In today’s market, your network is just as important as your résumé. Over half of workers land roles through connections, yet most people never reach out. If you’re job searching, don’t go it alone—tap your weak ties, ask for introductions, and stay visible. The right conversation can open a door you didn’t even know existed. How are you building your network right now? https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2026/03/24/a-successful-career-needs-a-strong-network-heres-how-to-build-one/

I don’t know how to network and maintain connections. I have been working in this industry for 15 years, I always get positive reviews about my work and how I show up as an employee, but I still cant seem to maintain connections when I move on from one role to another. I am chronically ill, and so I often don’t have the stamina to do an 8-10 hour workday and then also do happy hour or other social things after work. Im now four months into a layoff and realizing how incredibly isolated I am.

Situationship help - Had a whirling romance on a trip to Miami. Back in the real world - Guy ghosts, I initiate and he pops up super attentive funny flirty, then back to ghosting, then again repeat. This has become like a monthly thing 3rd month. Is there hope or not? I’m already getting frustrated and feeling disappointed & disrespected. But when he’s active he’s my wonderful dream guy again. Aquarius guys are like this? We are mid 30s, not looking for marriage just FWB.

How does one network if they have no current network? I didn’t do it in school because I was very unsociable in general and tended to avoid speaking to people. Never had much confidence since it’s just my personality. Got by despite it, but now hiring is so brutal it seems impossible to get a job without knowing someone. I mostly worked at small companies where no one ever leaves, so now struggle to figure this all out almost 10 years into my career.

I'm not good at the networking thing. I went through college as a single father working two jobs and completing my degree online. My entire career from school to now has been pretty much solitary. My first job was in a remote team where I was told to sink or swim with little guidance and interaction. How do I network to try to find a position? I will take any and all advice.​

I'm not good at the networking thing. I went through college as a single father working two jobs and completing my degree online. My entire career from school to now has been pretty much solitary. My first job was in a remote team where I was told to sink or swim with little guidance and interaction. How do I network to try to find a position? I will take any and all advice.​

At Airbnb, engineered real-time messaging platform and AI customer service bot at million-user scale with payments integration. At Workfront, owned backend notifications and alerts system for enterprise work management platform. Built across React, GraphQL, Kafka, Redis, AWS, and Go. Delivered zero-downtime deployments, event-driven microservices, and idempotent transaction flows.

Is networking really the only way to get a job now? I see people getting hired, and I'm doing nearly the exact same process as them, but because I struggle to network, I get passed over. I'm trying to reconnect with older contacts, and work with the alumni services through my school, but I feel crazy and tired.

Where have you found the most success in networking and finding a new job? I have been trying to get out to some events in Chicago but it seems like everyone is in the same boat trying to find a new gig vs get you somewhere further along your path. Is there any other better ways out there or do I just need to keep connecting?