This is the heart of the forum—where offbeat thoughts, campus memes, random rants, success stories,...
10 hours ago
Body
My father has 1,000 people in his contacts. Obviously, he doesn’t know everyone personally, but when he decided to investigate the value of an MBA mostly because he’s worried about my career path the results were staggering. He started asking around, and within a single day, he had connected with alumni from MDI, IIMC, and M7 schools.
That is the power of a "real-world" network. While we spend our time in business school obsessing over LinkedIn connection requests and networking events, people like my father are building bridges across every stratum of society. He has access to everyone from the local carpenters and plumbers who keep his world running to Ivy League graduates who define corporate strategy. It makes you realize that perhaps we’ve over-indexed on the "prestige" of a network and forgotten about the sheer utility and breadth of one that is built over a lifetime of genuine, diverse human connection.
You can read this and learn more about how you can organically network - How Organic Networking Helps Introverts Grow Their Network
5 Replies
-
It’s about being "the guy who knows a guy." That kind of reputation doesn't come from a business card; it comes from being reliable and helpful to everyone, regardless of their background.
-
As an MBA grad, I have to admit—you’re right. We tend to live in a bubble. The "craftsman to consultant" spectrum is a skill set that takes years to cultivate. Your dad is playing a different, much smarter game.
-
Totally agree. There is a quiet competence in people who have spent decades building a network based on mutual respect rather than just professional utility. That’s a network that never expires.
-
Your dad is a masterclass in networking! It’s the difference between "linked" and "connected." Academic networks are great for jobs, but life networks are what actually move the needle in the real world.
-
This is such a humbling reminder. We get so caught up in the "who do you know" game in corporate circles that we forget that true reach comes from being a connector of all people, not just the ones with fancy titles.
