S3E1: Building a Career and Changing Jobs Through the Lens of Networks

The Reliants Project

In season 3, we’ll turn individuals who have experienced specific life events that shaped their networks. Some of these events will be very common, like getting engaged or having children. Some of them will be less common, like experiencing the death of a partner or being displaced by war. In each conversation, we’ll hear how that person dealth with that experience in their own words and what it has taught them about the role of relationships and community in their lives.

One of the most common events that impact our networks is changing jobs. You need to step beyond your core network to weaker ties in order to access new opportunities. Those new roles also reshape your network. Steve jobs is famous for saying you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. Many people string together their past experiences into a convenient narrative that often masks the serendipity in their journey. Let me paint a picture of my professional journey so far through the lens of networks in order to help bring this idea to life.