The 3 Bones of Networking for Student Success | Isaac Serwanga | TEDxCSUS

Summary

In this inspiring talk, the speaker reflects on the importance of networking, inspired by the book 'Never Eat Alone' by Keith Ferrazzi. After experiencing the power of relationships in securing job opportunities, the speaker founded 'Profound Ivy' to teach networking to students, resulting in over 90% securing their dream jobs or internships. The speaker simplifies networking into three 'bones': the 'wishbone' for clarity of goals, the 'jawbone' for competency with humility, and the 'backbone' for persistence. The message is to instill networking as a fundamental skill and mindset for young people, akin to math or reading, emphasizing its value in the 21st century.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker graduated from a top academic institution but faced the reality of unemployment, which sparked a quest for solutions.
• 📚 A book by Keith Ferrazzi, 'Never Eat Alone,' shifted the speaker's perspective on using networking for personal and professional growth.
• 🔄 Implementing networking principles led to job opportunities approaching the speaker rather than the other way around.
• 🤝 The speaker questioned why academic institutions do not teach networking skills, which are crucial for success in the job market.
• 🏫 The creation of the 'Profound Ivy' program aimed to teach networking principles to fellow students to mitigate post-graduation uncertainty.
• 📈 Over three years, the 'Profound Ivy' program showed a high success rate, with over 90% of students securing their dream jobs or internships.
• 👧👦 The speaker extended the teaching of networking to younger students, even elementary school children, recognizing the importance of early learning.
• 🤔 The challenge of teaching complex networking concepts to young minds was met with the idea of simplifying the principles into 'three bones to networking'.
• 🎯 The 'Wishbone' principle emphasizes the importance of knowing what you want and who can help you achieve it.
• 🦴 The 'Jawbone' principle combines competency and humility, stressing the need for knowledge and the ability to connect with others respectfully.
• 💪 The 'Backbone' principle is about persistence, highlighting the need to keep trying even when faced with rejection or failure.
• 🌟 Networking is presented not just as a skill set but also as a mindset, suggesting that it is a fundamental part of success in the 21st century.

Q & A

What significant event occurred on June 4th, 2013 for the speaker?

The speaker graduated from the number one academic institution in the country.

What was the emotional conflict the speaker experienced after graduation?

The speaker felt elated about graduating but was also troubled by the prospect of being a college graduate and potentially unemployed.

Which book did the speaker's friend give them, and how did it influence their perspective?

The book was 'Never Eat Alone' by Keith Ferrazzi. It changed the speaker's perspective on networking and its importance for personal and professional growth.

What was the outcome of the speaker applying the principles from 'Never Eat Alone' in their life?

The speaker found that instead of searching for jobs, opportunities from companies like JP Morgan, NCAA, and Princeton University started coming to them.

What program did the speaker initiate after being inspired by their own experiences with networking?

The speaker initiated a program called 'Profound Ivy' to teach networking principles to young people.

What was the success rate of the students who participated in the Profound Ivy program?

Over ninety percent of the students in the Profound Ivy program landed their dream internship or job.

Why did the speaker feel compelled to teach networking to younger students, including elementary school children?

The speaker believed that networking is an essential skill that should be taught from a young age, similar to math, reading, and writing.

What are the 'three bones to networking' as mentioned by the speaker?

The three bones to networking are the wishbone (knowing what you want and who can help), the jawbone (competency and humility), and the backbone (persisting).

What is the significance of the 'jawbone' in the context of networking?

The jawbone represents the dual components of competency (knowing what you're talking about and doing your research) and humility (being likable and willing to give more than you take).

Can you explain the 'backbone' concept in networking as described by the speaker?

The backbone in networking refers to persistence. It's about continuing to network and reach out even when faced with rejection or no response.

What personal anecdote did the speaker share to illustrate the power of networking?

The speaker shared how they wanted to become an author and reached out to ten authors in their desired field. Only one responded positively, offering guidance and support that helped the speaker achieve their goal.

Why does the speaker believe that networking is not just a skill set but also a mindset?

