WEBVTT - Playing the Networking Long Game with LinkedIn Learning Instructor Morgan Young 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:04.040 LinkedIn News. 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:08.360 When I think about like when you're just starting college 0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:10.799 and you don't really have that much to offer, It's like, 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:13.680 what am I offering? The bread roles? Like seriously, like 0:00:13.760 --> 0:00:16.319 not a lot. But I like to challenge people with 0:00:16.360 --> 0:00:19.279 that mindset because regardless of where you are in your career, 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:21.240 a lot of people feel like they don't necessarily have 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:23.680 a lot to offer. But I think that that's a 0:00:23.720 --> 0:00:28.080 really misconstrued concept because we forget that we as people 0:00:28.200 --> 0:00:31.000 having lived the unique life experiences that we have, that 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:34.080 is intrinsic value. You have intrinsic value in just like 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:35.280 being yourself. 0:00:36.520 --> 0:00:38.599 From LinkedIn News and I heard podcasts. 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:41.360 This is Let's Talk Offline, a show about what it 0:00:41.400 --> 0:00:44.000 takes to thrive in the early years of your career 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:49.240 without sacrificing your values, sanity or sleep. I'm Gianna Prudenti. 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:52.760 And I'm Jamaye Jackson Gadsden. Networking, Am I right? 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:54.480 Okay? 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:54.640 That? 0:00:54.880 --> 0:00:58.120 Jokay? I mean love it, hate it? The truth of 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:00.640 the matter is networking can give you the but it's 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:05.839 also a really important part of advancing your career. Now. Look, networking, unfortunately, 0:01:05.920 --> 0:01:08.640 is not just those happy hours and sliding into people's DMS. 0:01:08.840 --> 0:01:11.120 Trust me, I wish it was that easy. The real 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:14.679 challenge is what comes after figuring out how to build 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:16.560 and maintain those relationships. 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:19.360 Look, I'm sure most of us have exchanged numbers with 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:22.120 somebody at a networking event and just never follow it 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:25.520 up me or you know, had that coffee chat and 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:30.160 kind of ghost to the person double me. Also, you know, 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:33.000 I'm not here to tell you it's okay. The reality 0:01:33.160 --> 0:01:37.200 is networking requires time and it can feel socially draining. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.119 So it probably stresses you out. I get it. 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:41.600 We're going to talk today about how you can foster 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:45.520 those professional relationships and play the networking long game without 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:48.040 it feeling ichy. 0:01:53.360 --> 0:01:56.400 Okay, guys, so today we are talking all about networking, 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:58.400 But honestly, our girl is a little bit of a 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:02.360 facelift Gianna, I mean botox, little filler. She's coming out. 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:04.800 She's coming out, she got a new attitude. Okay, we 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.800 need to give networking a rebrand. Now, let's just take 0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:11.640 a step back. Okay, networking feels really daunting, but I 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:15.120 think even more so, it feels so transactional for people. 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:18.480 You know, you're approaching people thinking okay, what can this 0:02:18.520 --> 0:02:22.320 person do for me? What do I even say to them? Like, 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:24.799 how do I even introduce myself? There's just so many 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.239 things that are always happening in our minds that makes 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.799 networking feel very anxiety inducing. You guys already know my 0:02:30.880 --> 0:02:33.680 art pits are always weady, and they certainly gets sweaty 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:37.320 for networking. But the truth of the matter is mastering 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:39.160 the art of networking is really going to set you 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.920 up for success in your personal and professional life. So 0:02:42.080 --> 0:02:44.840 we want you to start thinking more about networking as 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:49.000 a relationship building exercise and that you are also creating 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:50.359 this community for yourself. 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.720 I love this rebrand and I like that you mentioned 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:57.079 this idea of networking feeling transactional because I definitely approach 0:02:57.200 --> 0:02:59.520 networking that way when I was starting out, especially when 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:01.480 I was like full on on my job search as 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:04.560 a senior in college. And I think that transactional feeling 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.880 is what really stops you from taking the next step 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:10.840 in your networking efforts. So you know, it's easy to 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:13.840 go to an alumni event, for example, and exchange numbers 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:15.240 or connect on LinkedIn, but. 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:16.920 Then you're like, what do I do with this? 0:03:17.080 --> 0:03:17.240 Right? 