The HBR Work Smart Collection (4 Books)

15 How to Strengthen Your Network When You’re Just Starting Out

by Holly Raider

When you’re just starting out, making new connections and strengthening your professional network are vital to getting to where you want to go. But the guidance you need, like how to thrive in a new role or pursue a promotion, can be difficult to find in your inner circle.

New employees tend to make professional connections based on proximity (colleagues they see the most) or commonalities (the colleagues most like themselves). But that’s a mistake. When you network with colleagues like you or near you, you create an echo chamber that circulates only the same ideas about the same opportunities. That sameness benefits neither you nor your peers, especially when ...