Here is a short excerpt from the book so you can see exactly how important the information is and how it addresses your situation:
Networking: It Never Stopped Mattering — It Just Moved Online
Here's something that hasn't changed since long before 2000: most jobs are filled through relationships, not listings. Studies consistently show that the majority of positions are filled before they're ever publicly posted — or through a referral from someone already inside the organization. Networking has always been the hidden engine of the job market.
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What has changed is where it happens.
In 2000, networking meant showing up. Industry conferences, alumni dinners, chamber of commerce events — the physical gathering was the point. Your presence, your handshake, your ability to hold a conversation. That still matters. But it's no longer the whole picture.
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Today, LinkedIn alone has over a billion users. A well-crafted message to a second-degree connection can open a door that used to require months of relationship-building and a lucky encounter. Industry groups, virtual conferences, and even a thoughtful comment on someone's post can put you on the radar of people who hire.
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The principle is the same as it's always been: build genuine relationships before you need them. What's new is that you can do this from anywhere, at any hour, in ways that scale. Chapter 3 is entirely devoted to what real networking looks like in this environment — not the awkward, transactional version, but the kind that actually leads somewhere.
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BOTTOM LINE: Networking moved online, but it never stopped being about people. Start building your network before you need it — not after.
Unlock tailored strategies with our exclusive "In Your Shoes" guides, specifically designed to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. See the impact for yourself here:
IN YOUR SHOES — IF YOU'RE JUST STARTING OUT
Networking sounds intimidating when you feel like you have nothing to offer yet. You do. You have a fresh perspective, genuine curiosity, and the ability to ask questions that more experienced people are sometimes too proud to ask. Start with people you already know like professors, internship supervisors, former colleagues. Simply ask for a 20-minute conversation, not a job. Genuine curiosity opens more doors than any polished pitch.
IN YOUR SHOES — IF YOU'RE MID-CAREER
You almost certainly have a larger network than you think — you just haven't been tending it. Former colleagues, clients, vendors, managers from earlier inÂ
your career: these are warm connections who already know your work. A brief "I'm making a transition and would love to reconnect" message to ten people you genuinely know will outperform a hundred cold messages to strangers. Start there.
IN YOUR SHOES — IF YOU'RE RE-ENTERING THE MARKET
If you stepped away for a few years, your network didn't disappear — it just went quiet. People who worked with you before your break remember you as the professional you were. Reaching out to reconnect is not an imposition; most people are genuinely glad to hear from someone they respected. A simple, honest message — "I'm returning to the workforce and would love to catch up" — is all it takes to restart a conversation.
Every section provides specific guidance for your situation that you can immediately put into ACTION!