You Might Also Like: Job Search Stories by Indeed

**Jenn Herrity** (0:00)
Welcome back to Job Search Stories by Indeed. This week, we're here to talk about the uncomfortable truth that maybe, just maybe, the traditional ways of networking are broken. And maybe there's a better way. I'm Jenn, a career coach and your go-to gal for all things career advice.

**Priya Rathod** (0:14)
And I'm Priya. We've got your back as you take on the wild ride of job hunting.

**Jenn Herrity** (0:19)
Welcome to Job Search Stories.

**Priya Rathod** (0:21)
We dove back into Reddit and found a story from someone about networking that feels all too familiar. The title of this post is not even networking, is working anymore. Rant. Has anyone else been struggling with this? I've been working so hard to network and get to know people in the industry I want to be in. A lot of times, I will make a connection, I'll follow up, they say they'll get back to me or pass my info along, then I never hear back. Having spent most of my job search hearing it's all about who you know and trying everything in my power to follow that advice, it's getting so frustrating having not even that work. What's hard about this is that the core advice itself isn't wrong. Networking, it really does matter, but the version we've been sold is totally oversimplified. It leaves out the timeline, the relationship building, and most importantly, the long game. So the frustration here isn't a personal failure, it's a gap between expectation and reality, and I personally think that's worth naming. What are some of the networking tactics people have been told to use that actually don't work the way they used to?

**Jenn Herrity** (1:26)
The very first one that comes to mind is just mass messaging. Cold, mass connection requests. Reaching out to a high volume of people with the same generic message. In a high volume, AI-driven world, this can really start to feel like noise to somebody that's on the receiving end. And it's not that the reaching out is wrong, but when it's not personalized, it's harder to stand out or build a real connection. Another one that I think is a little bit oversimplified, or at least in the way that we've thought about it, are networking events. Attending events just to collect contacts. Because in these situations, you aren't actually building a network, you're just collecting emails or business cards. And in those situations, most of the people that you meet there may not even remember you, and you definitely may not remember them. Because the simple exchange of information doesn't mean that you're building a meaningful relationship. What tends to matter more is whether or not there's a moment of real connection, or even follow up after the event to keep the connection warm.

**Priya Rathod** (2:21)
I met someone at a networking event the other day, and I very specifically told them what I was going to follow up with them about. I like the way you've built this with your brand. I'd love to hear more about someone doing that when they're new to this. So just being specific too, I think when you see them and following up accordingly helps them remember you.

**Jenn Herrity** (2:40)
Absolutely. The last example that I can think of is what we call the blast from the past outreach. It's reaching to somebody that you haven't spoken to in months or years. There really is value in reaching out to old contacts, but those cold emails with no, how have you been? You can really feel and really are transactional and cold. And it's just important to remember that relationships need to be nurtured. You want to keep a connection warm and maintain contact over time, even if it's sporadic. I actually was just talking to someone the other day who got that type of outreach. And it was for an open role, but she hadn't talked to this person in months. And so the connection really was, hey, I saw this posting at your company, can you refer me to it? And it's like, oh my gosh, well, ask me how I've been. Ask me how it's been since I transitioned to this company. Just like a little bit of warmth can just make the connection feel a little bit stronger, and it doesn't feel so out of the blue.

**Priya Rathod** (3:33)
There's so much noise out there, and people are getting so many messages, whether it be their emails or on networking sites. And so it's really important for you to stand out above the noise and or make it personal. Like you said, if you know that person, ask them how they're doing, how they've been, what their experience has been. So I think those are really important points, Jenn. Thank you for sharing that. A recent national survey by the Harris Poll confirms what many people are feeling. They found that 79% of hiring managers and 75% of job seekers say networking today feels more like a business transaction than a genuine personal connection. As a career coach, what makes you feel compelled to respond or ignore a message when someone reaches out to pick your brain?