The 85% Rule: Networking for Real Career Growth

You’ve updated your resume, polished your portfolio, and scrolled through hundreds of job listings this week. But let me tell you a crucial truth about the modern job market: sending out those applications is only giving you a 15% chance of success. The uncomfortable reality is that 85% of jobs are filled through networking and networking only. If you are still relying on an ‘apply and pray’ strategy, you’re missing out on the vast majority of career opportunities.

Redefining Professional Networking

Many people think networking is a formal way of asking for a job, but that is a transactional approach. And frankly, it’s pushy. True networking is about mutual growth. It is building professional connections in the digital world that ultimately help both parties.

Think about the human connection in your personal life. Why do you make friends? It’s so you have someone to be there when you need a shoulder to cry on. But that connection requires effort on your part, too; you have to consistently show up for them. A network works exactly the same way. If your conversation with a connection is always ‘I-based’ – always asking what they can give you: it’s not a conversation; it’s a one-way street. You must always ask yourself: What value do I bring to the table?

The Career Multiplier Effect: Accessing Hidden Opportunities

I am perhaps the biggest ambassador for the Career Multiplier Effect because it has defined my entire journey. Every significant career step I’ve taken, my first internship, my part-time jobs, and my first full-time offer, came directly from my network. I actually received my first offer letter when I still had about 20 days of college left, all because someone I knew was leaving their job and offered a referral. In fact, the reason I am sharing this information with you today is because of a network connection I built six years ago.

Here is how the Career Multiplier Effect works to accelerate your career advancement:

1. Hidden Opportunities are Unlocked: Many jobs are never formally advertised. Especially in fields like media, where I work, a lot of roles exist in ‘hush-hush offices.’ Companies, particularly large ones, often lack the energy to sort through 200 different job applications. If I have a trusted connection who has worked with me for five years telling me someone is perfect for a role, why would I listen to 200 unknown resumes? Word of mouth really works well.
2. Social Capital Outpaces Skill Capital: Because you are networking online, you are present across multiple spaces, in groups, post comments, or even carousel posts where people tag you. This continuous visibility builds your social capital. Your social capital grows faster than your skill capital. It’s what proves you have a lot of people to vouch for you and gets you a seat at the tables where real opportunities are being discussed.
3. Insider Insights into Industry Trends: A strong network offers a huge advantage: insider insights into industries and trends before they become public. For instance, by speaking to the right people, I got early information on the Indian wig market being the ‘next big thing’. This is vital for my work in the media industry. If you have a network base out of the US or UK that keeps you updated on global social media trends (like those on TikTok), you gain an immediate competitive advantage for your local marketing strategy.

How to Build a Flourishing Network

To build a flourishing network that serves you over the long term, you must commit to three simple, yet critical, rules. These are the pillars of all my professional development:

1. Be Visible: You must keep showing up. Consistent presence is key. This means being seen across your chosen professional platforms.
2. Be Valuable: You must add value to your connections’ lives. This could be as simple as the ‘two-minute favor’ like appreciating their posts, or sending them a free resource, like a link to a webinar that aligns with their professional goals. They are people too, and you need to put in effort for them.

3. Be Memorable: You have to bring value in a way that truly matters. If your contribution matters, it will stick in their minds. Remember: your goal is to turn initial conversations into collaborations.

Sustaining Your Professional Development: The Analogy

This process requires a long-term mindset. I want you to look at networking through the planting seed analogy. You don’t plant a potato seed when you’re suddenly hungry for aloo paratha. You plant the seed today, and you consistently nurture it over a period of time with water and sunlight. Only then will you be able to reap what you’ve sown.

You cannot go out networking when you are desperately in need of something, because that desperation will make the interaction feel transactional and not mutual. Plant the seed today, nurture it over time, and see where it takes you.

For those of you who want to combine a strategic networking approach with the high-level acumen needed to be truly valuable to your professional circle, I encourage you to explore Online MBA at Manipal Academy of Higher Education. These courses provide the rigorous framework and strategic insights necessary for transforming ambiguity into clear strategy, positioning you perfectly for maximum career advancement.