George J. Mount

Networking is for chart monkeys, too… here’s why

Highlights of this course:

Destroys the stereotypes that make analysts dread networking

Not sure how much video this is going to include

Downloadable presentations -- follow along with the course

Discussion forum -- talk about the course with the instructor and other students

“But I’m not a salesperson. Why do I need to network?”

I was told throughout college the importance of networking, but never listened.

Why?

I was taught networking was a dog-eat-dog pursuit of finding the most powerful person in the room, working your charm, and getting something from him.

This is a terrible idea.

Real networking takes time -- and it’s built on giving first.

I argue that building a network starts with in-person events, but can’t stop there. You need to build a brand, or set of qualities that distinguish you from other analysts. This must be done through online content creation.

But I’m not a marketer!

As spreadsheet-types, we tend to look at everything as a transaction. What’s the point of writing a blog post if you aren’t getting paid for it?

Networking requires you to look not at transactions but relationships -- and providing helpful content to other that reveals your values is the best way to build them.

Who should take this course?

Take this course if you are…

- A student or recent graduate looking for that first job

-Current early-career professionals in accounting, finance, and other back-end, quantitatively-focused roles who feel unsure of and not confident about networking

–Mid-level professionals looking to become thought leaders and independent experts in their field

Topics covered

Lesson 1 – Networking for Analyst?

You’re not in sales or marketing -- you’re at a cube all day, and you’re not a “people person.” Why do you need to network?

If this sounds like you, you’ve probably got the typical idea of networking -- the charming, back-slapping guy in the suit bent on getting every business card in the room.

This old-school view of networking is summarized well by that old phrase “It’s not what you know… it’s who you know!”

I will argue that this statement is meaningless, that you don’t have to go kissing babies to network, and that the new form of network is more about doing your best work and helping others.

Lesson 2 – Starting at Events...and Moving On

So, you really don’t want to go to networking events… that’s okay. Because the more you advance in your networking, the fewer of them you will have to attend.

In this unit we will look at how to get the most out of networking events. They are a great place to help you decide what your real purpose is and how you can help others.

But they are time-consuming, and not that enjoyable. We will look at how to move out of networking events and into a more sustainable form of networking -- building your brand through content marketing.

Lesson 3 – Marketing “Me, Inc.”

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is incomplete. You won’t meet anyone unless you build something remarkable. In this unit we will look at how to establish “Me, Inc.” through content marketing.

Get this right and you won’t have to network -- people will come to you!

Lesson 4 – Conclusion

The reality is that networking is going to become more important to all professionals, including analysts.

We are moving toward a freelance economy and a demise of the full-time salaried employee -- the work status of most analysts today.

In the future, it will be critical to have a platform where you can show clients what you and only you can do for them. A strong network built on providing valuable content will be that vehicle.