Job seeker finds out "networking" advice is useless after going to endless events full of empty promises: ‘This strategy doesn’t work, it’s just an opportunity for mid-career people to revel in having their egos stroked’

Imagine there’s no job stress

It’s easy if you try

No looming layoffs 

A place where we all thrive

You may say I’m a dreamer

Who hopes LinkedIn wasn’t dumb

I wish someday they’ll help us

So connections get things done.

After reading the direct, 100% fully accurate Lennon quote I used here, I’m guessing you pretty much know where I stand in this whole discussion. But I do have a caveat, and I thought, just to prove I’m not solely a pessimistic, cynical person, why not start with it?

So, there was a time in my life where, for business reasons I won’t elaborate on here to not bore you all to a point of unplanned nap, I used to need to network basically on a daily basis. I had my own business then and was actually pretty amazed by how many other business owners were willing to help out and give advice, connections, and guidance to promote people in the same industry as them. It was always almost opposite to how you would think stuff like this would work out.

But my experience in that field is obviously the exception to the rule, as this wasn’t the case in any other type of work I used to have or any other field of business. And the internet obviously agrees. In any other time in my life, gatekeeping seems to be the default behavior humans tend towards.