Stop “Networking” – Start Building a Career Safety Net

Why networking belongs in your career plan (not just “someday”)

If your career plan is only about skills and job titles, it’s like building a house with no doors. You might be very good at what you do, but opportunities still need a way to reach you.

Think about Maya, a mid-level marketing specialist. She kept taking courses, updating her portfolio, and applying for internal promotions. Nothing moved. Then a former colleague messaged her on LinkedIn about a role at their new company. One conversation later, she skipped three rounds of screening because someone already trusted her work.

Same skills, same person. Different network.

Networking inside a career action plan does three things:

• It makes you visible when roles are discussed behind closed doors.
• It gives you real-time information about your field (instead of outdated job ads).
• It creates a circle of people who can vouch for you when you’re not in the room.

So instead of treating networking like a side quest, we’re going to bake it into your monthly and weekly career actions.

Step 1 – Get honest: who’s already in your corner?

Before you start “building a network,” it’s worth asking: what do you actually have already?

Open a blank document or notebook and divide your world into a few buckets:

• People you work with now
• People you used to work or study with
• People you know through communities (online groups, professional associations, volunteering, hobbies)

You don’t need fancy software here. Just write down names as they come, and next to each name, jot a word or two: manager, mentor, colleague from old job, professor, friend in tech, client, and so on.

When I did this exercise with a client, Alex, he insisted he “didn’t have a network.” Ten minutes later he had a list of 37 names: former managers, classmates who now worked at big-name companies, even a neighbor who was a recruiter. He just never thought of them as part of his career plan.

Now ask yourself three questions:

• Who already knows my work and thinks I’m good at what I do?
• Who is well-connected in my industry or the one I want to move into?
• Who do I genuinely like talking to?

Those people are your starting circle. Your networking strategy doesn’t begin with strangers; it begins with warming up what you already have.

Step 2 – Turn “networking” into small, repeatable habits

Networking feels heavy because we treat it like a big event: conferences, mixers, big scary coffee chats. Your career plan will work better if you shrink it down into tiny, boring actions you can actually do on a Tuesday afternoon.

Think in terms of weekly and monthly habits.

Weekly habits might look like:

• Commenting thoughtfully on two or three LinkedIn posts from people in your field.
• Sending one short check-in message to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.
• Sharing one useful article, resource, or job post with someone who might appreciate it.

Monthly habits might look like:

• One virtual or in-person coffee chat with a colleague, alum, or someone in a role you’re curious about.
• Attending one online event, webinar, or meetup related to your industry.
• Updating your LinkedIn or portfolio with one concrete achievement.

None of this needs to be dramatic. Ten to fifteen minutes a few times a week beats one big, awkward networking push every six months.

When you turn it into calendar blocks—"15-minute LinkedIn check-in” on Wednesdays, “Coffee chat” once a month—it stops being vague and starts being part of your actual action plan.

Step 3 – What do you even say? (Without sounding weird)

The part that scares most people is the actual message. Reaching out feels awkward. But it doesn’t have to be a performance; it can be honest and simple.

Here’s the basic formula:

1. Remind them who you are or how you know each other.
2. Share something specific you appreciate or noticed about them.
3. Make a clear, small ask—or just reconnect with no ask.

For example, when Jordan wanted to reconnect with a former manager, their message sounded like this (shortened):

“Hi Sam, hope you’ve been doing well. I still think about that product launch we did in 2021—it taught me a lot about managing chaos calmly. I’ve been working in product at X Company since then and am exploring senior roles. I’d love your perspective on what skills hiring managers look for at that level. Would you be open to a 20-minute call sometime in the next few weeks?”

Notice what’s going on here:

• It’s specific (“that product launch in 2021”), not generic.
• It gives a quick snapshot of where Jordan is now.
• It asks for something realistic and time-bound.

You can also reconnect without any career ask at all:

“Hi Ana, I came across this article on remote team culture and it reminded me of your research project back in grad school. How are you doing these days? Would love to hear what you’re working on.”

Not every interaction needs to be about getting something. In fact, the less transactional you are, the stronger your network becomes.

Step 4 – Make networking part of specific career goals

This is where it stops being “I should meet more people” and becomes “I will do X by Y date.”

Let’s say your career goal is: Move into a data analyst role within 12 months.

You might build networking actions like these into your plan:

• Identify ten people who are already data analysts in companies you admire.
• Connect with them on LinkedIn with a short, tailored note.
• Have at least one informational conversation per month with someone in data.
• Join one analytics-focused community or association and actually participate in discussions.

Or imagine you want to grow inside your current company rather than move out. Then your networking plan might focus more on internal relationships:

• Schedule quarterly 1:1s with your manager to talk about your growth, not just tasks.
• Reach out to one person per month in a different department to understand how their work connects to yours.
• Volunteer for one cross-functional project this year to work with new people.

