s such a good point. Especially the cold outreach. People are so nervous about the cold outreach. Again, reaching out to strangers. So don’t do that. Start with your current people, the people that know you and love you and trust you and, again, want you to succeed. I’m so glad you mentioned that. And always remember that everybody knows somebody. So, just because it’s your cousin doesn’t mean that they don’t know somebody that, you know, might, you know, be helpful for you, a mentor or something that you, you know. So, so yeah, I always, I love that, just to start with your current network and then remember that everyone knows someone. Even your neighborhood, like I talk to my neighbors sometimes and I’ve had folks reach out to me through my neighbors for career coaching support. So you just never know and that can feel a lot more comfortable versus cold calling or cold outreach to a stranger on LinkedIn. So we just don’t need to do that. So thank you so much for bringing that up.

Julianna: Yeah, and that brings a good point because I think A lot of people who either haven’t networked before or are a little bit rusty kind of find it really intimidating to get back out there. I think, Jenn, what would you suggest other than obviously reaching out to people you already know? Are there any tips or methods that you share with your clients that you want to share with our audience today?

Jenn: That’s a great question. So I love the idea of breaking the ice on social media. So one of the best things I think in our world today is LinkedIn. There’s over a billion professionals on LinkedIn, and you can pretty much find anybody you’re looking for to build a relationship with, no matter what. And so one of the things that I think can be really effective is Commenting liking or sharing on post on a regular basis and i’ll give you a quick story when i was working in recruiting and there was a young lady who so when i worked in recruiting my company had. This like i wouldn’t say policy but they wanted us to post on linkedin regularly because it helped lift the brand of the company so we shared articles all of these things. And every time I shared an article, there was a young woman who wanted to work for our company, but she would genuinely comment on something. You could tell she either read the article or she would engage in a discussion. She did this very regularly. Of course, I noticed. And then when there ended up to be a job that she was interested in, she DM’d me on LinkedIn and said, hey, Jenn, I see this job just came open. Would you be open to chatting with me about it? Of course I had time for her because she had already broken the ice with commenting and liking on so many of my posts. And so it ended up she got her foot in the door through an interview just by using LinkedIn in that way. So that’s one thing that comes to mind.

Julianna: Yeah, I love that and what I kind of want to pick out of what you said there and really highlight is the authentic aspect of that interaction where you mentioned you could tell that she actually read what was posted because as solopreneurs on our own, we’ve both I’m sure seen tons of people commenting on our posts and For us, it’s really easy to spot the ones who are just there because someone told them, hey, you need to comment on a lot of people’s posts versus the ones who are actually genuinely engaging and have read and taken away something from what’s out there. Just sort of a note of caution that the quality of that interaction means so much more than just blindly commenting on every post out there on LinkedIn. And just trying to spread yourself too thin in terms of who you’re trying to connect with.

Jenn: Right. Yeah, and you mentioned a word that really rung in my ear, which is quality. So this is about quality, not quantity. Nobody cares how many connections you have on LinkedIn. It’s really just about the quality of the relationships that you’re building. And so when you’re authentic and you’re genuine in your communications, that’s what’s going to build the quality of the relationship, not just checking a box and, you know, hoping for the best with hundreds of connections that don’t really mean anything. So good call out. Absolutely. Now, do you want to talk a little bit about how to build lasting relationships?

Julianna: Yes, that is always the fun part. So I think I’m just going to kind of pull out from what we’ve been saying so far, which is really focusing on the relationship and the quality of it. That’s honestly all it comes down to. Like if you’re going to take away anything else from this podcast, relationship building. Where It’s really about getting to know the person, trying to find some commonality or creating some commonality with the person so that you are memorable, like you mentioned, Jenn, with that earlier example, that people will remember you, remember you fondly, and feel that connection so that when you are in a time of need, whether it’s you know, advice or trying to understand a job path or looking for a new role, when you end up in their inbox that they will actually respond to you.

Jenn: Yes, yes, yes. I think it’s really important.

Julianna: Go ahead. Yeah, I was just going to share a story about a personal branding course that I took at a company once where they were talking about how you can tell what your reputation is or what people think of you when you call them and you take note of whether they actually answer the phone. This was back in the day when we actually called each other all the time and it was called a sleigh. But I think it does translate to messages and inboxes where, are people actually responding to you? Or do they even open your message for one, and then when they do, do they respond to you? Because if they don’t, of course they could just be really busy and it’s not something to take personally, but I think that kind of lets you know if you’ve made a big enough impact that they’re like, oh, yeah, this is somebody I need to respond to, even if it’s just to say, oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’m swamped right now. I will get back to you or come back to me in a couple of weeks.