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:20.359 You know, what's the next step that follow up and 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.960 maintaining the relationship hard gets a little bit tricky, So 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:26.160 a lot of those interactions, you know, end up being 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:28.639 these one and done meetings, like you got the coffee 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.880 and then that's it. But like you were saying, investing 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:35.640 in your network and those relationships is super important and 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:37.760 it's kind of a long term thing, right, Like you 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:40.440 have to have that mindset going in. So later in 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:42.520 the show, we're going to bring on gen Z content 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:46.240 creator and LinkedIn learning instructor Morgan Young, who's been documenting 0:03:46.240 --> 0:03:49.080 her career journey on LinkedIn. What I love about Morgan 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:52.240 is that she's kind of mastered networking at an early 0:03:52.320 --> 0:03:55.040 age and has kind of built her network and her 0:03:55.080 --> 0:03:57.600 brand online and it's led her to all these opportunities. 0:03:57.640 --> 0:03:59.800 So I'm excited for her to join us in a 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:02.440 bit to talk about, you know, playing that networking long game. 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:05.200 Oh look, a friend of Gianni's is a friend of mine. 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:08.120 I'm excited for that convo. But first, Gianna, let me 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:11.160 ask you, how have you approached networking? I mean, what's 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:12.640 your relationship with networking been? 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:12.920 Like? 0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:15.960 Yeah, you know, networking is like it's like flirting, Like 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:18.400 it's awkward and people are good at it's some aren't 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:22.760 like oh, but like I was saying, when I started, 0:04:23.360 --> 0:04:26.760 you know, full on job searching during college, I definitely 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:30.200 kind of view it as transactional because I thought, you know, 0:04:31.200 --> 0:04:33.000 I need referrals, I. 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:37.279 Need any money me sobbing any money you help me? 0:04:37.640 --> 0:04:37.719 No? 0:04:37.880 --> 0:04:42.880 But like, yeah, but I think the nature of our 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:46.320 industry too. You know, who you know is really important. Right, 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:48.280 That's the same across the board, right, It's not about 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:49.039 what you know, it's who you know. 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:50.200 But especially in media. 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:52.400 The reason why my parents wanted me to go to 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:54.880 a good journalism schools for that alumni network. They were like, 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.000 we have no connections, honey, so we can't help you. 0:04:57.080 --> 0:04:58.200 Like if you want to be an account and like 0:04:58.240 --> 0:05:01.160 we said, will help you, but in journalism you're out 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:04.520 on your own. So I definitely like was hardcore networking 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:06.840 when I was looking for jobs, just to get a 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:09.880 better understanding of like what roles are even out there, 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:12.640 what's it like to be in a certain industry. And 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:15.320 then also when I was applying to certain jobs, reaching 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:18.479 out to people at those companies or recruiters, you know, 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:24.600 expressing my interest. You know, I definitely didn't maintain those relationships. 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:26.320 It was a lot of those one offs like I 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:27.320 was describing before. 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:29.440 But now I feel. 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:32.400 Like when I'm reaching out, I will always send a 0:05:32.440 --> 0:05:34.479 follow up after. You know, if I'm the one who 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:36.359 asked you for the coffee chat or asked you for 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:38.200 the call, I'm always going to follow up to thank 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:40.600 you for your time, because fifteen minutes out of a 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.719 day is a lot, honestly, Like everyone has fifteen minutes 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:46.919 to spare, but it's still asking something of another person. 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:49.359 And so people who I feel like I have, you know, 0:05:49.480 --> 0:05:52.560 strong ties with, I kind of think about networking that way, 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:55.320 like weak ties strong ties. People who I have strong 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:57.400 ties with, I feel like I'm so connected with them 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:00.840 on LinkedIn that we're constantly commenting on each other's stuff, 0:06:00.880 --> 0:06:05.480 you know, we're texting or messaging. And then there's like 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:08.360 the weaker ties of people who maybe I don't interact 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:12.000 with so often. And I think that's where I struggle 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:15.600 with networking, because you know, maybe I meet somebody at 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:18.280 a networking event who I think is great, but we're 0:06:18.279 --> 0:06:21.599 busy and we don't really maintain the relationship, and something 0:06:21.600 --> 0:06:23.240 comes up that I want to reach out to that person, 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:25.680 but it feels random to be like, hey, remember me 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:27.839 from like a few months ago. 