Reach Out

“Opportunities don't float like clouds in the sky; they're attached to people. If you're looking for an opportunity, you're really looking for a person.” – Mollie Beck emphasizes that connections form the bedrock of successful careers.

1. Building Networks: Strong vs. Weak Ties

Your network holds the key to new and exciting career opportunities. Rather than focusing solely on close friends and family, you need to expand connections to include weak ties. Weak ties—like old classmates, past colleagues, or acquaintances—are often more impactful for career advancement because they operate outside your immediate circle and expose you to new opportunities.

This concept is backed by statistics showing that two-thirds of jobs are obtained through employees’ recommendations. These relationships often connect people to jobs or projects that would otherwise remain hidden. Weak ties don't move in the same circles as you, so they can help you break into new terrains.

Weak ties can provide game-changing chances that strong ties cannot. For instance, someone you briefly interacted with at a work event may introduce you to their employer, while your close friends typically have access to the same knowledge and social circles as you.

Examples

• A former professor guides a student to a new research project.
• A LinkedIn connection forwards a job posting for a hidden role.
• A previous coworker alerts you about a new opening in their firm.

2. The Power of Daily Practice

Fear of rejection and anxiety are common barriers to networking. The solution? Turn networking into a daily habit to diminish nervousness and build your confidence. By doing this regularly, you’ll become more comfortable reaching out and navigating uncomfortable situations.

Psychotherapist Megan Bruneau believes exposing oneself to discomfort repeatedly makes the process easier over time. Sending an email, tweet, or message daily helps avoid overthinking non-responses and normalizes reaching out to others.

This commitment requires perseverance. Like hitting the gym every morning, committing to one RO a day keeps progress on-track and ensures steady growth of your network.

Examples

• Setting a routine of sending one outreach email every morning.
• Following up with an old colleague the day after discovering their promotion online.
• Making a habit to comment or engage on LinkedIn posts of professionals in your field.

3. Reciprocity Rule: Give Before You Ask

People are more likely to respond positively when they experience value first. In networking, this means offering a "gift” in the form of a compliment, information, or helpful advice, before asking for a favor.

For example, Trista Harris used her credentials and media contacts to secure an interview with Sir Richard Branson. Her gift—offering exposure through her media channels—motivated conference organizers to consider her request. Whether it’s sharing a resource, recommending a book, or praising someone’s work, setting the tone with value fosters goodwill.

Balancing the favor component is also essential. Avoid asking overly demanding favors and instead pose specific, actionable questions that are easy to answer.

Examples

• Recommending a relevant book during an initial email to someone in your industry.
• Offering feedback on a peer-reviewed article or project.
• Highlighting a mutual connection or shared interest to show thoughtfulness.

4. Four Types of Reach Outs

Not all outreach efforts operate the same way. Knowing the different RO types—Re-RO, Follow-up RO, Borrowed Connection, and Cool RO—lets you polish your strategy based on familiarity with your target person.

Re-RO involves reconnecting with someone you already know but haven't been in touch with lately. Follow-up ROs are for contacts you've only met once or twice, typically in fleeting scenarios such as events or conferences. Borrowed Connections require introductions via mutual acquaintances, while Cool ROs target people with no prior connection.

Less personalized Cool ROs tend to have lower response rates (about 25%), while Re-RO or Follow-up methods yield up to 80% success. Focusing proportionally can balance outcomes and effort.

Examples

• Reconnecting with someone you worked on a project with six months ago.
• Sending a LinkedIn request to someone you met briefly at a workshop.
• Crafting an email introduction through a mutual industry colleague.

5. Beyond Work: Personal Fulfillment

Networking isn't only about career progression. Reaching Out can provide unexpected personal benefits. New contacts may turn into mentors, collaborative partners, or even valuable friends.

One mentee’s experience illustrates this—she connected with the author at events, through social media, and email. Over time, their professional exchanges evolved into a deeper mentor-mentee relationship. Networking strengthens both careers and personal relationships.

Examples

• Collaborating with a contact to create online content.
• Forming friendships with industry meet-up attendees.
• Turning a chance LinkedIn chat into mentorship guidance.

6. Crafting the Perfect Email

A well-written outreach email is concise and professional. Include a short subject line that grabs attention, a friendly greeting, a brief self-introduction, and a clear ask or favor, in addition to the “gift” you're offering.

Research from Yesware shows that emails with capitalized subject lines have higher open rates. Following up minimally after four weeks can push higher response rates while avoiding annoyance.

Examples

• Starting an email subject line like “Quick Question About Your Field” inspires curiosity.
• Including personalized contact details like a blog or LinkedIn link builds credibility.
• Adding email proofread tools ensures clarity and professionalism.

7. Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Sometimes the best way to connect with someone is through their preferred platform. Monitoring a target's activity helps tailor your outreach using the platform they frequent most.

Maria Yuan’s success in Reaching Out to Albert Wenger came from keen observation of his online habits. Using Twitter, she referenced his past tweets before directing attention to her event, which sparked a valuable exchange.

Social media outreach also allows you to subtly engage with posts or content, reflecting genuine interest before making contact.

Examples

• Liking and commenting on your target's Twitter posts before sending a direct message.
• Using Instagram or LinkedIn to track shared professional interests.
• Tweeting about industry-related topics to attract mutual connections.

8. Preparing for Responses and Non-Responses

Expect a mixed bag of results when Reaching Out. For positive engagements, reply promptly and respectfully. Always express gratitude, even if the answer is a polite denial.

Non-responses often serve as hidden feedback—review your subject line, email length, and clarity of the request. With small tweaks, such mistakes can guide improved future ROs.

Examples

• Saying “thank-you” at the end of every response to build goodwill.
• Editing non-response emails to simplify lengthy paragraphs.
• Testing different subject styles to determine what resonates most.

9. Make It Habitual

Turn networking into a regular activity to ensure steady career growth. Like daily blogging or writing practices, ROs become second nature with repetition.

You can go for daily single messages or batch content weekly. Whichever fits your workstyle, what matters most is consistency. Use online tools or spreadsheets to track your contacts and responses.

Examples

• Allocating Monday mornings to schedule the week’s outreach emails.
• Maintaining a simple log of your sent messages.
• Setting calendar reminders for follow-up opportunities.

Takeaways

1. Integrate routine social media activity, like monitoring Twitter and LinkedIn, into your professional life to spot opportunities.
2. Personalize every message by tailoring your subject, compliments, and gifts to the recipient’s context or interests.
3. Design a system for follow-ups and self-review, using both non-responses and responses as constructive feedback loops.