Elizabeth Davies on the abundant benefits of networking

By Elizabeth Davies

‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ – words that have only become more significant and more accurate as I’ve got older.

I’m not talking about shallow name dropping. No one cares if your friend’s brother plays for the Warriors, or your cousin’s boyfriend’s dad is a national TV star, I’m talking about the priceless asset that is an industry connection.

In the past people have been reluctant to ask for assistance from those they know in the industry, not even wanting people to ‘put in a good word’ for them.

I genuinely admire their determination to get a job entirely based on their own merit. But as time moves on and finding employment becomes more and more of a struggle, people quickly learn to use every weapon in their arsenal to get an edge over the competition.

I’m not saying a talentless, underqualified, lazy youngster should get a position over someone better suited purely based on his dad’s friendship with the CEO. I am saying that if three applicants are equally qualified, hard-working and competent but one of them used to coach the boss’s son’s soccer team then he has an advantage.

A number of parents even factor this idea of ‘connections’ in when they are choosing what school to send their children to. Not only do they hope sending their child to a ‘successful’ school will see them surrounded by potentially successful peers, but they are also aware of the parents they and their children will meet at school events.

It cannot be denied that the ‘old boys’ label is still worn like a badge of honour, especially when linked to schools such as Auckland Grammar. Having a school in common with your interviewer often provides an immediate sense of kinship – a launch pad into conversation and, however unconscious it may be, a sense of approval.

At this stage people stop being just people and start being ‘potential connections’. While this may be frowned upon as ‘shallow’ it is swiftly becoming a fact of life. You wouldn’t want your child hanging around a drop-kick because you would fear the rub-off effect, and label the friend a ‘bad influence’.

Is it therefore so difficult to imagine that we look for people to associate ourselves with that could be a ‘good influence’; people who could be ultimately advantageous to know?

You don’t have to befriend CEOs in order to benefit from connections. When a friend first started his career he was in a very junior position and hoping to eventually climb the ranks. He developed a good friendship with the boss’s PA, not with the intention of using her to climb the ladder, but purely because he’s a really nice guy. He found he was given more opportunities to prove himself and was promoted.

You don’t have to go to a prestigious school or have powerful family friends to build industry connections, you just have to keep your eyes and ears open. Take an interest in the careers of those around you, go to industry open evenings while you are studying and when a friend casually mentions knowing someone in the industry see if you can be introduced.

At the end of the day, on paper you look exactly the same as a couple of hundred other job applicants. The only way to differentiate yourself is through your personality. 

A recommendation from a trusted colleague will always mean more than an A+ grade. Never turn down the helping hand. Let them put in a good word.

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Elizabeth Davies is a 24 year-old graduate of the Auckland University of Technology post graduate journalism course. She lives with her partner in Epsom and spends her free time refurbishing vintage furniture and attempting to bake while fighting a daily battle against her bank balance. She writes a weekly article for interest.co.nz on money matters and financial struggles from a young person's perspective.