HBR Working Parents Series Collection (3 Books) (HBR Working Parents Series)

18

Making Time for Networking as a Working Parent

by David Burkus

Quick Takes

• Reestablish old relationships
• Ask current contacts for introductions
• Connect over video calls
• Introduce existing contacts to one another

Networks matter for career success. They help you find people who can assist you with projects, refer you to new employers, and make connections to new and bigger opportunities. In a famous study by Ronald Burt, people who made efforts to improve their networks were 42–74% more likely to be promoted than those who didn’t.¹

Here’s the challenge: Networks often seem to grow during after-hours activities, like happy hours, weekend off-sites, or faraway conferences. That poses a problem for most working parents. How do you meet new ...