Caitlyn Kissee
Owner/Founder, Propel People Development LLC
Springfield, Missouri
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Networking Before You Need It
You often hear the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” While I have found this to be true, I heard a quote that took this idea a step further recently and I think it hits the nail on the head. “It’s not what you know or who you. It’s how well you know each other that counts.” That quote comes from Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, the world’s largest business networking company – so I’d say he knows what he’s talking about! What I took most from Misner’s observation, however, is the idea that you shouldn’t wait until you need something to network. In fact, genuine networking should have no other purpose than to build professional relationships.
Even as an undergraduate student at Drury, I worked hard to nurture my network for the future. I kept a running list of professional contacts made through my professors, classes and internships and sent Christmas cards to that list as a student. Once I graduated, I continued to keep relationships “warm” through coffee meetings, sharing articles I found that may have interested someone I knew, and by attending networking events as a young professional in Springfield. Early in my career, I joined The Network (the Chamber’s programming body for professionals under 40) and Rotaract Club of Springfield (Rotary for professionals under 30). There, and at other community events, I strengthened professional friendships without an explicit purpose.
It was those relationships, already formed and warmed, that paid off most when the time came and I did need something (a job opportunity, an in with a company or individual, a letter of recommendation, etc.). Now, in my third year of solo-entrepreneurship, I often comment that the networking I did for the first ten years of my career is now paying off in the form of direct business and referrals. It is more often my network, as opposed to close friends or family, that come through with opportunities and answers when I need them. So, while you may not see the need for networking today, I’d encourage you to start investing in professional relationships and keep those connections warm. You never know when you’ll need them!