That’s the question I saw on my alma mater’s networking site. Students can connect with and ask questions of alumni.
It struck me. Earlier today I had a video conference with a student to give career advice. He was worried about class schedules. I was worried about his network.
Is this a coincidence? No. Pervasive.
In general, most jobs are never posted.
Me. And lots of other people, too.
Smelling the ocean on two different parts of the beach isn’t coincidence. It is a reliable characteristic of beaches.
Underestimating the importance of your network is pervasive among undergraduates. Perhaps it is especially prevalent among engineering/computer science types.
Here’s my answer to the role networking has played in my career:
Not every job I’ve had came thru my network. But every good job I’ve had did.
In general, most jobs are never posted. They are filled internally or by network before they are ever listed on a job board. Many posted jobs are filled by people that have some connection to a current employee of the company.
Now I find myself doing the hiring. I’ll hire someone I’ve never met before into an internship after one interview. But hiring someone into a permanent, full-time position is tremendously risky. A person that is a known quantity thru your network has greater opportunity to demonstrate fit.
I still post my jobs publicly, review resumes, phone screen, and interview. Everyone gets a look. One of the best hires I’ve ever made came thru the public listing. But many permanent positions go to someone I’ve worked with (like a former intern), or someone I trust has worked with. They just have more opportunity to provide evidence that they will be successful at the job.
This fact would have distressed me in college. I can understand students that don’t want this to be true. I understand focusing on your grades, and the curriculum. Those are important.
But networks matter, too. A lot.
