How to Network Your Way Into a $100,000 Job [Real-Life Story]

How to Network Your Way Into a $100,000 Job [Real-Life Story] Can you network your way into a $100,000 jobin your 20swith no degree?Itd be awesome, wouldnt it?Well, its not just a pipe dream. Thats basically what Elle Torres did.In 4 years I went from $15/hr to a six-figure job, says Torres. She did it through networking and accomplishments before finishing her degree.How did she do it? Its not what you think.1The Trouble With NetworkingWhen I say networking, chances are you hear pestering people.Thats not how Torres got that six-figure job.She started in a call center for a major healthcare companytodays equivalent of the mailroom. The salary? $25,000 a year.Her first goal? Get out of the call center and into the hospital setting.The easiest way was to target an area with high turnover.I took one of the million open clerk positions that seemed to be perpetually open, Torres explains.Next, she did one small thing differently from her peers.I made simple but noticeable improvements wherever I went, Torres says.That started with an employer-spons ored class in process improvement.I tried my hand at running a small project, says Torres. With a budget of 20 man-hours and $1,000 or less, I took the emergency department from averaging $30K or less each year to six figures a month. How? Networking.Torres didnt know how to make an emergency department 100 times more profitable. ButShe realized other people might.In her class, she met a wide range of professionals throughout the organization. One was a veteran clinician.A conversation with him gave me instant street cred with the staff, which was the support I needed to move my project through.That success earned the attention of the CFO and resulted in a position at a name-brand firm making $50,000double her previous income.The new job opened the door to for even higher-value connections, leading to yet another offer at $60K+ per year. Her focus on adding value quickly got her promoted to senior managementnot 18 months since earning $15/hr.Then, disaster struck.A massive round of layoffs destroyed Torress new dream job. The career shed poured her heart and soul into was gone in 15 minutes.But something miraculous happened.I found my inbox jammed with meeting requests from the connections I had made, Torres says.Most of the job offers would have meant a step backward. Still, she followed up with every call, text, or email. That strengthened the network shed worked so hard to build.One of those connections told her about a high-level opening. She found out what the position required and tailored her resume to match.Torres landed the unlisted position with a top tier healthcare company. The salary? A six-figure base and a very generous bonus package.Why did I emphasize unlisted?Because she couldnt have got it without networking.Nobody could.How did Torres work this miracle?She learned very quickly to do two things:Find the right people.Provide value to them.Ill show you how she did that next.2How to Pick the Right PeopleIf you had unlimited time, you could netw ork with everybody in your field.You dont.Networking sounds exhausting, doesnt it? To most, it conjures images of sending a barrage of spam emails to people who dont want to talk to you.Torres put her efforts somewhere else.Within The OrganizationFirst, Torres learned to spot key people at work.In any organization, there are people who move the business and people who are only there to punch the clock.There are many circumstances where the manager or director influences a decision more than any executive, Torres says. Its important to connect with the people who actually spark change, and not just the embodiment of some intimidating title.Does a decision-maker ask for time to consult with someone before making a decision?The biggest tell in my opinion, is verbiage. If a phrase keeps popping up in conversation, a few well-timed questions will reveal the source. Thats the influencer.A classic real life example? When an executive or upper-level manager suddenly changes his or her mind on a key issue, theres probably an influencer at work.Or if the executive suddenly starts working the phrase synergistic approach into every meeting despite never using that term before, ask him to elaborate, says Torres.That might lead you to an employee whos been a personal friend of the executive for 20 years.At Other CompaniesTorres also learned to find key people at companies she wanted to work for. Her biggest asset? LinkedIn.She uncovered key leaders by studying their companies. She also learned of them by reading articles about the industry.It matters less who youre connected to, says Torres, and more whether you share the right connections with the individual youre hoping to meet.3How to ConnectOnce Torres picked the right people to network with, she reached out.I might send a note with a line or two of how I know them, or why I want to, Torres says. She leaves her contact info and an open invite, but rarely requests a call.Honestly, a request for a call will be almost univ ersally ignored, Torres says. Im annoyed when I see it from someone I barely know, especially if theyre not in a position to add value.4After You Connect, Add ValueTorress most important lesson? Once you connect, find a way to matter.First, she tries to think of ways to help.Offer Free AdviceTry to learn your contacts challenges. Listen to them complainonline, at conferences, at work, or at social events.Id reference my own success in solving a similar scenario, says Torres, and offer free advice in a non-confrontational, informal setting.It all boils down to helping others succeed, then not trying to take credit.Winning over that influencer is about letting them tell the story, and helping them come to the right conclusion, says Torres. If they feel like its their idea, then theyre likely to do your work for you to gain leadership support.Find Someone Who Can HelpCant solve their problem? Then I would go for the next best thing, Torres says, introduce them to another connection who s an expert in that area, or offer resources to accelerate their success.Employers dont need geniuses. They need solutions. The quickest way to get hired? Be a never-ending wellspring of solutions. The ideas dont all have to come from you.Connect to Their InterestsCant fix their problem? Find key interests. Maybe youre both interested in golf, rock climbing, or a certain author.If they mention a book they liked, Torres says, respond with your (brief) thoughts on it and ask intelligent questions. That lets them show off without outright bragging.If you can do the above, youll dig up that most valuable of job search goldinternal referrals.Steve Dalton, Duke University Daytime Career Services Director and author of The 2-Hour Job Search, explains.Were operating in a trust economy, says Dalton. There are plenty of qualified candidates. But finding one that I trust, that's the hard part. That's important. If I already like you it takes a lot of data for me to override my first impression .Pro Tip: None of these networking methods will work if you discredit yourself. Dont volunteer information on any area of interest where you dont know your stuff.5Take It EasyDoes all this providing value sound exhausting?If youre not in a position to help, fall back on informational interviews.According to Steve Dalton, networking is really just another word for getting internal referrals.Theres great research by Olivia Fox Cabane who wrote a book called The Charisma Myth, Dalton says. She found that the single biggest predictor of charisma is nothing that you actually say. It's how well youre perceived to be listening.Soonce you find the right people, ask for a call, then dont talk. Ask about their career, what theyre working on thats greatanything that lets them strut their stuff.Success in your job search means bringing people's guards down, Dalton says. You need them to advocate for youeven though there's absolutely nothing in it for them. It's so much easier to call somebody u p and say, hey, your job seems really cool, Would you mind telling me about how great it is and how you do it? Who doesn't want to say yes to that?6Networking in a NutshellThis is networking.Its not pestering people.Its finding the right people, then providing value and/or finding common ground.In short, its helping people. Its building real relationships. It makes you more valuable in your current job and more in-demand with external employers.Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglartwo of the greatest networkers of all timeboth give the same advice: You can get anything you wantif you help enough other people get what they want.Stay true to that, and youll get any job you set your sights on.Got questions? Want to share your networking story? We cant wait to hear your thoughts! Drop us a line in the comments and well get back to you right off. Lets chat!