Networking for Nerds
Networking for Nerds
Find, Access and Land Hidden
Game-Changing Career
Opportunities Everywhere
Alaina G. Levine
Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Levine, Alaina G.
Networking for nerds : find, access and land hidden game-changing career opportunities
everywhere / by Alaina G. Levine.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-118-66358-5 (pbk.)
1. Business networks. 2. Career development. I. Title.
HD69.S8L475 2015
650.1′ 3–dc23
2014049388
Cover image: Photo by Pete Brown
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my mother, Susan Levine, who taught me to
always look for, seek out and ask for opportunities, no matter the perceived obstacle, and whose love and confidence in my abilities has helped
me achieve my wildest dreams; and to my brother Joshua Levine, whose
support, love, and laughter has ensured I remain sane along our road
together.
“Alaina G. Levine is a Networking Ninja. I’ve learned a lot from her that
has helped me get where I am today, and if you follow even half the advice
in this book, you’ll be networking better than most scientists I’ve met.
You’ll immediately see direct, tangible benefits for your career.”
Dr. Kevin B. Marvel
Executive Officer
American Astronomical Society
If you want a great job, if you want to forge new professional connections,
you’ll need to network. Anxious about getting started? Don’t be. Once
you’ve read Alaina G. Levine’s new guide, you’ll discover that networking is natural, effective – and even fun!
Charles Day
Online Editor
Physics Today
This wonderful book is for both those who are new to networking and
those who are seasoned networkers. You will learn novel techniques to
help you navigate and succeed in the professional world and open your
eyes to new career directions. It provides a down-to-earth, common sense
approach to networking and will ultimately help you achieve your career
goals. I highly recommend Networking for Nerds!
Michelle Horton, CMP
Director of Administration and Meetings
Ecological Society of America
Alaina G. Levine has provided thousands of AGU’s student and early
career members with invaluable advice during her webinars, workshops,
and one-on-one consultations. With the release of Networking for Nerds,
scientists around the world will have access to Alaina’s real-world experience and expertise in the comfort of their own homes and offices.
Chris McEntee
Executive Director/CEO
American Geophysical Union
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1 The Importance of Networking and the Hidden Platter
of OpportunitiesTM
Eight Networking Myths
Understanding the Hidden Career Market
Breaking into the Hidden Job Market
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
xi
xiii
1
4
10
11
14
14
15
2 Understanding and Articulating Your Value Proposition
Your Unique Problem-Solving Abilities: The Cornerstone
of Your Value
Brand, Attitude, and Reputation: The Networking
Trifecta of Triumph
Your Brand Statement/Elevator Pitch/30 Second
(or Less) Commercial
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
33
42
43
3 Determining the Right Opportunities for Me
The Concept and Pursuit of Bliss
Your Personal SWOT Analysis
Your Career Opportunities
Chapter Takeaways
Note
45
45
47
50
54
54
4 Establishing Your Brand and Reputation to Gain
Access to the Hidden Platter of OpportunitiesTM
Always Ask Questions
Asking Questions of non-STEM Professionals
Stupid Questions
Seeking Mentors: The Importance of Mentor–Protégé
Partnerships in Networking
Being Professional
Professional Etiquette in Networking
16
24
55
55
57
62
63
71
74
vii
viii
Contents
5
6
7
The Tale of the Ball O’ Butter
Taking Advantage of Every Opportunity
Failure is the Ultimate Opportunity
Self-promotion – The Right Way
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
75
85
88
90
105
105
Developing Your Networking Strategy
Identifying your Goals for Networking
The Art and Science of the Thank You Note
Following Up
Organizing Your Network
Continuing to Follow Up and Look for Opportunities to
Exchange Value Over Time
Chapter Takeaways
107
107
121
124
127
Identifying People for Your Networks
Start With Who You Know
Institutional Networking
Diversity Groups Within Organizations and Companies
Professional Societies
Conferences
Articles
Regional Industrial Representatives: Regional Economic
Development Organizations, Chambers of Commerce,
Industry “Cluster” Associations
Alumni Associations
Regional Philanthropic Organizations
“Young Professionals” Societies
Religious and Political Affiliations
Regional STEM-related Activities
Spontaneous Networking – On an Airplane, Train, Taxi
Other Places to Meet People
Create Your Own Networking Opportunity!
