Networking How The Fourth Degree Works

Networking How The Fourth Degree Works On my JibberJobber user webinar I share a lot of job search, networking, branding and other career management ideas Ive picked up along the way. One of my most favorite mini-ideas is this: You dont find job leads from your first and second degree contacts.  You find them from your third and fourth degree contacts. Same with sales leads. this is the part about networking that can be hard always asking do you know someone that _________?  It could be someone from a certain company, or industry, or that meets a certain profile. The frustrating thing was keeping track of the breadth and the depth of your network if Im networking a lot, HOW do I keep track of all of the third and fourth degree contacts?  Or, the SEVENTH degree contacts?? You can easily do this in JibberJobber (heres a post I need to update about how this works in JibberJobber). Anyway, I had an experience two days ago that helped drive this mini-idea home. Heres what this looks like the number behind the name is the Degree of Separation TO Stephanie (not to me). Stephanie asks Paul (1) for help.   Paul doesnt know but he asks me (2).  I dont know the right answer but I referred him to Robert Merrill (3), who knows everyone in this space. Robert will probably give Stephanie a number of names that he recommends, which will all be 4th degree contacts to Stephanie.  She might need to drill down more to a deeper level, but she is getting close just because she asked Paul. If you arent asking who do you know of your network, you are missing out on really getting to the right person you have to drill down. Networking How The Fourth Degree Works On my JibberJobber user webinar I share a lot of job search, networking, branding and other career management ideas Ive picked up along the way. One of my most favorite mini-ideas is this: You dont find job leads from your first and second degree contacts.  You find them from your third and fourth degree contacts. Same with sales leads. this is the part about networking that can be hard always asking do you know someone that _________?  It could be someone from a certain company, or industry, or that meets a certain profile. The frustrating thing was keeping track of the breadth and the depth of your network if Im networking a lot, HOW do I keep track of all of the third and fourth degree contacts?  Or, the SEVENTH degree contacts?? You can easily do this in JibberJobber (heres a post I need to update about how this works in JibberJobber). Anyway, I had an experience two days ago that helped drive this mini-idea home. Heres what this looks like the number behind the name is the Degree of Separation TO Stephanie (not to me). Stephanie asks Paul (1) for help.   Paul doesnt know but he asks me (2).  I dont know the right answer but I referred him to Robert Merrill (3), who knows everyone in this space. Robert will probably give Stephanie a number of names that he recommends, which will all be 4th degree contacts to Stephanie.  She might need to drill down more to a deeper level, but she is getting close just because she asked Paul. If you arent asking who do you know of your network, you are missing out on really getting to the right person you have to drill down.