WORK
The Untapped Power of Your Network
Why Social Capital is Your Secret Weapon
Are you evaluating what’s in hand — or the opportunities available? Many follow folk wisdom: better a bird in my palm than a deer in the woods. The logic behind is undebatable, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
I’ll let you in on a secret: every hungry entrepreneur or career climbing manager is desperate. Success is often a healthy mixture of effort, smart work, a spoonful of luck, and a healthy dose of opportunism and risk-taking.
Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? Perhaps you’re like me: a professional ambivert? As a person, I’m a sworn introvert. However, when duty calls, I’m a talented magician and change my mantle according to the environment. It wasn’t always like this, though.
I remember my first year in business school. London boasts of startups and globally renowned corporations, thus every lecturer I ever had wasn’t just an academic — all were experienced businessmen.
They all repeated in unison: your biggest asset is your social capital.
Most of us were too young and too inexperienced to understand the true meaning behind these words. We forged friendships — and didn’t think too much of them. We skipped conferences and avoided weekend gatherings. We studied hard and worked on our internships, entry-level jobs, and exams…
Then one day the diploma landed in front of us and we found ourselves struggling in an oversaturated job market. Employers market, no doubt. “Something will come up”, they said. “Just keep it up and continue applying!”
Nepotism and protectionism seemed like a relic from the Soviet times. Most of us — millennials — frowned upon it.
Oh, someone you know has an opening at their company? How lovely, thank you for letting me know, but I’ll pass. I appreciate it, though! Have a nice day!
I look back at it and admit: I was stupid. Information is a valuable asset. Having access to information about the job and potentially knowing someone who could put our CV in front of a hiring manager doesn’t mean we are cheating. It only means we’re increasing our chances. After all, we would only pass the interviews and get hired if we’re qualified enough, have the right experience, and are fit for the company. In an ideal world, of course (let’s admit: things happen).
Yes, we all give a side glare to that new recruit who started last Monday — and Sarah from finance mentioned they’re someone’s relative. Suspicious. But why not give them a chance? They might be good at what they do. And sure, they might not be exceptional or any better than other candidates — but their advantage was social capital.
I’ve been screening and hiring candidates in my previous roles. And sometimes on paper people have relatively similar backgrounds. Some are fantastic when interviewing — others get nervous and bomb it. But assuming all things are equal if someone in the team recommends a candidate, it’s a statement of character. And even though I can’t hold a person accountable if someone they recommended isn’t doing their job properly, experience shows that new recruits put more effort when they already know someone at the company.
I think this comes down to several factors. For one, if I landed a job because someone recommended me, I would do my best to nail it — it would elevate me and the person who helped me. Secondly, if all goes well, it would improve our relationship and hopefully open more doors and better opportunities. Lastly, I would be petrified of people judging me — so I would bulldoze my way through work just to prove myself.
Social capital is important because of camaraderie, moral support, and mutual growth. Establishing a trustworthy relationship with our peers, superiors, business partners and interesting professionals could lead to personal and professional development. It enables better problem-solving and promotes resilience.
I recently watched a documentary about Celine Dion. My heart shattered as the world-renowned singer opened her home and shared the most private experiences of suffering from Stiff Person Syndrome. It was an enlightening documentary in many senses. What struck a cord within me was her sentiment towards the production team:
If you want to go fast, you go alone. But if you want to go far, you need to go together
- Celine Dion
I grew up in a family of perfectionist workaholics. The Lithuanian sociocultural context is also quite antisocial (let’s say the pandemic felt rather normal in the sense of social distancing - business as usual!).
However, in a professional setting, obsessive individualism and the “I can do this on my own” attitude doesn’t go too far. Being capable at work earns respect, and it also makes us feel good. But questioning if others can be trusted with their tasks leads to other issues.
At worst, you’ll end up being the colleague everyone dislikes — the person who does everything on their own, a tyrant of sorts. It only goes well in college — some people don’t want to work and others orchestrate the research along with the presentation.
In a proper business setting, it speaks volumes of our personality and professional capabilities: micromanagement, perfectionism, lack of delegation, etc. Eventually, it leads to burnout, poor KPIs, and decreased work satisfaction. Might I add, it affects the psychological microclimate in the office!
In conclusion, as the world continues to change, we must evolve and adapt. Good qualifications and strong technical skills aren’t sufficient to remain competitive in the job market. Surprisingly, social capital is often overlooked — or even frowned upon. But it’s a powerful tool that gives access to growth and career opportunities.
By fostering a genuine connection with like-minded individuals — colleagues, mentors, and industry professionals — we gain more than access to valuable information, we gain insight. This enables better career prospects, as well as tapping into collaboration opportunities.
Remember: if we want to go fast, we go alone, but if we’re aiming high, we ought to go together. So, be mindful and nourish your relationships — together we can build a fulfilling tomorrow.
I would love to hear from you in the comments. Do you have friends in your workplace? Do you nourish relationships with other professionals in the industry?