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
129
129
130
132
133
139
149
153
161
164
165
166
166
168
170
171
171
172
Networking at an Event
Pre-Event Strategies
Attending the Event
Conversation Starters
Conversations Enders
If the Person is a Jerk
Following Up
173
173
176
178
181
182
184
127
128
Contents
Chapter Takeaways
Note
ix
184
184
8 Social Media Networking
Principal Pillars of Social Media Networking
Preparation
Building your LinkedIn Presence
LinkedIn Groups
Facebook
Twitter
Other Social Media Sites
Launching a Blog
Your Klout Score
Chapter Takeaways
Notes
185
187
189
191
197
201
203
206
207
209
209
210
9 The Networking Continuum
211
Index
219
Foreword
Networking is the Essence of Research
To many budding researchers the thought of networking brings about
visions of unsavory representations in smoke-filled rooms – of prostituting one’s scientific ideals to get ahead in the world. My experience is that
networking is instead the essence of scientific progress, and should be
embraced as one of the reasons why we choose to do research as a career.
The author and Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt, Copenhagen, 2014.
Humanity is a small part of a small planet, which is only 1 of 100 billion
planets in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, which itself is only 1 of 100s of
billions of galaxies in the visible universe. Yet, through the scientific process, over the past 400 years we have managed to build a comprehensive
understanding of the cosmos from the sub-atomic particles that make up
normal matter, to the universe on its largest scales. We are insignificant, yet
our knowledge is able to explain the vast scales of the universe from the
first few moments after the Big Bang to its current state 13.8 billion years
later. This knowledge has been gained by building on the toils of previous
generations of scientists, working sometimes competitively, but always
collectively, towards furthering knowledge. Networking is all about the
connections that enable science to progress.
While many of us might like to work on problems in isolation, ask yourself: “If I make a discovery and shout it out into an empty forest, and
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Foreword
no one hears it, have I made a discovery at all?” You of course have, but
humanity has not – it is only by sharing what you have learned that science benefits.
Networking is not just about sharing what you have learned; it is also
about contemplating what is possible. In 1994, while visiting Chile, I found
myself in the office of Nick Suntzeff, a scientist who served as one of my
scientific mentors during my thesis. We were discussing the prospects of
measuring the ultimate fate of the universe, by using the work he and
his colleagues had recently completed on supernovae and newly released
technology in the form of large digital cameras. It was on that day we
hatched the plan that turned into the High-Z SN Search, the discovery of
an accelerating universe and, 17 years later, a Nobel Prize in Physics.
Networking is an important part of the scientific process and, therefore, doing it well is an important part of being a successful scientist. The
innate skills each of us has in networking vary widely, but as with other
skills, most of us can improve with training. This book is all about the basic
skills you need to learn to better communicate with your colleagues. While
much of what you learn has the indirect benefit of improving your career
prospects, the primary benefit of learning to network successfully is that
it will make you a better scientist. And that is something everyone can be
proud of.
Brian Schmidt
2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics
Introduction
The book you are reading right now is a direct result of networking. In
2011, I was writing an article for Science Magazine about common mistakes
to avoid in the postdoc appointment and was looking for sources to interview. I asked a colleague if she knew of anyone and she introduced me to
Sarah Andrus, an editor at Wiley who was overseeing a program called
Wiley Science Advisors. Sarah transmitted my request for potential interviewees to her international network of Advisors and within mere hours I
had more sources that I even needed. I immediately recognized that there
was synergy between our interests and projects (as did she), and we began
a series of discussions in which we learned about each other’s goals and
expertise and examined avenues for collaboration. This led to my giving
a networking webinar as part of the Wiley Learning Institute in 2012, and
another discussion with Sarah in August of that year which led to the birth
of this book idea.
If I analyze my career as a series of opportunities – opportunities
that I have either found, been told of, asked for, been offered, or created
myself – I can easily see a direct path that has led me to where I am today.
And every opportunity was a direct result of networking. Networking
has literally gotten me jobs, awards, opportunities to sit on boards
and committees, speaking engagements, invitations to review grant
applications, invitations to apply for grants and fellowships, and now
this book. Networking has directly provided me with new knowledge
about my various professions and suggestions for taking my career in
novel directions. Networking has given me access to people, places,
information, and inspiration that have transformed my career and my
life in ways I couldn’t have even imagined.
That’s how powerful networking is.
