10,000 Hours of Networking

How many of you have read Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers"?  If you haven't, I suggest you pick it up.

In the book Malcolm discusses the "10,000 Hour Rule".

Simply put, experts note that you need to practice anything for 10,000 hours before you get REALLY good.  Mozart.  Bill Gates.  The Beatles.  They all worked on their craft for years before they became phenomenal.

I often hear recent grads or novice job seekers talk about their fear of networking.  To tell you the truth, I was afraid when I was 22.  But a funny thing happened...  Year after year it became more natural and "easy".

I surely don't have 10,000 hours of networking experience, but I'm sure I have somewhere between 2,000-3,000... which is exactly A LOT more than most people.

We live in a "get rich quick" society.  The job search isn't a scratch ticket.  There is no magic pill.

Find a mentor who is good at networking - or better yet, a career guru.  Learn the process and then DO.

I know what you're saying... "I don't have 10,000 hours to perfect networking... I need a job now!"  Well, the difference between baseball and the job search is hardly anyone has amassed that many hours of networking experience, so you'll get better than most people in a few months.

Here's a cool video of Gladwell with Anderson Cooper.