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Why Every Student Should Study Networks

If you read any article on how to advance in your career, it’s a wonder that a course like networks isn’t mandatory for every college graduate. Most career advice will tell you what to do, but not why. And even if they explain why, they usually stop at something like, “it’s good for your reputation.” After reading  an article like Four Ways To Get Headhunted, one may be tempted to say that this general advice is rather subjective. Sure, being digitally visible may help some people, but would it really help me?

One of the great things about studying networks is that it proves to you why such advice is correct. Although this article never said it directly, all of the advice had one goal in mind: grow your network. Even the last advice that says, “Things like networking and brand building, which I mentioned earlier, are critical – but there is no substitute for actual output,” implies that there is something more important than your network. However, the article continues by saying, “The harder you work and the better your output, the more word will get around.” There’s no doubt that by “around,” this means around your career network.

Having weak ties not only gives you access to more people, but it also lets you be in a position to impress people. If a recruiter approaches you with an offer you’re not interested in, “how about referring them to somebody you know who might be interested?” asks the article. The reason you’re able to do this is because you’re in a unique position where you connect two separate networks.

This article also makes the excellent point that we are now at a point in technology that our network isn’t just the people we interact with day-to-day. Our network can and hopefully will spread to the internet. Our ability to communicate with people who would otherwise be completely out of our network is exponentially powerful. If you’ve read The Strength of Weak Ties, then you know that weak ties are powerful because your strong ties–your close friends–more likely than not are limited to the same knowledge and access to people that you are. However, weak ties (hopefully) know things and people that you do not know. If not for the internet, this network would be limited in its growth. Your acquaintances at school or work probably still know many people that you know. But an online connection with someone across the country or in another company? Now that’s access to a completely fresh network and more opportunities. From a mathematics point of view, this means reducing the degree of separation from you to another node. And that’s why from a career point of view, that means increasing your chances of getting headhunted by an employer you didn’t know.

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