SALLIE KRAWCHECK: Networking Isn't About Making Friends

[FarCenter]

Does society view career-minded women too harshly, or are men just better at charming the crowd? And if it's the latter, what are women doing wrong?

According to Wall Street powerhouse Sallie Krawcheck, it all comes down to casting a wider net and thinking broadly, instead of deeply. This means networking and connecting with as many people as possible — especially those outside of your industry. You need to put yourself out there, said Krawcheck, but you don't have to become good friends with everyone you meet. And this is where women, in particular, run into trouble.

"Women tend to fall into the 'best friend syndrome.' We invest deeply in our friendships and conflate casual relationships with shallow ones," Krawcheck wrote in Marie Claire's November issue.

This is unnecessary and impractical. You can't spend time grabbing coffee with every person you meet.

"Loose connections are the connections you need. It's the No. 1 rule of business," Krawcheck said last week at Marie Claire's luncheon for the "New Guard," a group of women who are deemed masters at turning contacts into opportunities.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-women-can-network-more-effectively-2013-11

[Fumesucker]

1. Exactly, networking is about using people

I was discussing this just recently with a friend of mine who was a moderately successful contractor for quite some time, he said all his really successful peers were joining megachurches to network and market their services. He wasn't quite hypocritical enough to do that but he did join the Moose club or some similar non religious organization.