Build your professional network. (Don’t collect contacts.)
Networking gets a bad reputation because a lot of people approach it wrong, showing up only when they need something rather than building authentic relationships consistently.
For professionals: Your network is more than your contact list — it’s the group of people who know your work and would recommend you.
For talent leaders: Your network is your talent pipeline — relationships with high performers become your source for future hiring needs and referrals.
Here are strategic principles that work for both:
Be genuinely helpful first. Share opportunities, make introductions, provide insights.
Stay systematically connected. Reach out quarterly with valuable content or congratulations.
Prioritize quality over quantity. Better to have meaningful relationships with 50 people than superficial connections with 500.
Think long-term. Today’s peer is tomorrow’s hiring manager or potential colleague.
The professionals who access the best opportunities and companies that attract top talent both understand that networking is relationship building, not contact collecting.