21 July 2021, Somewhere in the Metaverse - UplandDood (@Just1Dood)

I don't know if this is an UplandDood original equation or not but I've been thinking about this lately.

It's actually been on my mind ever since I started my working life, eons ago and now seems like in a galaxy far, far away (if you follow my writings, you'll notice that I like to use this phrase. One reason could be that it was imprinted on my mind during my formative years. Anyway, that bit of extra detail has nothing to do with this article

In a manner of speaking, I no longer have a working life but then you know that one's work never finishes. It's never-ending one after another.

Learning ≠ Earning

When I first graduated from school, getting a job was a big thing. Wasn't that what we have been preparing for all along? Time served day in, day out attending classes, lectures, and taking unending tests? Though I have a high suspicion that what I'd spend years learning would not be put to use at work. I mean, come one, when was the last time you used calculus at your workplace? Yes, when did you ever have to solve (a+b)² = a² + 2ab + b² in your office? What? You have? As recent as today? Okay, how about needing to dissect a dead and pickled frog then? Got you there.

Very soon, I discovered what was important in getting a job, maintaining one, and most importantly, excelling in one.

Network = Connection

When I say connection, I don't mean only in the traditional sense. I mean it's not about who you know, though I'll come to that shortly.

Please allow me to share a story to illustrate.

After graduating, I had written to apply for so many job vacancies, I'm embarrassed to put down the figure here.

It's a long time ago and I don't even recall how many actually called me for an interview. I do remember one though, the company has an office that was located next to a creepy cemetery in the middle of nowhere. I have no idea why they set up shop there. It could be cheap rent. Who knows. Like a wedding that wasn't meant to be, I had gotten cold feet at the last minute. I shudder to think of working late nights and going through the cemetery. Dying young of a heart attack didn't sound too enticing to me.

Finally, I received an invitation for an interview in what seems like a fun company to work for. I was well prepared. Put on my Sunday best and met up with the interviewing Assistant Manager of the unit that I had applied the job for. After the cordial expected rituals, we instantly connected. Wouldn't you want to know what connected? If I was reading this, I would. Believe it or not, we both graduated from the same University in a land far, far away from home. He was my senior by a few years. What kind of odds is that? It's like striking a lottery. Needless to say, the interview went well and I ended up being hired.

See? Wasn't that about a connection? What connects you to the other person? In my case, it was the University we both had attended.

Network + Nett Work

In the course of my working years, I've also found out that if you are good at what you do, people will notice you. Not just any people but the right people.

This is the part where you need to know how to market yourself. You need to build the groundwork before being able to network.

In the job market, this means having an outstanding resume. One that does not get lost in the mountainous pile. You have to know that anyone tasked with shortlisting candidates has only so much time to go through this pile. If your headings or summary do not catch the shortlister's attention, yours will end up in the "to be shredded/deleted" pile or at best in the "KIV" pile.

If you have planned your career well, you will stand out. How? For one, your accomplishments (Nett work). But more important than that is your referrals (Network). Your referrals are the people you had prior permission to have their names put down to be called by the interviewer, either for work or character reference. If these people whose names you put down do not know you well and cannot vouch for your character, you'll have a much tougher time getting the job even though your resume might have shined through. It's who you know and who knows you. Most company or at least the more progressive ones hire based on character, then skills next. It's easier to train skills.

In short, if you have not worked on establishing this kind of network, it would be near impossible to land a job.

Network > Net worth

Your network will always be an indicator of your net worth. It will be impossible for you to have a high net worth without having a well-connected network. It does not have to be necessarily a large network. It's not about quantity but rather the quality of your network.

Jim Rohn, a well-known motivational speaker said, "You're The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With". Though I personally think that that is an exaggeration, it is a reflection of an idiom, "Birds of a feather flock together."

Who you associate yourself with will rub off on you. In this sense, your network will have a high tendency to influence your net worth.

It is as much about who you know in your network as it is who knows you in your network.

Looking back to when I first started work, or even before that, it would have saved me much time if I'd known this back then. Someone in my network I know well enough to be my mentor and guide me through my work life.

It is much easier to do so today. We are exposed to so many tools and platforms to build our network, our connections. It is not so different here at Read.Cash. We are daily building our network, expanding our reach, making new friends. Some are doing it better than others. And some have started realizing the returns from their network, whereas some have just started.

One thing to remember is that no network is built overnight. It is a process and it takes time. One important question to reflect on is "Are you spending time building up or tearing down?" That is a character question. Character is critically important because it can add or detract from your network-building efforts.

Spread your net, and put some work into it, one day you'll find that it is well worth it.

Thank you for reading, stay safe and see you in the next article.

Sources:

Header: Unsplash.com -Ben White

Image 1: Unsplash.com - Erika Giraud

Image 2: Unspladh.com - Sharon McCutcheon

Image 3 Unsplash.com -  Jonathan Francisca

Thank you again for dropping by. Have fun with English. Remember to share your experience in the comment section.

Do drop by to say hi at my following addresses. I promise I'll be at home :)

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