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Think of it like compound interest. The relationships you invest in today pay dividends
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for years. The leaders I work with who have the most career options develop relationships
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consistently long before they need them. Welcome to the career by design podcast. I'm your host
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career planning specialist and coach Stacey back and I'm here to support you the ambitious
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high achiever who's at a career crossroads. If you're a senior leader who's already achieved
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a lot of success but considering what you want or how to reach the next level in your career,
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you're in the right place. I've spent the past 17 plus years helping high performers realise
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their career goals and on this podcast I'll show you how to develop a clarity, confidence and
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right strategy to take ownership of your career success. Also you create a career and life
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by design. Let's get started.
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Hello and welcome back to the career by design podcast with your host Stacey back.
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Are you working hard but waiting to be tapped on the shoulder for your next opportunity?
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Whether you've been overlooked for promotion, aren't getting the recognition you deserve?
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Or no you need to grow your network more strategically? This episode is for you.
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Today's podcast was inspired by a question that I was asked during a recent panel discussion
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on building a personal brand. The question was, what types of people should you be connecting with
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for your own professional development? And as it turns out, I have a lot to say on this topic
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because what I've noticed amongst the higher achievers I work with is that many don't start developing
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their network intentionally or consistently. Instead they wait until they're looking for a new job,
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promotion or client. But this approach is reactive and by this stage it's too late.
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You're trying to leverage relationships that haven't been built yet. So in this episode,
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I'm sharing four practical steps to build a strategic network that supports your career.
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You will discover the key people you need to connect with and how to develop those relationships
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long term. Are you ready? Let's dive in. Step number one is to always be connecting.
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When you hear the word networking, what comes up for you? You could picture a crowded cocktail event
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filled with awkward small talk and collecting business cards from people you'll never speak to again.
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Or sending cold connection requests to strangers on LinkedIn. But when I talk about networking,
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what I mean is building relationships strategically with a few key people who can support your career.
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And at the heart of this approach is the importance of what I call ABC to always be connecting.
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This is about building relationships on an ongoing basis. And it's a practice I recommend at every
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stage of your career. Even if you're happy in your current role and aren't looking for a job.
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In fact, this is the best time to start. So you're not scrambling to create connections the minute
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you're in the market. Think of it like compound interest. The relationships you invest in today
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pay dividends for years. The leaders I work with who have the most career options develop
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relationships consistently long before they need them. Here's the key message I shared in the panel
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discussion. Focus on connection over conversion. I like to reframe networking as connecting.
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And for me, this means prioritizing what you can give versus get and investing in long-term
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relationships rather than expecting an immediate outcome. As a senior leader, this first step alone
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completely shifts whether people want to help or even think of you when a new opportunity,
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board position or project presents. Because when you focus on connection over conversion,
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your relationships compound over time. Step number two is to know the six people you need in every
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strategic network. Once you've adopted the ABC approach, consider who to connect with.
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Rather than creating a list of contacts, think of your network as a portfolio of relationships.
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There are six key roles and each serves a different purpose. As I walk you through each one,
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ask yourself, do I have someone like this in my corner right now? The first role is the mentor.
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And I'm starting here because it's the relationship people are most familiar with. A mentor is
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somebody who's already walked a similar path to the one you're on or aspire to be on.
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They share their experience and perspective based on their own career journey. And can help
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you navigate yours by sharing what they've learnt. Mentors are invaluable for big picture guidance
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and questions like, how did you manage this situation? And what do I need to consider to make
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this decision or transition? One important distinction is that mentors give advice based on their
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experience. This differentiates them from coaches, which I'll talk about in a moment. My work
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bridges both roles. So I'm always intentional about which hat I'm wearing with every client.
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You may have mentors you check in with regularly or people you turn to at specific points in your
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career. For example, if you're taking on your first board role or leading a major transformation,
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look for someone with experience in this area. Everyone needs at least one mentor to offer advice
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and guidance. Even the most experienced executives benefit from the perspective of someone further
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along the path. The second role is the sponsor. And here's how they differ to a mentor.
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Sponsors use their power and influence to actively and publicly advocate for you. In the rooms
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you're not in. They open doors, increase your visibility within your organisation and put their
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name behind yours. They'll say, you should speak to Stacy about this. He's the one for that role.
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Or have you considered bringing her into this project? Research consistently shows that sponsorship
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is one of the most significant drivers of career advancement, especially for senior leaders.