In fact, if there is one message that I want to emphasize, amplify, and
continuously shout from the rooftops via this book it is this: Networking
is the key to career advancement. Even today, after 13 years of what I refer
to as “hard core networking,” in which I have dedicated a focus to building and cultivating mutually-beneficial networks, I am still amazed at the
riches networking has been able to bring me.
Networking can continuously pay dividends, but most people, especially scientists and engineers, don’t realize that to reap the benefit of
networking, they have to invest time and energy into it. Unlike business
majors, who are taught to network from day one, nerds like myself, who
studied science and engineering in college, don’t get schooled in the ins
xiii
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Introduction
and outs of networking, and that it is an absolute necessity to progress
in their careers. If we are lucky, we learn about networking by watching
others in our profession do it, such as our advisors. But more often
than not, scientists and engineers perceive that networking is not a core
function of moving forward, and in fact it is often erroneously seen as a
sideline activity that takes time away from their preconceived notion of
the only avenue to get a job – to do good science or engineering, which is
demonstrated in outputs like publishing, presenting at conferences, and
teaching.
Furthermore, many scientists and engineers believe that the act of
networking is a smarmy enterprise, relegated to the purview of a used
car salesman. Some of my fellow nerds incorrectly refer to networking
as “schmoozing” and think that it entails bragging and other potentially
sleazy actions that endeavor to get something from the other party and
almost take advantage of them. But as I discuss in Chapter 1, networking
is the exact opposite of this. Networking entails providing authentic and
genuine information for and between both parties so that you both can
contribute value to each other’s projects and interests. It is about building
long-term, win-win collaborations, not desperately trying to dupe and
fleece the other person. As nerds, we are far classier than that!
And I want to be clear – I am a nerd. I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, where I focused on extremely theoretical stuff – the formulae that
describe donut holes and knot theory, for example. I also studied physics
and a little astronomy and was President of the University of Arizona
Society of Physics Students (a position I got, and a position I leveraged to
get other opportunities, through networking). I enjoyed studying for math
tests, watched marathons of Star Trek, hung out with other nerds making physics jokes, and spent summer Saturdays going to lectures at the
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory while I was growing up in nearby
Princeton Junction, NJ. These nerdly tendencies have continued as I transitioned to adulthood. I play math puzzles for fun, incorporate Klingon
vocabulary into my everyday speech, read (and write for) science and
engineering magazines with a voracious appetite. My friends are all nerds.
I proudly proclaim “I am a nerd!”
So I have extremely great respect for other nerds, especially those who
endeavor to improve their skill sets to ensure they can achieve their
nerdly dreams, whether they are professional, scholarly, or even personal
in nature.
I wrote this book because nowhere in my mathematics education did I
ever have a professor or advisor tell me how to network or that I should
even be doing so. It was an extremely foreign concept. And yet, for me,
when I actually began to network, many of the concepts described in this
book felt intuitive to me. Additionally, I realized that I had observed others
finding professional success and bliss through networking. I knew I had
to share these ideas and inspiration with my fellow nerds.
Introduction
xv
So this guide is designed to teach you why networking is essential, how
you can utilize networking as a strategic tool in your career planning and
job searching, and to dispel any negative myths about networking. You’ll
gain tactics and strategies to build diverse networks, find people for your
networks, and access new networks for new career opportunities. You will
gain knowledge about how to organize and maintain you networks. You
will learn how to network at an event and how to effectively use social
media channels to expand your networks. And finally you will discover
how to preserve the networking momentum you generate with other parties, no matter where life takes you. Remember: Networking is a gift that
keeps on giving and follows you from job to job, organization to organization, and career to career.
As you read this book, I hope you will also recognize how much power
you have, as a nerd, as a scientist or engineer, and as someone who endeavors to connect with others. In many respects you are an entrepreneur – the
CEO of your own company – “Me, Inc.” You are in charge of all aspects
of advancing Me, Inc. – not the least of which involves being innovative and entrepreneurial in your networking activities. In fact, you will
see that you can even create your own networking opportunities or “Networking Nodes,” which I define as any thing, person, place, conference,
LinkedIn group, Twitter feed, and so on that draws like-minded individuals together and is thus perfect for networking. Think entrepreneurially,
think innovatively about your networking and your career triumph will
follow in parallel.
But of course, no matter how much time and energy and focus you
invest in networking, you must never lose sight of your outputs – your
productivity in your field and profession must be sustained at high levels in order to remain and sustain success. Your stellar brand (promise
of value) and your reputation, which serve as fuel for effective networking, must never be allowed to incur damage through non-productivity.
