We’ve all heard the line “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” to the point of certain nausea, but this adage carries more weight than you might think.
This adage is really at the core of what Staffing Firms or “Headhunters” do for a living. We are the group of people that may not be able to teach a class on AGILE Development or write 10 lines of Java code, but I can assure you that we know the people that can (which ultimately gets the job done, that’s the important thing right?).
I’ll give an example outside of the IT Staffing industry to prove that this adage rings true. A good friend of mine recently purchased a motorcycle, and it simply wasn’t running correctly. He tried to fix the problems on his own with a little help from Google and YouTube, but it simply was not panning out, so he reached out to his network. Lo and behold, a distant class mate from high school (10+ years ago) turns out to be a motorcycle mechanic. They synced up, worked out a deal, and got it fixed. The value that his network provided was a $500 savings. Simply reaching out and asking for help, yielded a repair job at cost. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
Whether you prefer attending Local User Groups, Attending Seminars in your Field, Scouring LinkedIn for Lost Connections, or even waiting on a phone call from me (a recruiter), it can never hurt to build your network.
With that being said, next time you receive a phone call from anyone here at Anchor Point, simply take the time to build your network. Who knows? We might have that perfect position that you’ve dreamt of, or even the perfect role that you didn’t know you were looking for.
Personal Networks are fundamental in growing your career, which can result in a higher salary or better working conditions.
So remember: It’s not who you know, it’s who you know from high school that can repair your new motorcycle.