How to network in 2025!

Networking is not easy! Even extroverts hate it. When you dig deep enough, you realize that networking seems disingenuous because inherently you're approaching from a selfish perspective: "what can this person do for me?".

The reality is that we are all selfish, we all want something from one another. People who accept this have an easier time networking. Networking has also changed, most of the time we aren't meeting people in person these days. With the creation of LinkedIn, many professionals network online.

To network in 2025 remember the acronym CAFE:

Colleagues: Colleagues you are currently working that you can trust to help you network. You can also check out their work history and see if the companies that they previously worked at have any roles open.

Academia: Look through your College or University page and see where classmates have ended up. On LinkedIn you can also search for people who are currently working at companies you want to work at and filter out people who went to the same college and/or university.

Friends: Where are your friends working? Do they have any roles? Often we don't talk to our real life friends about job searching. Talk to your friends and see where their connections can lead you.

Ex-employers: Where are the colleagues from your previous roles? Are they at companies that you want to work at? A strong referral from a current employee can go a long way in some companies. Reach out to them, if they are in the same city, grab coffee with them.

Yes networking is hard but it's mostly because we are hesitant to make an ask, but the only way someone can help you is if you ask them.