For job seekers, there's a saying that's been around for as long as I can remember: "It's not what you know, it's who you know."
That mantra is perhaps more important now than ever.
My BI colleague Tim Paradis, who writes about leadership and the workplace, published a piece last week titled, "There's really only one way to get a new job these days."
Spoiler alert: It's through networking and connections.
Recruiters and career coaches say professional elbow-rubbing is even more imperative in this economy, where companies are flattening management layers and becoming more discerning about who they hire. Research also shows that companies are hiring fewer people in roles that AI can do.
Friday’s jobs report showed the winners and losers of the workforce are increasingly coming into focus. Roles in healthcare and service work are still growing, whereas the white-collar workforce and new grads looking for work are struggling.
In this market, one way for job seekers to get ahead is to build genuine relationships that can help them stand out in competitive hiring processes.
“You've got more reasons to treat networking like healthy eating or hitting the gym — and not something you do only in January,” Paradis writes.
BI’s Alice Tecotzky and Paradis outlined some of the dos and don'ts of networking in 2025:
Be specific: Make sure your LinkedIn messages stand out. When it comes to online outreach, send a tailored message instead of a boilerplate one.
Keep it professional — even online: Experts say maintaining professionalism on social media is key.
Dress for the industry: In-person schmoozing is back, and dressing the part is crucial. Each industry requires a slightly different look. Know your audience.
Don't wait until you need a job: A common mistake is that people often start networking only when they need a job. Maintaining relationships even when you're secure in a job matters.
Don't make it all about you: Too many people only highlight their own experiences. Come up with questions ahead of time for the people you are meeting.
Don't ask for too much: "You need to be very targeted and strategic about your ask, and you can probably only get away with asking them one thing," Dorie Clark, a communication coach who teaches at Columbia Business School, told BI.
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