Top Exec Blog (Web Log)

While traveling on an international assignment recently, I had the distinct realization that by relentlessly networking with others in business and personal interest areas, you constantly expand yourself as a person, and also shrink the world.

Two recent examples of the "small world" experience stemming from "big network" activities include the following: While traveling south from the USA to a major business destination in Brazil, I boarded a jet and ran into a high-level executive from one of the world's premier courier and package shipping/logistics companies. He and I had met several months earlier as I pursued opportunities with the multinational he represents, and only a few weeks earlier had exchanged emails when I announced my recent career news to my personal network. Small world, that we're on the same plane going to the same destination!

Upon my return from Brazil, as I was waiting in one of the terminal lines, I bumped into the Managing Director for Latin America of a major computer/software firm where I had previously worked. He and I knew each other from those days, of course, and we struck up a conversation about his industry and mine, and shared notes on the many changes since we worked together (he's been there for 32 years!). It was a pleasant exchange of news, business cards and pleasantries (in Portuguese, of course), and brought to mind the power of networking, since many of the same colleagues we shared back then, are still with the firm, and I'm sure he will mention me and my new endeavors to shared acquaintances. All of which confirms that a big network creates a small world --- make the most of it, since you never know when you will cross paths with those who's activities might intersect with yours on the Career Path Express™.

Thanks for reading. Your comments are welcome, or just share this with a friend or colleague.

© Daniel A. Cabrera, All rights reserved, 2007.

Someone we know well recently landed his dream job in an industry he knows well, and an area of responsibility he clearly has the expertise, languages and capabilities to master. That's a great bit of news!

The question arises, nonetheless, as to how did he do it? Was it his distinguished goods looks, with just the right touch of grey at the temples and his friendly smile? Was it the way he dresses or shined his shoes before the interview(s)? Could it have been his 14K bling, dangling on a chain, smartly tucked in underneath his shirt and tie?

Or was it something else? Did he happen to pick up a lucky penny that day the offer letter came in? Was he harvesting four-leaf clovers that morning in the garden? Or did a tropical rainstorm produce a rainbow and an employment "pot o' gold" just when he needed it while traveling on the Career Path Express™? Unlikely, as good as any one of those lucky incidents might be.

No, the truth is he made it happen with his network and his leads! In a brief sequence of events, this is how it happened, and why we all need to keep this kind of networking and follow-up activitiy going in all of our business and personal activities:

 1) Career Path Traveler (let's call him Trav, for now), contacted an old friend in the biz, Cal, 2) Trav's friend, Cal, introduced him to Ethel Recruiter, 3) Trav and Ethel had a nice conversation, 4) Ethel mentioned a couple of cool firms that Trav would fit into nicely, but didn't have the assignment, 5) Trav took the initiative and found an ex-colleague, Joe Cool, working at Cool Company No. 1 and made contact, signaling his interest......then time passed and nothing happened. The Career Path odyssey continued, until one day a job posting popped up on Trav's radar. Cool Company No.1 was hiring for a spot just his size! He reached out to Joe Cool, and asked to be put in touch with the hiring manager. Within a couple of days, Mr. Manager called Trav and began the interview process. Within a week more interviews happened via phone, then a cross-country flight to HQ for face-to-face discussions and then......(drum roll, please)......the offer letter came and Trav accepted!

Moral of the story? Neither looks nor luck will see you through, it's leads and networking you have to do!

Comments and opinions welcomed. Share this with a friend who might also be traveling on the Career Path Expressway™, and wish him/her luck on the journey. It's bound to have a good ending with the right efforts.

© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All Rights Reserved, 2007.