Big Tech Networking

I was reading the Amazon excerpt of a recent book by Susan Wynn-Williams, and it struck me how difficult it was to find a job even in 2010. In chapter 2 in the link above, Susan discusses how networking is important to finding a good job. It took a year of networking, meetings and luck to get the dream job one wants.

Most people look at networking in a transactional manner and forget that it requires a lot of investment to make it work. Every networking interaction should be about what the other side will gain from the interaction, not about what you want.

Susan highlights the following:

1) How she identified her dream job at Facebook by doing research on company executives. She knew whom to reach out to.

2) How she identified contacts at Facebook and got a common friend to send an introductory email.

3) Followup emails every month to remind the executive about enthusiasm for the job and requesting a meeting. The meeting at the Facebook office materializes.

4) Meeting for which the candidate was very well prepared, but which did not go anywhere.

5) A random call with a general question from the same executive months later. Nothing happens after that.

6) After a couple of months, the candidate sends an "embarrassingly" personal note about a very personal event in the family to the executive and how Facebook helped. No response.

7) A direct call to the executive to talk about the same unanswered email which had been sent earlier. The call ends with fulsome praise for the company.

8) Finally, a recruiter reaches out and sets up interview for a random job. The candidate instead pitches for a new job she wanted to be created in each interview. The candidate does the homework for the pitch.

9) After 3 months of interviews, the candidate gets the job she wanted.

The entire process took about a year. Clearly, nothing matters more in networking that pure grit, determination and enthusiasm. Everything can be excused but not lack of enthusiasm. If there is one secret to impressing a company employee, it is unbridled energy and sheer enthusiasm. Jaded employees always want someone to improve the vibes and energy of the company.

Most networking sessions are tough. People who fake interest drop out quickly. If you are ready to do whatever is necessary and go to any lengths, things will happen ultimately. Networking is not for those who are faint at heart. If this was the condition in a startup like company in 2010, it is probably much worse today.

Susan stuck around Facebook for 7 years and was a director when she left. She would have done very well with Facebook stock that she would not need to work for a living again. But all this happened because she gave it her all,