When networking actions are tied to specific career goals, they suddenly feel less random. You’re not “just chatting”—you’re gathering information, building visibility, and creating options.

Step 5 – Give before you ask (even if you feel you have nothing to offer)

A lot of people hesitate to reach out because they think, “Why would they talk to me? I have nothing to give.” That’s not actually true.

You can offer value in small, human ways:

• Share a relevant article, podcast, or event with a short note: “Thought of you when I saw this.”
• Introduce two people who might benefit from knowing each other (with both their permission).
• Offer a quick perspective on something you know well, even if it feels basic to you.

Take Priya, who was early in her career and felt intimidated reaching out to senior people. She started by sharing short summaries of new tools she was testing in her role. One director loved her breakdown so much that they invited her to present at an internal meeting. That one act of sharing turned into visibility, which turned into mentorship, which later turned into a job referral.

Generosity doesn’t have to be grand. It just has to be genuine.

Step 6 – Use online platforms without letting them use you

LinkedIn and similar platforms can be noisy, but they’re still powerful if you use them intentionally.

You don’t need to become a “thought leader.” You can:

• Keep your profile current, clear, and aligned with where you want to go, not just where you’ve been.
• Comment thoughtfully on posts from people you respect, adding one useful insight or question.
• Share small wins or lessons learned from your work once in a while, not as bragging, but as “here’s what I learned and how it helped.”

If you want structured guidance, sites like CareerOneStop (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor) offer practical tips on informational interviews and networking that you can adapt to your situation.

The key is to set boundaries: maybe 10–15 minutes a few times a week, not endless scrolling. Show up, contribute, connect, and then get back to your actual work and life.

Step 7 – Track your relationships like part of your job

This sounds unromantic, but it works.

Create a simple spreadsheet or note with columns like:

• Name
• Where you know them from
• Current role/company
• Last contact date
• Next step (if any)

When Luis started doing this, he realized he only ever reached out when he needed something. So he changed his approach: every month, he’d look at his list and pick a few people to send a quick, no-pressure message. An update. A congrats on a new role. A “this made me think of you.”

Over a year, those tiny touches added up. When he later started a job search, he didn’t feel like he was suddenly “using” people. He’d been in touch all along.

Your network isn’t a collection of emergency fire alarms. It’s a set of ongoing conversations.

When you’re introverted, shy, or just tired of people

If the idea of “putting yourself out there” makes you want to hide under a blanket, you’re not alone. You don’t have to become someone you’re not.

You can design your networking plan around your energy:

• Favor one-on-one conversations over big events.
• Choose asynchronous contact (messages, email) more often than live calls.
• Prepare a few questions in advance so you’re not scrambling during conversations.

For example, if you have an informational interview, you might keep a small list handy:

• “What does a typical week look like in your role?”
• “If you were starting in this field today, what would you focus on first?”
• “What skills do you see people underestimating in this job?”

You don’t need to be dazzling. You just need to be curious and respectful of their time.

If social anxiety is a real barrier, resources from organizations like the National Institute of Mental Health can help you understand what you’re experiencing and explore support options.

Building a safety net before you need it

The quiet truth about networking is this: the best time to build it is when you’re not desperate.

When layoffs hit, when you’re burned out, when you’ve just been passed over for a promotion—that’s when you feel the absence of a network the most. But that’s also when reaching out can feel the hardest.

So your career action plan should treat networking like:

• brushing your teeth (small, regular, non-dramatic), not
• calling the dentist after years of pain.

If you commit to tiny, consistent actions—one message here, one coffee chat there—you’ll look up in a year and realize you’re not alone in your career anymore. You have people who know you, people who can open doors, and people you can help in return.

And that’s really the point: not collecting contacts, but building a web of real, two-way relationships that makes every career move a little less scary.

FAQ – Networking in career action plans

How much time should I spend on networking each week?

For most people, 30–60 minutes a week is a reasonable starting point. That might be a 20-minute coffee chat plus a few short messages or comments. It doesn’t need to take over your life to be effective.

What if I feel like I’m bothering people?

If you’re respectful of their time, clear about your ask, and open to hearing “no,” you’re not bothering them—you’re giving them a choice. Many people actually like helping, especially when you come prepared and appreciative.

Do I need to go to networking events to build a strong network?

Not necessarily. Events can help, but plenty of strong networks are built through work projects, online communities, alumni groups, and one-on-one conversations. Choose the formats that match your personality and goals.

How do I follow up without feeling pushy?

A simple rule: if you haven’t heard back in 7–10 days, one polite follow-up is fine. After that, let it go. For people you’ve already spoken with, occasional updates (every few months) about your progress or a quick “this reminded me of you” message are usually welcome.

Where can I learn more about professional networking?

You can explore practical guidance and templates through resources like CareerOneStop, and many universities share free career advice, such as Harvard’s Office of Career Services. These can give you scripts, questions, and ideas you can adapt to your own style.