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:30.279 So yeah, but what about you? 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:32.120 How do you kind of approach networking? 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:33.240 How do you feel about it? 0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:35.040 Yeah, I mean a lot of things that you mentioned. 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:37.599 I was in the very similar boat. I was going 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:38.840 to have to get out there and I was going 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:40.960 to have to learn how to network and talk to people. 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:44.599 And it was really an encouraging thing because as someone 0:06:44.640 --> 0:06:46.400 who tends to be a little bit more on the 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:48.599 choir or introverted side when it comes to being in 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:53.240 networking rooms, I know, right, but literally it's so anxiety 0:06:53.360 --> 0:06:54.719 using it. But you know why, it was because I 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:58.359 always saw networking as transactional and I don't like I 0:06:58.360 --> 0:07:02.799 don't like asking for help. I'm always open to giving help, 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:05.400 but I hate asking for it. And it was one 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:06.920 of those things where I was like, oh, gosh, I'm 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:08.840 going to go into this room and I'm gonna have 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:10.640 to ask them for a job or if they're gonna 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.640 be like, so what do you do, I'm like, I'm unemployed. 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:15.800 Can yeah, I work for you aspiring and we know 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:18.560 you don't like that time. I do not like aspiring. No, 0:07:19.080 --> 0:07:23.160 listen to our personal branding episode guys. But I was like, Okay, 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:26.760 let me figure out how to talk to people, how 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:29.080 to market myself. I had to learn when I walk 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:32.720 into different rooms, what is the most crucial information about 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:35.600 myself that I present. One thing I will say is 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:38.560 that I have learned over my career that your network 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:41.840 is truly your net worth. I had an incident years 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:44.640 ago and a friend of mine who was like a 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:47.760 high sitting lawyer, like she's been in the game for 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:50.960 like thirty plus years. She was like, Oh, don't worry, 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:53.480 it's handled, called up one of her friends who was 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:56.440 also a lawyer, and her friend gave me like free 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:58.640 legal advice and help and got me out of a 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:03.160 very sticky situation. And I say that because I'm like, 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:05.920 you know what, when we say that your network is 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:09.600 so important, we're not just talking about your professional development. 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:12.720 We're talking about all realms of your life and that 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:15.520 personal board of directors of people who are going to 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:17.680 help you and help you get to the next step 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:20.480 and just help protect you. You know, we are such 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:24.280 a communal based entity. Humans are so like if you 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:28.080 think about it as building community versus a transactional what 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:29.920 can I do for you or what can I get 0:08:29.960 --> 0:08:32.679 out of you? I think you get better now. One 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:35.520 thing I also add is that because I've had so 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:38.600 many jobs as like a contractor or a freelancer, my 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:43.240 network was extremely crucial because I would work on projects, 0:08:43.280 --> 0:08:47.080 whether it was cover stories or smaller contract periods. And 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:50.760 I am banking that that editor will remember me, because 0:08:50.800 --> 0:08:54.040 those editors are hopping to different places and they're gonna 0:08:54.080 --> 0:08:57.000 hopefully take their people with them. And so all I 0:08:57.040 --> 0:08:59.880 can say is that networking is so important. I get 0:08:59.880 --> 0:09:02.800 it that it's cringey. I get it that it feels uncomfortable, 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:06.160 and it's going to feel that way right. Small talk 0:09:06.240 --> 0:09:08.520 in and of itself is also very nerve wracking for 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:10.960 a lot of people. But I will say that if 0:09:11.000 --> 0:09:13.360 you can master the art of networking, if you can 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:16.280 master the art of speaking about yourself, but also if 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:20.000 you can master the art of saying, I can offer 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:22.720 this to you and then we can figure out what 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:25.520 you can also do it as an exchange versus transaction, 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:27.480 I think you would be set up for success. 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:29.760 And I think that's key. Right when you're early in 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:32.400 your career. I hear this all the time, What do 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:35.360 I have to offer this person if you're viewing networking 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:38.040 as transactional, then you're going to have that mindset. But 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.400 when you view it as you're bringing a perspective and 0:09:40.440 --> 0:09:42.840 they're giving you advice or whatever it might be, in 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:45.760 that situation, you kind of start to approach networking differently. 