By Wade G. Morgan
The last in a series from Wade’s LinkedIn campaign, #HowIGotThere, to share tips centered on principles he believes has helped him advance in his career. His hope is that someone else finds them valuable, or knows someone to share them with. He recognizes that not all of these tips will apply to all people, and some may feel uncomfortable. That said, these are all tactics he’s employed at various times throughout his career.
Principle: Strive to be memorable
Tactic: Stay top of mind for the people who have an interest in investing in you
Reason: Successful people understand the value of their time. It is the only asset they cannot get back. Therefore, if someone offers you theirs, do not take that opportunity for granted. They’ve likely performed an analysis of investing that time with you vs. other priorities, like spending it with their kids.
People like this often test your ability to follow through with simple requests like “call me next Tuesday at noon”, or “follow up with me next month”. They use these simple requests as a proxy to know how deep into their fold they should bring you. If you don’t follow up with them, why connect you with another colleague, or refer you for a position? They care about their name and reputation and don’t want just anyone representing them.
While you should likely not text them every day, you can stay top of mind with quarterly professional & life updates, staying connected on social, or sending an article about a hobby they mentioned.
The point is, don’t let the people who wanted to invest in you, lose that desire. Do what you can to be who they thought you were.
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Wade G. Morgan is a writer, speaker, Account Executive at Airtable, and former member of LinkedIn’s Business Leadership Program, a rotational program for early-in-career talent. He is passionate about leadership, athletics, entrepreneurship, and tech, and loves helping people and organizations reach their potential.
For more info, check out his LinkedIn profile, previous articles, follow him on Twitter at @wadegmorgan, or visit his website, www.wadegmorgan.com.
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