Being Purposeful with Communication: Networking to Fulfillment

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I've never understood networking in the same terms as my friends who are studying business. Before this year, my limited understanding of networking came from one of my friends who studies economics. She joked about the ridiculous way business students were coached to network–-essentially, to socialize with a purpose, though making connections with pretty much anyone could be considered networking. “This is networking right now! Just us playing video games!” she said. It was amusing, but being less interested in business and more interested in studying public-education reform, the transactional and postured nature of ‘networking’ held little appeal for me.

But this year, my courses and experiences have forced me to think about how I can be more purposeful with my communication. And lately, I’ve been formulating my own understanding of what it means to be an effective networker, and I want to invest more time in it.

As I spent some time critically assessing how I felt about the life I was leading, I recognized that my version of networking was better termed “social networking” (i.e., using social-media platforms to connect with new and current friends, family, and colleagues)...and it was draining me. I wanted change. Deleting Instagram and YouTube from my phone was my first step, and once they were gone, I gained more time during the day, found myself quick to research questions that popped into my head, and I was more compelled to reach out to people I wanted to know and learn from in the real world.

Soon after I stepped back from “social networking,” I found I loved real networking! On a class trip to London, we were given the opportunity to speak and socialize with incredibly innovative alumni, learning about their grand endeavors. I loved taking notes, coming up with questions on the fly, and closely reading people during conversations. I felt in the zone the whole time and enjoyed the balancing act of trying to form good connections with these people while learning a great deal from them in a short amount of time. Even when I had little in common with the person across from me, I still found it interesting to learn what drew them to their career and how they had succeeded in their field.

But why network? One point brought up consistently during our trip was that the best jobs are often found through personal connections. Some have suggested that up to 70% of available jobs are never published publicly. Other benefits include gaining insight and acquiring information. I knew, too, there was a thrill in networking. For all I said earlier in this blog post about disliking the postured nature of networking, I came to love that very aspect of it! I liked wearing button-downs, khakis, and Chelsea boots and confidently talking with successful people. It felt empowering, to be sure.

In listing reasons people should embrace networking, a Forbes piece places “developing long-lasting relationships” at the bottom of its list. A Harvard Business Review essay places “finding a higher purpose” at the bottom of its list. But to me, these articles miss that there is something deeper to networking.

To me, networking is a way to build and maintain relationships that help one find a higher purpose. This higher purpose is discovered and reaffirmed through interacting with others who can motivate you to reach your creative potential through hard work, who will offer you valuable insight, who will connect you with people you don’t yet know but who you might want to collaborate with. All of these benefits come as a result of the primary benefit: connecting with those who share in common, or inform, or elevate your sense of purpose in the world. Building and maintaining relationships with these types of people is the most compelling reason to network. It’s not simply networking towards the next big thing. While I work to find a way to influence policy at a higher level, I will never lose touch with the people and peers who inspire me to try and do great things.

I called a friend the other day. He’s studying music education at another university and loves being engaged in his studies 24/7. (It's hard to believe he once was second chair tenor sax to me in our high school jazz band!) I asked him about whether he’d been in any classrooms lately. He happily responded that he’s been instructing middle school jazz band students through a program designed to get college musicians into younger classrooms. I told him about my research project related to public education and expressed how happy it makes me to know that he’s out there educating kids the right way, instilling the unique appreciation for music that our instructors instilled in us. His mention of that program reminded me of Teach First, an initiative I learned about in London (created by a University of Richmond alum) that has had a significant impact on education in the UK. I jotted down the name of my friend’s music program and thought about how I hope to study and positively affect music education in America. This inspiration, this reaffirmation of core values by people and programs here and abroad, this reminder of long-term goals, this joy through connection—these are reasons to network.

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