Jenn: Yes, exactly. And that’s a really good point right now, because even with all the especially with all the noise that’s out there, we were talking about like the spam and the the fake, you know, fake accounts that are out there. I mean, there’s a lot of noise. And so taking a moment to pull out something that stands out to you about the other person and finding something that you have in common with them. I always say like location or school, like you maybe went to the same college or you have a connection to the college. And it’s super easy, especially like we were saying with LinkedIn, you can find these points of connection pretty simply these days. And that will help you start to build a much more authentic and lasting relationship. And it’s true, you know, is the person going to open the email that you share with them? I think that’s a really good gauge on how you’re building the relationships. And the other thing too, there’s a woman in my network who I’ve known for years now, especially when I first became a career coach. She’s one of these career coaches that is all over LinkedIn. She’s got it together. She’s got a very thriving business. And the one thing I’ve noticed every single time I meet with her, she says one simple question, how can I help? the simplest question. We’re just getting together to catch up and see how things are going. She says, how can I help you? What do you have going on? How can I help? And she always asks that one simple question. And it just makes me feel like she really, you know, she really genuinely wants to help. Like she really genuinely cares. And that’s really what it comes down to. Like networking is helping others. So think about how you can help others. Julianna, you’re really good at connecting others. Like you’ve connected me to a couple other folks who have been on the podcast. And so that’s a really good way to reach out and help others and build a lasting relationship is by connecting others. I’m not good at that. You’re really good at it. But that’s why we have our network. That’s right.

Julianna: Yeah, and that’s actually a good point because there’s different types of people in terms of, I’ll call it maybe networking personality that you should think of too, where I am a connector. I just enjoy connecting people and like referring people. That’s definitely a type of networker that you want to connect with. Maybe they in themselves don’t have something that’s valuable. to your career right away or whatever, depending on the situation. But if you can find those people who just love to connect people, that’s a really important person to have because they’re easy to connect with just to say, hey, I’m looking for this. Do you know anyone?

Jenn: Yeah.

Julianna: Right, and then obviously share that. Make sure you check in with them once in a while and see if they need connections. But then there’s also the people who just genuinely want to help people more junior in their careers. I know so many people who are advanced in their careers now, they’ve been in the workforce for 20 plus years, they remember how difficult it was for themselves to get started and they’re at a point in their lives where they’re able to give back to the workforce community and just kind of help people out. So try to seek out those people to connect with and I think to your point, Jan, about keeping those relationships strong, it’s easy to keep those going because those people are already invested in the concept of networking.

Jenn: Yeah, that’s a good point. Yeah, it’s it goes both ways, right? And so if you’re reaching out to somebody that doesn’t isn’t interested or doesn’t see the value, you’re probably just going to keep knocking on a door, you know, so find the people that understand the value of relationships and career and you know, continue to pour into those. And, you know, one of the things as you were talking there that just came to my mind was that’s a really easy way to build a relationship is by sharing a compliment or just telling somebody that you enjoyed something of theirs, you know. So for example, I think of, this is kind of a funny example, but There’s a woman in my local community, and she’s a flower farmer, and I am obsessed with flowers. She has a really cool career story. And so I responded to her newsletter and just picked out a couple of things that I really enjoyed about her newsletter and shared that compliment with her. And she wrote me back, and we ended up having a conversation. hopped on my course, actually my career change course and shared her story with the folks in my community. And so that was just a really simple response to a newsletter and sharing a compliment that started a relationship. So sometimes when people are putting work into the world, it can be scary. You and I both know that. So just giving somebody a compliment is a really simple way to build a relationship and also to stay top of mind as well. So I always tell people, when you think of lasting relationships, if you think of someone or you see something that reminds you of somebody, let them know. Just a simple DM or email or text or whatever, just let them know you’re thinking of them. That really can go a long way in building that lasting relationship.

Julianna: Yeah, I really love that. And to your point, I think one of the challenges people have with maintaining their networking is figuring out how to keep the conversation going, how to structure like check-ins and things like that, kind of continuing your thought. Do you have any recommendations or best practices for like how people can, once they’ve made that initial connection and built that relationship, how do they keep that going?

Jenn: Yeah, that’s a really, it’s hard. It’s not easy. A couple of things that come to mind, definitely with social media, if you see a post or, you know, kind of engaging with posts and DMs and things like that. I also like the idea, I can’t remember who shared this with me, but they had like, it’s almost like a ritual where they would put tags in their calendar every quarter to check in with folks, which I think is just a nice little reminder. Or you could even start something where every Friday you send a quick note to somebody, you know, so just kind of getting in the habit of doesn’t have to be long and drawn out. Actually, that’s probably another myth that we can debunk is the fact that it doesn’t have to be an event. You don’t have to spend all day at a workshop. You don’t have to spend five hours trying to craft a perfect email. It could just be literally a couple emojis and a hello. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, but maybe just getting in that regular practice of you know maybe every week just sending a quick note to somebody so you so it helps you get in the practice and then see what you like doing see what works for you and then do more of that but keeping it top of mind. So I don’t do you have any other thoughts on that?

