CHAPTER 16
Start Networking with People Outside Your Industry
by Dorie Clark
Most professionals build a network over time through proximity—people from your business school study group, or colleagues from your current company or past jobs. You may have a few outliers in the mix, but unless you’ve been deliberate about your networking, the vast majority of people you know probably work in the same field or industry as you. It may seem innocuous, but that inadvertent myopia can put you at serious professional risk.
First, if your network has become too narrow, you limit your options in case of a career change or a downturn in your company or industry. If coworkers are the only ones you know well, and you find yourself in the midst of layoffs, there’s ...
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