You Work for You

Welcome to The Shift, a weekly newsletter where I provide thought-provoking ideas to help you think differently about your career and money.

Last Week + This Week = It’s All Connected

I’ll make this quick.

Last week I wrote how networking doesn’t have to be dreadful. Read here if you missed it. This week I will talk about the underappreciated benefit of 2^nd and 3^rd degree connections.

Quiet Quitting = Surefire Backfire

Ever have a job you dislike so much you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning?

We’ve all been there.

It’s easy to slack off when you are in that position. You start to plan to do the bare minimum until you find a new gig. I guess they call that quiet quitting these days?

The problem with that thinking is that it makes you look bad.

While you might think your quiet quitting is payback to a bad boss, or for your unpaid overtime, in reality it makes you look like an employee with a bad attitude and poor work product.

And it’s not just the boss you’re sick of that sees you that way, it’s everyone around you.

You might not care because you’re already looking for a new job, far away from your current job. Just don’t forget the traditional thinking: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. In this ever connected world, I’d argue this thinking should go one step further.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and WHO knows you!

Always Interviewing

Don’t get me wrong, networking is a great tool for finding a new gig.

Research shows that anywhere from 50% to more than 80% of jobs are filled through networking¹.

Here’s what we often forget: Your network is more than your teammates and work besties. It can be anyone you’re connected with on LinkedIn. Might be the marketing guy or gal that you interacted with once or twice at your last job. Could be someone that your team helped support on a project. Might even be the tech person you chat with every time they are on your floor.  2^nd and 3^rd degree connections can be more important than you think.

You’re leaving an impression of yourself, your work product, work ethic and attitude as you navigate each day of your job.

People are watching you and are subconsciously making an assessment about you as an employee. They are subconsciously deciding if they want to work with you or not in the future. 

OK that might sound a little creepy. Don’t worry, it’s not that that black and white. I mean, you might not even be memorable to some people! 😉 (That’s ok too.)

The point I’m trying to make is: every day can be an informal job interview.

The Unforgettable Advantage

Here’s what you need to remember about your colleagues:

1. You never know where they will land.

2. You never know who they will become.

Those reasons are why you must always treat people with respect. Also, it’s the professional thing to do. 😊

2^nd and 3^rd degree connections could be a good reference for you if they land at a company you want to join. Conversely, they could be the person that prevents you from getting an interview. 

Most importantly, when you leave a good impression on someone, you never know what that might lead to. That distant connection might become a leader at an amazing organization and as they build out their team they think of reaching out to you. Or they might recommend you to a colleague or friend who is hiring because of the impression you left. Maybe you get a call to join a Board because of it.

It might not happen every day, but it happens more than you think.

If you’re memorable – hopefully in a good way – people don’t forget. When you think about it like that, you will realize you are working for you. And for your future.  

So even if you are unhappy today, do a good job for the sake of better opportunity.

Let’s make The Shift!

Lindsey

Sources:

1. Jobvite, CNBC, TopResume.

2. Chart is from FinancesOnline.