Reframing how you think about networking . . . (TLDR it's basically insurance)
We all buy car, medical, property insurance just in case, but hope we never use it.
Networking is simply job insurance.
While I do not wish it on anyone, what happens if your company fires you tomorrow or pulls that job offer?
Networking regardless of whether you are currently looking for a job is simply insurance to prepare you in case of that occurrence. Where the *&^%$ to hit the fan, you would already have a list of people to reach out to and not need to scramble to find them in the first place.
Posted Feb 22, 2023, 2:11 PM UTC
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I think of it similar to an internal network - you know a lot of people you go to school with in your engineering discipline, but also across other engineering and non-engineering disciplines. You'll share some interests academically and extracurricularly(?), and exchange information about things (grades, sports, tests, gossip, etc).
Every once in a while, you ask someone for a favor or they ask one of you (need some help studying or prepping for job interviews). Sometimes you may proactively send them something (e.g. hey this band you like is coming to town, make sure you get tickets!). Managing your professional network is very similar in a lot of way, just amplified to another level and primarily focused on work/business.
Yep, when I do a networking workshop for younger engineers, I generally define a network as "Business Friends".
These are people you connect with over shared interests, very often outside of specific engineering interests, and are there to help support one another in their career travels.
Btw, the value of a network certainly goes beyond a job search, but that is likely its most powerful purpose.