How Internal Networking Can Transform Your Career
Building strong internal relationships can unlock unexpected opportunities and accelerate your career in ways hard work alone cannot. By proactively connecting with colleagues across your company, you increase your impact, visibility, and access to meaningful work.
Why You Should Send Regular Status Update Emails to Your Network (Even If No One Responds)
Sending status update emails helps your network remember you, even if they don’t reply. Just because someone is silent doesn’t mean they aren’t reading—and staying in touch can make all the difference when opportunities come up.
4 Career Assets You Need to Be Networking-Ready
To network effectively, come prepared with four key assets: a polished resume, a concise introduction bio, a practiced elevator speech, and an up-to-date LinkedIn profile. They don’t need to be perfect—use them to make connections, communicate your value, and keep momentum in your job search or career pivot.
From Kindergarten Coffee Chat to Startup COO: Why You Have to Keep Pulling the Thread
Having a clear, repeatable process kept me focused, moving forward, and avoiding overwhelm—proving that deliberate steps, even small ones, can lead to big career leaps.
The Follow-Up Is the Strategy: How to Turn Conversations Into Opportunities
Great networking doesn’t end with the meeting—it’s built through thoughtful follow-up and consistent communication. By sending prompt thank-you notes, acting on feedback, and sharing regular progress updates, I stayed top of mind and turned conversations into real opportunities.
Stop Planning, Start Meeting: How Action Builds Opportunity
Setting a clear goal—three networking meetings a week—kept my job search focused and moving forward despite a full-time job and parenting. Over seven months and 85 conversations, those meetings sharpened my understanding of startup CFO roles, strengthened my network, and opened doors to new opportunities.
Who Should Be in the Room? How to Identify the Right People for Your Career Goals
To connect with a startup across the street, I leveraged a colleague in Luxembourg for an introduction—proof that great networking often spans continents. By identifying target companies, updating my network, and asking for introductions, one conversation ultimately led to the role that launched my tech startup career.
Start With One Question: The First Step in Building a Powerful Network
A reorg at Expedia pushed me to explore tech startups—even though I didn’t yet understand what a startup CFO actually did. By intentionally networking to learn the ecosystem and roles, I landed a role at a tech startup, gained startup credibility, and eventually became a cofounder and COO.
Keep Pulling the Thread: The Networking Framework That Led Me to a Tech Startup
A chance conversation with a fellow kindergarten parent led to a coffee with a VC, a well-timed follow-up, and ultimately a co-founder and COO role at a tech startup. The lesson: keep pulling the thread—build your network with intention, stay organized, follow up, and opportunities will surface.
The Power of Advocacy: How Asking for More Changed My Career
A high school counselor’s advice led me to a summer program at the University of Washington—and an internship that launched my career. With the help of mentors, a strong network, and self-advocacy, that first opportunity grew into a path from Big 4 consulting to executive leadership in tech.