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In fact, in a recent interview with DEI expert Belinda Riley, she recommended it as the number
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one thing for organisations to invest in. But as individuals, it's one of our most underutilised
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relationships. However, you can't ask someone to sponsor you before you've earned it. First,
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you need to demonstrate your impact and build the relationship over time. This means connecting
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your results to the company's strategic goals and making your achievements visible.
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Then, when trust is established, you can have a direct conversation about your goals,
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challenges and where you'd like their support. If you don't currently have a sponsor within
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your organisation or industry, this is one of the most important gaps to close. The third role is
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the coach and it's the one I know best and primarily support my clients with. A great coach
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asks the right questions to help you come up with your own answers. Unlike a mentor, they're not
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sharing their own opinion or advising you based on what worked for them. Coaches are especially
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powerful when you're facing a complex career decision, working through a leadership challenge,
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or you're ready to reach the next level professionally. They'll help you uncover new insights,
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build better beliefs and behaviours and move forward with clarity and confidence. Every elite
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athlete has a coach who helps them excel at the top of their game. In the same way, investing
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in a professional coach supports senior leaders to become even better at what they do. However,
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trusted peers or managers who listen well and ask great questions can play an informal coaching
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role too. The fourth role is the connector and their superpower is bringing people together.
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You'll recognise this person because they're always the first to make a referral or introduction.
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When you mention a challenge, service your seeking or conversation you'd love to have,
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they'll immediately think of three people for you to speak to. Connectors aren't always the
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loudest people in the room or in the most senior and influential roles. Yet their value is enormous
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as they expand your network exponentially. One connector in your network can open doors to
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dozens of new relationships. Think about that individual in your world who knows a lot of people
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and is always connecting the dots. Are you nurturing that relationship? The fifth role is the
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challenger. This is one of the most important people to have in your network as a senior leader
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and often the hardest to find. These individuals challenge your thinking, ask the uncomfortable
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questions and tell you the truth. They'll call you out if you're playing it safe and will warn you
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when you're about to make a decision, you'll regret. The risk as you step into more senior positions
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is that fewer people are willing to challenge you. You need at least one person who isn't afraid to
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ask, have you thought this through? Are you missing something here? Or is this really what you said
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you wanted? A challenger could be a colleague, coach or mentor who's willing to have the hard
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conversations. I often play that role for my coaching clients. Cherish those challenges when you
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find them. They're worth their weight in gold. The sixth and final role is the cheerleader.
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In contrast to the challenger, cheerleaders are your supporters. They believe in you,
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champion your work and celebrate your wins. Cheerleaders talk about you consistently,
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positively and keep you visible in circles you may not even be aware of. They're the people who
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message you to say that article you wrote was brilliant. Or I saw this opportunity and thought of
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you. Are you interested? They're usually close colleagues, former managers or friends who understand
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your professional world. I also step into this role for my clients. On occasion, the role of a cheerleader
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evolves from enthusiasm for your work to actively advocating for you as a sponsor. Another reason
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why nurturing these relationships matters more than you realize. When you understand the six roles
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that make up a strategic network, you'll know exactly who belongs in your corner.
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I'm pausing this episode to invite you. If you resonate with what I'm sharing on the podcast
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and you're ready, into doing this work more closely with me, I'm currently enrolling clients into
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ignite your career by one-to-one coaching program for higher-achieving leaders at a career crossroads.
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If you're a senior leader considering your next strategic step, but you're unsure what you
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want next, or how to get there, this program is for you. Using my signature career by design method,
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we'll build the clarity, confidence and personalised strategy you need to take ownership of your
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career success. If you're ready to be coached and mentored by me, I invite you to book a
11:33
complimentary chat so we can explore if this is the right fit for you. Go to stacibac.com
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forward slash consulta book your call and check out the show notes for all the details. I look
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forward to meeting you now back to the episode. Step number three is to identify who you need in your
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network. First, start with a clear intention. What are your specific goals and objectives?
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Consider your career goals, development areas and how you'd like someone to support you with those.
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And remember, any relationship is an investment of your time as well as theirs,
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so knowing your why is the most critical starting point. Second, identify the gaps.
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Who is missing in your network? Consider the different roles and where the gaps are.