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:47.400 Absolutely, because I'm going to let you in on a 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:50.760 little secret, that feeling of what do I have to 0:09:50.800 --> 0:09:53.440 bring does not stop once you get out of your 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:56.360 early career. I get in rooms now with people who 0:09:56.760 --> 0:09:59.679 have been in their industry for twenty thirty years and 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:02.199 I feel the same way. And I'm sure they feel 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:04.000 it to people who are even more senior than them. 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:06.880 So that feeling, what I think, is kind of like 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:10.320 professional imposter syndrome. I don't want to say it never 0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:12.600 goes away, but what I'm saying is if you can 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:15.200 learn how to master it early in your career, you 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:18.200 will know that any room you are in, you belong there, 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:20.880 and that anyone who you build a connection with it's 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:21.320 meant for you. 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:27.520 We've all got those questions that run through our head 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:30.520 when it comes to networking. What should I say, when's 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:32.520 a good time to reach out? What do I even 0:10:32.600 --> 0:10:33.240 have to offer? 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:34.760 Well, don't worry. 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:37.640 We're bringing in gen Z content creator Morgan Young to 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:49.880 teach us all about the art of networking that's next. 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:56.320 So I know what you're probably thinking. Networking is so cringe, 0:10:56.720 --> 0:11:00.640 and honestly I get it. But thankfully Jihan and I 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:04.040 have a heavy hitter in today's hot seat. We have 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:06.760 a guest star who is going to tell us all 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:09.000 about how you can network and make it a little 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:11.680 less friend to Gianna, who do we bring in this week? 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:13.680 All right, We're bringing in Morgan Young, and I feel 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:15.840 like heavy hitter is the best way to describe her. 0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:19.160 She's a twenty twenty four grad who recently joined Shopify 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:22.560 as an apprentice product manager, and how I first met 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:25.600 Morgan is through LinkedIn. She's a gen Z content creator 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:28.959 and LinkedIn learning instructor who helps professionals build their personal 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:32.320 brands and leverage LinkedIn. She's been documenting her journey on 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:34.760 the platform for quite a few years now and hopes 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.480 people can take away valuable insights from her story to 0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:38.840 help push their careers forward. 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:43.640 Hey Morgan, Ay Morgan, Hi, we are so excited, But 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:46.600 let's first start from the very beginning. What do you 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:49.880 tell people as far as how they should approach their 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:51.920 mindset when it comes to networking. 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:56.440 Don't go into networking conversations and don't approach networking with 0:11:56.559 --> 0:11:59.760 a transactional mindset or an agenda, because I think that's 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:02.720 what most people, especially in my generation, get wrong. I 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:05.920 get like that my generation's impatient. Everything for us is 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:09.240 all about getting things instantaneously. But that's not what networking 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:12.200 and that's not what relationship building is. It takes time, 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:14.680 and so the best way to approach networking is through 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:17.800 a relationship building mindset. It's all about the long term 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:19.800 and the long game. To give like a real example, 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:22.320 I went to my very first career for and I 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:25.719 had a speed lightning round interview with a CEO of 0:12:25.760 --> 0:12:28.520 a local startup that wanted to interview me for an internship. 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:31.280 And I ended up leaving in a really big impression 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:33.160 on the guy, and he followed up with me later 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.000 and offered me the internship. Turned it down because I 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:38.760 had had another opportunity come my way. But then I 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:41.840 kept everything good, didn't burn any bridges, and stayed in 0:12:41.880 --> 0:12:44.440 touch and I started posting on LinkedIn, and then he 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:47.360 reached out to me later and said, hey, like I 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:49.560 feel like you remind me a lot of me. And 0:12:49.880 --> 0:12:52.280 even though I'm kind of salty, didn't you know take 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.600 the internship. I still have to be a part of 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:56.600 