Julianna: Yeah, I’ve got sort of one that’s a build on top of what you shared there with the having a regular cadence of follow-ups is before you do that, what I find some of my clients like to do is give the person a heads up that you’ll check in with them.

Jenn: Oh, good call.

Julianna: So as you’re wrapping up the conversation, just let them know, hey, I’ll check in with you in a little bit or whatever feels comfortable to say. That way you’ve already established, I will contact you again. So when you make that outreach, it doesn’t feel so awkward because I know some people are just kind of sitting at their keyboards like, I know this isn’t, I shouldn’t overthink this, but it still feels so awkward, especially if a long time has passed. So setting that expectation of I will follow up with you and then doing it feels a lot less daunting. And then one thing I always like to do is take, whether it’s actual notes or mental notes of what’s going on with that person, if they’ve got like a vacation coming up or whatever they’re kind of mentioning they’re working on, so that I can later use that as part of my follow-up.

Jenn: Yes.

Julianna: Right, so like, hey, how was your vacation? I think this was around the time that you were supposed to do it or you mentioned like this project that you had or this big event that you were going to or whatever it is that you’re talking about. It really makes people feel like you’re paying attention because you are. You’re taking that intentional moment in your mind to keep track of what’s happening with this person. And whatever your system is for keeping track of all this stuff, it’s still real. You’re going back to this person however many weeks, months later to say, hey, I remember you. You’re important enough to me that I’ve made note of this and I want to know what happened. Yes.

Jenn: And that’s really that goes back to the genuine and, you know, building that lasting relationship. What a great way. make the mental notes or have a notebook or however you do it, but make some notes there that you have something to go back to. And I love the idea of letting someone know that you’re going to follow up with them. And so I remember this was really key early in my career where I found myself in a mentor relationship where I was the mentee and I had a mentor. And so I would always say like, would it be okay if I follow back up with you in next quarter? And so they knew what to expect and it wasn’t this like, you know, thing that was just hanging out there, you know, that you do like randomly. But and that also held me accountable. Like, oh, I told them I’m going to follow back up with them next quarter. I better do that, you know. And so then you put the tag in your calendar so you have, you know, that reminder and then you go ahead and do that. So definitely following up. And if you are going to offer to follow up, make sure that you do follow up. There’s an art to follow-up. And sometimes, you know, in the job search process, I always like to say, too, that the fortune’s in the follow-up. So when you’re job searching, but also when you’re building relationships.

Julianna: Yeah, absolutely.

Jenn: Yeah. And one other thing that came to mind just before we kind of come to a close here was celebrating other people’s wins is a really good way to nurture connections as well. So, you know, if somebody writes a book, if somebody gets a promotion, if somebody launches a podcast, if, you know, whatever they’re celebrating, if they get married, if they have a birthday, like whatever it is they’re celebrating, send a note, celebrate others. It can be super simple. Again, just congratulations. I’m thinking of you. I’m cheering you on for whatever it is. And that’s just such an easy way to nurture the relationship and the connection.

Julianna: Absolutely. Oh, this was such a great conversation.

Jenn: Yes, it was so fun. I hope that this networking blueprint was helpful for anyone that’s tuning in. So as a quick recap, we discussed what networking is, why it’s critical in our careers. We debunked a couple myths and we dove into the nuts and bolts of how to build genuine, lasting relationships. So, Julianna, anything you want to add?

Julianna: No, I think just to kind of, again, thinking back to our conversation and the one key takeaway that people should have is really about the relationship building for me. And I’m curious, Jenn, with everything we talked about, if people just walk away from this podcast with one thing from what we’ve talked about, what would that be for you?

Jenn: The one thing for me would be to start small, start small and stay curious. So don’t feel like you have to build this huge network right away. It doesn’t have to feel intimidating. Start small, stay curious and keep keep building those lasting relationships.

Julianna: Oh, I love that. Well, I think that’s it from us for today. So definitely connect with us on LinkedIn. You can use us as your first step into networking. We’ll make sure that our links are in the show notes for you. And just let us know what you thought of this. If there’s something that you want to hear more about from us, whether it’s about networking or something else in your careers. And thank you so much for tuning in.

Jenn: Yes, thank you for tuning in. We’ll talk to you next time.