Networking for Nerds: Find, Access and Land Hidden Game-Changing Career Opportunities Everywhere

6 Identifying People for Your Networks

Identifying people for your networks can be tricky, especially as you contemplate career moves outside your current discipline, sector or even geography. If you are vaguely interested in working for a museum in San Diego, how do you start “networking” to access people in that field and region?

Start With Who You Know

No matter what your networking goal is, you should always start by asking people with whom you already have a connection about other potential collaborators. As I mentioned above, this can include your advisor or mentor, but don't limit yourself to only people you perceive are in your field. For example, your friends and family may not be in STEM, but they have their own networks full of people, including those with whom you could directly exchange value and those who are connected to others (through six degrees of separation) who could offer you access to hidden opportunities. For example, I was brainstorming with an engineer about possible networking leads when he suddenly remembered that his former rabbi lives in a town that is home to a major manufacturing facility in the engineer's field. He recognized that this spiritual leader would have access to other engineers who are employed by the plant as well as ideas for hidden opportunities for collaboration, given his connection with the community. At the same time, I realized that my high school buddy works for a company that this engineer had an interest in, thus I put ...