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Is it a sponsor who advocates for you? A connector who opens doors or a mentor who shares their
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experience or a coach, challenger or cheerleader. If it's helpful, do a quick audit, grab a piece of
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paper, draw six boxes across the page and write the six roles in each one. Or if you prefer
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list them out in the notes app of your phone, then start filling each box with the name of at least
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one person who fulfills that role in your network. Which roles are missing? The blank boxes will
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help you pinpoint the people that you need in your network right now. Next, get clear on what you're
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looking for in each person. Consider their professional background, expertise, career journey,
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leadership style and any personal qualities that matter to you. Ask yourself, what do you want to
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get out of this relationship? Third, map out specific contacts. Someone once shared they'd used
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an internal mentoring program in their organization and it didn't work out. This is why I recommend
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you be selective and directly seek out people who meet your specific criteria and goals.
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And while formal mentoring and sponsorship programs are a great place to start, always consider
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who do you already know? And how can you build new relationships? Sometimes it's about reengaging
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and existing relationship. Other times it's finding new people inside or outside your organization.
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When you pinpoint the specific people you need in your network, you will build relationships
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strategically. Step number four is to start building your network. To close, let's talk about
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how to develop these relationships. I'll break it down by internal and external networks.
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First, your internal network within your current organization. At senior levels,
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internal relationships directly impact your visibility, influence and career progression.
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If you're only well connected with your immediate team, you're leaving opportunities on the table.
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Here are some practical ways to grow your internal network. Ask a senior leader for coffee
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with genuine curiosity. No other intention then to connect and learn more about their work.
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Raise your hand for cross-functional projects or internal committees, which give you exposure to
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other areas of the organization or re-engage relationships that have gone quiet. Say with someone
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you used to work with closely, who's now in a different part of the business. Next, let's discuss
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developing your external network. Start with your warm connections so your immediate network.
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These are the relationships to activate first as trust already exists. From there,
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focus on second-degree connection, so friends and friends, or people your warm contacts can
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introduce you to. Do this before even reaching out to cold contacts because an introduction
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dramatically shortens the time it takes to build a new relationship. Finally, I want to share my
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go-to strategy to build effective relationships, informational interviews. I did a deeper dive into
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this topic on episode 59 of the podcast in terms of how to tap into the hidden job market.
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I'll link to it in the show notes so you can check it out next. For now, I'll briefly touch on
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how to use them to grow your network. Informational interviews are informal conversations with someone
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doing work you're interested in to learn more about their role, industry, and experience.
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Once you've identified a specific contact, reach out to a range one. You can approach this
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on the basis you admire their career trajectory and aspire to end up in a similar position.
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People love talking about themselves and are always happy to help. At senior levels,
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these conversations could look like a senior leader reaching out to a non-executive director
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that they respect to understand their board journey. One CPO connecting with another at a company
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renowned for its culture to compare notes and share insights. Or a senior essay or special council
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in private practice having a conversation with a general council to understand the transition to
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an in-house environment. Make the effort to keep in touch and nurture the relationship over time.
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Then when it feels right, you could approach the subject of sponsorship or formalising mentorship.
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But often these roles develop informally, which has certainly been the case for me.
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When you invest in building your network consistently, you will always have the right people in your
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corner. So there you have it. The four steps I recommend to grow your network strategically.
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These tips have helped my clients and I identify the right connections and build long-term
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relationships to support our careers. I hope they assist you too. That concludes today's episode.
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Now let's turn this information into action. Number one, identify one connection to strengthen
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or activate. Who will you connect with? Number two, what role will they play? Are they a mentor,
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someone who will challenge your thinking or cheer you on? And number three, what step will you
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take to connect with them and when? Will you send them an email next week to set up a 20-minute call
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or shout them a coffee or lunch in April? Put it in your calendar now and commit to it. As always,
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I'd love to hear from you. If today's episode resonated, send me a DM on LinkedIn and let me know
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your biggest takeaway. Finally, if you're ready for personalised support to find clarity,
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build confidence and grow your network strategically, I invite you to explore, ignite your career.
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I have one spot available to start in April and have opened the wait list for May.
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Go to staceyback.com forward slash consult to apply for your complimentary call.
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All the details are in the show notes. Or if you're looking for leadership coaching or
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development programmes for your organisation or teen, head to staceyback.com to learn more
18:19
and book an initial consultation. Thank you so much for listening all the way to the end of today's
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episode. I look forward to speaking with you again soon.
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Thanks for joining me on the career by design podcast. Please rate, review or share this
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episode with a friend if you found it valuable. I also invite you to connect with me further on
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LinkedIn or Instagram. And finally, if you'd like to learn more about how I can help you create
18:45
a career by design, go to staceyback.com all the links are in the show notes. Thanks again
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and I can't wait to chat with you next time.