your journey somehow, So like, can I can I step 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:58.920 into a mentor role for you? Three and a half 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:01.960 years later, he's still my mentor and he has done 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:04.480 so much for me. He has written me letters of recommendation, 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:07.200 He has helped me get through like major life and 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:09.600 career decisions, and not only that, he was just the 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:12.320 first donor of my nonprofit that I just started. So 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:14.640 and but then again, I didn't go into that conversation 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:16.520 with him, and I didn't go into that meeting him 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:19.160 thinking of all that. It was just like I want 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:21.240 to form a relationship with this person, and that's how 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:24.120 it should go, Like always play the long game and 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:28.040 go into networking thinking to establish long term relationships, not 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:30.640 just trying to do transactional things. 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.720 Yeah. I think that when you really go into these 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:37.720 conversations saying like what can I give to this person 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.240 or how can I help this person, it shows them 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:42.800 that you're genuine, but also that you probably have something 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:45.280 to offer. But let me ask you, I think that 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:47.800 a lot of people, especially when whether it's you're starting 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:50.920 out in a new job or you're just graduating, you 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:53.680 may not even know what you bring to the table, 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:57.079 like are we bringing like steak? Are we bringing the vegetables? 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:57.240 Like? 0:13:57.320 --> 0:13:58.280 What are we bringing? 0:13:58.400 --> 0:13:58.520 You? 0:13:58.520 --> 0:13:58.640 Know? 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:01.320 So, like what what advice would you give to someone 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:03.679 who is early in their career as to how they 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:07.000 can articulate what they can offer to a potential connection. 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:09.280 I love what you use that analogy because when I 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:11.440 think about, like when you're just starting college and you 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:14.040 don't really have that much to offer, it's like what 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:16.680 am I offering the bread roules? Like seriously, like not 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:19.360 a lot. But I like to challenge people with that 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:22.160 mindset because regardless of where you are in your career, 0:14:22.160 --> 0:14:24.080 a lot of people feel like they don't necessarily have 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:26.560 a lot to offer. But I think that that's a 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:30.600 really misconstrued concept because we as people having lived the 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:34.120 unique life experiences that we have, that is intrinsic value. 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:37.240 You have intrinsic value in just like being yourself and 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:40.520 your perspective is unlike anyone else's in this world because 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:43.920 no one has lived your life, and so starting there, 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:47.480 that's the intrinsic value that you have to bring. And 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:50.680 here's my thing in terms of networking, like networking up. 0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:53.920 Chances are you might not have, you know, a lot 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:56.680 of value to give to that person. Chances are they 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.840 probably in that relationship and in that dynamic, they pro 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.640 probably have a lot more to offer you. But if 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:04.440 you can go into it just like you said, where 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:08.240 it's like offering that person like, Hey, my favorite sentence 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:11.040 to say in a networking interaction is if there's ever 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:13.400 a way that I can help you or support you 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:16.120 in what you are doing and what you're building, please 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:17.960 feel free to let me know, because that kind of 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.240 leaves the door open of like you don't necessarily have 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:22.400 to know what your value is. You can kind of 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:24.080 just open the door and say like I'm here to help, 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:26.240 I'm here as a resource, and then that puts it 0:15:26.280 --> 0:15:28.440 on that person to say, like, oh, could you help 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:31.120 me with this? Not only is that a great way 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:33.400 to establish and deep in a relationship with someone, but 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:35.960 that could also help you figure out what your value 0:15:36.000 --> 0:15:38.160 is because some other person might see it even if 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:39.440 you don't love that. 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:41.800 So, Morgan, I kind of got a question for me. 