Super Networking

Reach the Right People, Build Your Career Network, and Land Your Dream Job - Now!

Career Press, 2003

15 min read

10 take-aways

Audio & text

What's inside?

To fulfill your primary purpose — finding a great job — take on a preliminary challenge: building the perfect network.

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Editorial Rating

Qualities

Innovative
Applicable

Recommendation

This is an excellent book. Author Michael Salmon wastes no words, but provides a series of tips, questionnaires, checklists and exercises that will help everyone, even the most introverted, build a network productively and use it effectively. There is no fluff here, and minimal self-promotion. The book is mostly meat. The author is extraordinarily well organized and to the point. His advice on how to categorize relatives, friends and acquaintances may seem cold, but it is indispensable. Similarly, he recommends becoming a resource to others so that they may someday become a resource to you - a utilitarian and self-serving approach to human relations, but if you have no other reason to help people, this is not a bad one. One quibble: the book is repetitious and illustrates the hard truth with soft little imaginary anecdotes. That's more a fault of the genre than of the author. If you are in job search mode, getAbstract.com highly recommends this book to you. As the folks back home might say, write when you get work.

Summary

You Need a Network

Whether you are out of work, unhappy with your current job or merely a savvy career-builder with your eyes open for new opportunities, you need a network to find the new job you want.

Most jobs never show up in the help wanted ads because they go to people with an inside track. A Super Network puts you on that inside track. But Super Networks don't just happen - you have to build them. Fortunately, anyone can build a Super Network.

Begin deciding by who you are and what you want to do, and write an "elevator pitch," a brief speech (no more than a minute long) that introduces you and your objective. This brief self-promotion tells someone all the necessary facts about you and what you are seeking.

Then categorize everyone you know - relatives, friends, business associates, even your grocer, dentist, tailor or lawn guy - into four classes:

Those who can really help you.
Those who are well meaning and reliably on your side.
Those who you know casually.
Those who you don't think can help you, but who probably know people who can.

Plan and prepare before...

About the Author

Michael Salmon is founder of M. Salmon & Associates, and has been featured in a wide range of business publications.

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G. B. 6 years ago

Don’t understand why it is graded 9/10!!!
N. M. 7 years ago

This is sharp and to the point. The getAbstract is succinct and powerful. Some sobering thoughts and advice about family and relationships. Thank you

Michael Salmon