I write more about this in Chapter 1, but it is an important notion to always
keep in mind: You can’t expect to be successful in networking if you are
not successful in your profession and job and vice versa. So this book is
meant to give you specific steps to take to incorporate active and passive
networking into your career plan and even day-to-day activities without
sacrificing both the quality and quantity of your vocational outputs.
The book is also crafted to give you, my nerdly brethren, many of whom
are introverts, a boost of confidence in your networking abilities. You don’t
have to be afraid to go up to someone and introduce yourself at a conference. You can walk into a reception and, not knowing anyone there, lay the
foundation of a fruitful alliance. Networking is an achievable (and even
fun!) enterprise which will only make your life all the more rich, and I will
show you how to do this.
And speaking of riches, I couldn’t have gotten this far in my career(s),
or furthered my own networking goals, had it not been for some very
xvi
Introduction
important people in my life, all of whom I met through networking. I wish
to thank them with all my heart:
Daniel L. Stein, who, as head of the University of Arizona Physics
Department, was my first boss out of college when he hired me as his
Director of Communications. He knew me as a student and as a leader
in the Society of Physics Students, but he took a chance on me when
he could have hired someone with experience and better qualifications.
Somehow he knew I would provide value. His seemingly simple decision
changed the course of my life for the better, and I am so grateful for the
time I had under his leadership and for the mentorship, guidance, and
friendship he has shown me throughout the years since. Even after he
left the UA in the mid-2000s and became Dean of the College of Science
at New York University, we stayed in touch. Both he and his wonderful
wife, Bernadette, have been great sources of strength and direction for
me for years.
Alan Chodos, the former Associate Executive Officer of the American
Physical Society (APS), whom I met more than 14 years ago, as a direct
result of networking. In 2001, I attended an APS conference and since I
had just transitioned from the job as the director of communications in
the University of Arizona Physics Department, I asked an organizational
representative if I could hang out in the press room at the meeting. I was
gladly offered this chance, where I met the APS director of public relations. Four months later, this director emailed me and asked me if I was
interested in his job, as he had just left for a new position at the National
Academies. I said I was and started corresponding with the person who
would have been my boss, Alan. In the end I declined the job. But I stayed
in touch with Alan and worked on and off for him on short-term projects
for years, before suggesting I write a column for him in 2007. Since then he
served as my editor for Profiles in Versatility, a column in APS News, concerning physicists in non-traditional careers, until his retirement in 2014.
Alan continues to be a fantastic mentor, guide, collaborator, and pal, and
I am so appreciative of his support of my career. And if it hadn’t been for
networking I may never have met him.
Jerzy Rozenblit, a colleague, client, and friend with whom I first became
associated thanks to a mutual colleague who introduced us. As Chair of
the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the UA, Jerzy
was looking for someone to organize a gala fundraising event celebrating
the 100tb anniversary of his department. A member of his staff knew me
and knew my work and recommended he speak with me. This initiated
a fruitful alliance and gave me the opportunity to work in a completely
new realm of science communications. Most importantly, I got to know
Jerzy and his team, and we both discovered how much we enjoy working together. Thank goodness for networking and reputation management
activities!
Introduction
xvii
Joaquin Ruiz, my second boss, the dean of the College of Science at the
UA, who gave me great leadership and offered me amazing opportunities
to grow and advance and learn. Working for Joaquin was like getting an
MBA – I gained exceptional business skills, and he instilled in me a desire
to push myself to always deliver the best. I certainly would not be as successful as I am today had it not been for him and his trust. And by the way,
I got the job with Joaquin because he knew me by my reputation!
Sarah Andrus, who helped me fine-tune my book idea for publication
and whose friendship I cherish.
Justin Jeffryes, my editor at Wiley, whose guidance, direction, and
patience helped make this book a success.
There are yottatons of other people who have helped me in myriad ways
throughout the years, and whose assistance I have appreciated in the process of this book. These are the people who have opened doors, introduced
me to colleagues, created ways for me to inject value in their organizations
and designed new opportunities for me to advance in my career. To all of
my friends, compatriots, and teammates who have been on this journey
with me, I affirm my utmost gratitude to you.
And to you, the reader, my nerdly ally, I thank you for trusting me with
your networking and career advancement goals. Here’s to your professional success, personal bliss and all the profits that will bring you and
your partners through effective networking. Enjoy your networking!
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