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:45.240 What's your advice for people who might be more introverted 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:48.160 in nature and feel like a nuisance sometimes for following up. 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:52.040 Absolutely, I think anyone gets anxiety from a follow up 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:55.960 because it's like, am I bothering this person? But number one, 0:15:56.880 --> 0:15:58.880 following up is always a good thing, and it's almost 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:02.080 never a nuisance. For example, I did a venture capital 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:06.040 fellowship a year ago, and I got it kind of untraditionally. 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:08.120 I didn't apply like normally, like I actually just knew 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:10.120 someone in the fellowship and they referred me and this 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:12.640 and that and the person who was the director. I 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:15.520 emailed them once and it quite literally took me a 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:19.640 month of follow ups, like emailing her probably about every 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:22.800 four or five days, and she kept saying, thank you, 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:25.000 please keep bumping this. I'm so sorry, like I just 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:27.040 have so much work this month. I ended up getting 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:28.880 the fellowship, and that wouldn't have happened had I not 0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:31.760 followed up with her quite literally five times. And so 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:36.040 it's not usually a nuisance. People do get really really busy, 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:39.840 and sometimes they need those friendly inbox bumps, those follow ups, 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:42.120 And as long as you're polite and friendly and warm 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:43.880 in the way that you approach the follow up, it's 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:46.920 never going to be received. Negatively and as far as 0:16:46.960 --> 0:16:49.520 like just getting over the anxiety to like send the 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:52.560 message to begin with, people are always nice with me. 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:55.120 Think that's that's like a motto that I like to use, 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:57.360 and so that applies for both follow ups and just 0:16:57.400 --> 0:16:59.400 like sending out the email to begin with and worrying 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:03.360 about annoying or you're pestering the person like it's it's 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:05.880 not like that. That's how we naturally feel the way 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:08.040 to get over that is to assume, just to assume 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:10.280 that people are nicer than you give them credit for. 0:17:10.920 --> 0:17:13.159 Yeah, I like to always call that like polite persistence, 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:15.320 and I think too when it comes to like that 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:19.800 anxiety piece, you really just have to like also think, yeah, 0:17:19.840 --> 0:17:22.000 people are busy, So if you're not hearing back, like, 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.320 it's not rejection honestly, like people like have busy live 0:17:25.440 --> 0:17:27.520 so just like don't let that from you know, deterring 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:30.160 you from moving forward with networking exactly. 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:34.000 So now we have a really fun part where we 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:37.840 get to get questions from our listeners. Morgan, this is 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:40.640 Dear Work, Bestie, where we are answering questions from people 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.280 who listen to the show, and this week's question comes 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:44.919 from Ashley in Utah. 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:48.400 Question that I have often when I'm trying to network 0:17:48.640 --> 0:17:51.239 is who I should specifically be trying to reach out to. 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:56.159 Should it be hiring managers, recruiters, or someone in my 0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:58.920 same position? Is there any kind of insights you could 0:17:58.960 --> 0:18:01.359 give on that, Morgan, what do you think? 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:04.399 I would say all of the above again, like, don't 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.520 like network when you need a job, always be networking, 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:09.959 Like don't. It's not like a It's not like a 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:11.960 one time thing out of a couple of years. It's 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:14.639 like a you should consistently make a habit out of this. 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:16.359 It's almost like working out, like you just have to 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:18.720 like build a habit out of it. And so I 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:21.879 think you should be reaching out to not only hiring managers, recruiters, 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:25.159 and people in your position, but a variety of people. 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:27.760 So in my LinkedIn learning course, I had this thing 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:30.320 called the thirty three thirty three thirty three role in networking, 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:32.720 which is where thirty three percent of the people that 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:34.919 you reach out to and talk to should be people 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.480 that are on your same level. Think like, for me, 0:18:37.640 --> 0:18:40.199 I just graduated college, I'm starting a job, So for me, 0:18:40.280 --> 0:18:43.320 that would be people early in their career, and those 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:45.719 are the people that are number one going to be 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:48.280