HBR Women at Work Boxed Set (6 Books)

14

Network with People Outside Your Industry

by Dorie Clark

Most professionals build their 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 yours. Your more limited circle of connections may seem innocuous, but this 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 people you know well and you find yourself ...