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Connecting to mentors and
building your network is like a
muscle;
The more you work it, the larger
it gets.
Let me start by telling you that the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the
average American knows approximately 500 people. By knowing 500 people,
you may have developed a bigger network of contacts and friends and a
support system larger than you ever realized. Each of the 500 people you know
has contact with 500 people of their own. The net result is (500 × 500 or 250,000)
potential contacts.
That many people would fill Yankee Stadium five times!
Making contacts is crucial to your career success. I encourage you to network at
all times. Taking advantage of obvious and not so obvious people connections is
a positive step to ensuring career success.
This exercise will serve to construct a visual depiction of your current centers of
influence, people who have the potential to assist you. What I would
recommend doing first is to develop what I call a
tree diagram
.
Section 11– Effective Communication & Networking
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