When I look back on my career, one pattern stands out clearly: most of my jobs came through networking, not cold applications. In fact, only a handful of times have I landed a role purely on my own. More often, it was a referral, a past colleague, or a connection who opened the door.
Even my very first part-time job came through referral. My second, a full-time role, was the same. The job after that was one of the few I landed on my own. Then came two more through referrals, then another I got on my own. My current role came through a recruiter reaching out directly. Across all these transitions, one thing is consistent: networking has helped me move quickly from job to job, leaving no gaps.
And it wasn’t just about getting offers faster. It was about people I had worked with before recognizing me as someone reliable and easy to work with, and choosing to vouch for me. That’s a powerful thing.
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johnro 