Izzy Titherington | June 16, 2026 | 5-minute read
Source: Financial Times Financial Times Networking
When recent graduates are told to build networks in order to advance their careers, the advice masks a bewildering maze of conflicting strategies.
To begin with, academics have noticed a gender divide in network building. A 2020 study published in The Economic Journal found that men are more likely to establish “loose” connections, whereas women build “tighter and more interconnected” networks.
Rosabeth Kanter, a prominent sociologist and professor at Harvard Business School, says that it is often those more informal connections that prove most valuable. These “weak ties,” she argues, open more doors than close-knit circles.
“The key to successful networking is that you get to know people who are not in your immediate circle, who are distant relationships, and that opens up new connections into new circles,” she says.
Allyson McDonald, managing partner of Ellevate Network, a global community of professional women, has a simple rule: say yes.
She argues that any connection can prove fruitful and cites an example from her personal experience: she agreed to meet a woman who was seeking career advice, but that meeting led to McDonald herself finding a new role after the woman offered to make an introduction in return.
For graduates entering the workforce, that scenario might feel unattainable. But even with a limited circle of contacts it can still be possible to create opportunities.
Like many international students, Mahima Srikanth had to build a professional network from scratch after moving from India to France in 2022 to pursue a masters in management at ESCP Business School.
Recommended MBA Making MBA alumni networking work better for women During her studies, she completed internships at Danone and L’Oréal, using networking events, career fairs and internal relationship-building to raise her profile. An internship at L’Oréal led to an apprenticeship after she secured the support of senior colleagues, and that apprenticeship ultimately became a full-time role. She is now a consumer insights manager at L’Oréal Paris.
For Chloe Carroll, who graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2019, and is now a director at London gallery Phillida Reid, “networking as a concept is perhaps more blurry . . . it’s just thought of as the social life of the art world”.
“Of course, nepotism exists,” adds Carroll, but she points out that opportunities can still arise because the industry prioritises in-person interaction.
Annette Male, chief executive for the UK and Ireland at advertising group Dentsu, would agree that networking can sound more complicated than it is.
She suggests asking someone more senior to make an introduction or bring you to an event.
One thing I’ve learned throughout my career is that networking is never ‘done’ — at every stage, you must keep building relationships Annette Male, Dentsu “Then do the simple — and sometimes uncomfortable — bit. Show up. Start conversations. Be curious,” she says, adding that it is important to try to spend time with people who are not at the same stage of their careers as you.
For recent graduates for whom this might sound especially daunting, she also points out that rewards could come long into the future.
“When I returned to the UK after 10 years away, I worried my network had disappeared. I was honest about that with people I trusted and asked for help reconnecting. It worked,” she says.
“One thing I’ve learned throughout my career is that networking is never ‘done’ — at every stage, you must keep building relationships,” she adds.
How you do that remains a moot point. “Women have to be intentional about it,” says McDonald, adding that men often take advantage of events such as company golf outings, which can make it feel very natural to network.
This recognition that women might need to try harder has helped spawn a range of networking opportunities for women from WhatsApp groups to coffee clubs.
Kanter, however, cautions against becoming too insular: “I’m actually worried about this trend towards interest groups that cut people off from other people.”
But with AI and even remote working practices reshaping the workplace, networks are likely to become even more important.
“When things change . . . it’s the people who can easily connect with other groups and other departments . . . who are most likely to emerge as leaders,” says Kanter.
