4 ms·

Network above your pay-grade, these people are more interesting. Colleagues are useless.

philipkiely 8y ago
I strongly disagree with your points. Building a trusted group of peers is the most valuable action you can take in establishing a network. I don't dispute the value of mentors and high-ranking friends, I know many people who can attribute a large part of their success to the right person in the right position. However, a group of peers provides the following benefits: * support and camaraderie, as you are likely facing the same challenges at the same times * a more natural connection and more conducive environment for meeting and regularly interacting * a rising tide that raises the whole group, as you help each other gain more success Finally, I would say that your idea comes dangerously close to the idea of "kissing up and kicking down," which I personally find to be an unfortunate and disingenuous style of network management that discourages me from working with that person.
zolthrowaway 8y ago
Did the people above my pay grade just magically get there? Are none of my colleagues ever going to advance in their careers? Why wouldn't I want to cast a wide net? Why wouldn't I be friendly and nice to my coworkers? I've gotten jobs through former co-workers who have moved on to new companies. Some of my peers have been promoted into management and having a good relationship with them prior has given me a leg up. It's so incredibly easy to network with your colleagues. Just work hard and be a decent person and the network will create itself. Acting so dismissive of colleagues is short-sighted and silly.
loco5niner 8y ago
That's called brown-nosing and it's not attractive.
yowlingcat 8y ago
If you could effectively network above your pay-grade, your pay-grade would be different. Then again, if you think colleagues are useless, that will likely not help anything -- does that mean if you were your own colleague, you would think you are useless?
- drinfinity 8y ago
  Yes, I would and it would be true too.
drinfinity 8y ago
Oh right, I forgot to mention I'm not a wage slave and not in a hurry to become one either. I was talking about actual business opportunities. Good luck getting anywhere by being friendly to the, quick frankly, annoyingly arrogant sysadmin. Sure, some of them are nice - although most of them aren't because of the nature of the job, but that's not the point. We all are "nice" people, that does not pay the bills.

I strongly disagree with your points. Building a trusted group of peers is the most valuable action you can take in establishing a network. I don't dispute the value of mentors and high-ranking friends, I know many people who can attribute a large part of their success to the right person in the right position. However, a group of peers provides the following benefits: * support and camaraderie, as you are likely facing the same challenges at the same times * a more natural connection and more conducive environment for meeting and regularly interacting * a rising tide that raises the whole group, as you help each other gain more success Finally, I would say that your idea comes dangerously close to the idea of "kissing up and kicking down," which I personally find to be an unfortunate and disingenuous style of network management that discourages me from working with that person.

zolthrowaway 8y ago

Did the people above my pay grade just magically get there? Are none of my colleagues ever going to advance in their careers? Why wouldn't I want to cast a wide net? Why wouldn't I be friendly and nice to my coworkers? I've gotten jobs through former co-workers who have moved on to new companies. Some of my peers have been promoted into management and having a good relationship with them prior has given me a leg up. It's so incredibly easy to network with your colleagues. Just work hard and be a decent person and the network will create itself. Acting so dismissive of colleagues is short-sighted and silly.

loco5niner 8y ago

That's called brown-nosing and it's not attractive.

yowlingcat 8y ago

If you could effectively network above your pay-grade, your pay-grade would be different. Then again, if you think colleagues are useless, that will likely not help anything -- does that mean if you were your own colleague, you would think you are useless?

drinfinity 8y ago
Yes, I would and it would be true too.

drinfinity 8y ago

Oh right, I forgot to mention I'm not a wage slave and not in a hurry to become one either. I was talking about actual business opportunities. Good luck getting anywhere by being friendly to the, quick frankly, annoyingly arrogant sysadmin. Sure, some of them are nice - although most of them aren't because of the nature of the job, but that's not the point. We all are "nice" people, that does not pay the bills.