The speaker believes that networking is a mindset because it involves recognizing the potential for mutual assistance and progress with the people around you, which can lead to unimaginable support and opportunities.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Graduation Reflections and the Power of Networking

The speaker reflects on their graduation day, June 4th, 2013, where they experienced mixed emotions of elation and concern over unemployment among new graduates. A book by Keith Ferrazzi, 'Never Eat Alone,' inspired the speaker to leverage networking for personal and professional growth. The speaker's six-month networking experiment yielded remarkable results, attracting job offers from prestigious institutions. This success led to a deeper question about the lack of networking education in academic institutions and sparked the creation of the 'Profound Ivy' program, aimed at teaching networking principles to students to avoid post-graduation despair. The program's success, with over 90% of participants securing dream internships or jobs, highlights the importance of networking skills in the job market.

05:02

🤝 The Fundamentals of Networking for Young Minds

The speaker discusses the importance of teaching networking skills to young people, drawing from their experience teaching at an elementary school in Compton, California. The speaker introduces 'three bones to networking': the 'wishbone' which is about identifying one's aspirations and the people who can assist in achieving them; the 'jawbone' which encompasses competency and humility, emphasizing the need for thorough research and a humble approach when reaching out; and the 'backbone' which is about persistence in networking efforts. The speaker shares a personal anecdote about becoming an author through networking, illustrating the power of persistence and the impact of building meaningful connections. The speaker concludes by advocating for the integration of networking as a fundamental skill, akin to math and reading, in the educational curriculum, as it is a vital currency in the 21st century.

Keywords

💡Graduation

Graduation refers to the act of receiving a diploma or academic degree from a school, college, or university. In the video's context, it symbolizes the speaker's mixed emotions of joy and uncertainty about the future, as well as the transition from academic life to professional life. The speaker mentions 'June 4th 2013 it was graduation for me,' highlighting the significance of this event as a turning point.

💡Networking

Networking is the process of building and maintaining relationships with others, especially to exchange information and advice, or to find job opportunities. It is central to the video's theme, as the speaker discusses how networking transformed his professional journey and the importance of teaching this skill to young people. The speaker's realization that 'instead of looking for jobs, jobs were coming to me' exemplifies the power of networking.

💡Never Eat Alone

Never Eat Alone is a book by Keith Ferrazzi that emphasizes the importance of networking in personal and professional growth. The book had a profound impact on the speaker, who adopted its principles and experienced positive outcomes in his career. It is used as a reference point to illustrate the effectiveness of networking.

💡Profound Ivy

Profound Ivy is a program initiated by the speaker as a response to the lack of networking education in academic institutions. It is a passion project that grew into a successful endeavor aimed at teaching networking principles to young people, helping them to secure internships and jobs. The speaker mentions 'Profound Ivy was a program that was a passion project but it grew to so much more,' indicating its significance in his mission.

💡Dream

The concept of 'dream' is used to represent aspirations and goals. In the script, a young student named Alejandro expresses his dream of becoming a lacrosse coach, which the speaker uses to illustrate the importance of having a clear goal in networking. The phrase 'I have a dream' by Alejandro is a pivotal moment that inspires the speaker to teach networking to even younger students.

💡Wishbone

In the context of the video, 'Wishbone' is the first of the 'three bones to networking' and represents the need to know what one wants and who can help achieve it. The speaker uses the term metaphorically to emphasize the importance of having a clear goal and seeking the right connections to attain it, as illustrated by Alejandro's dream.

💡Jawbone

Jawbone, the second bone in the speaker's networking framework, encompasses competency and humility. It suggests that one must be knowledgeable and well-prepared when networking, as well as humble and likable. The speaker explains that 'before students would reach out, we made sure that they did research,' highlighting the importance of being competent and well-informed.

💡Backbone

Backbone, the final bone in the networking framework, symbolizes persistence. The speaker emphasizes the need to keep trying and not give up in the face of rejection or challenges. The story of the speaker's attempt to reach out to authors and the persistence that led to a successful connection with Adam exemplifies the importance of having a strong backbone in networking.

💡Competency

Competency, as part of the 'Jawbone' concept, refers to the knowledge and skills one must possess in a particular area to be taken seriously in networking. The speaker mentions that before students networked, they were required to do extensive research on their industry, company, and position, ensuring they were competent.

💡Humility

Humility is the second component of the 'Jawbone' and refers to the attitude of being humble and respectful when networking. The speaker points out that even if one is knowledgeable, being likable and humble is crucial for others to want to help. The concept is illustrated by the speaker's advice to 'learn how to be the 51,' meaning to give more than expected in relationships.

💡Persistence

Persistence is a key theme in the video, closely tied to the 'Backbone' concept. It is the quality of continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition. The speaker's story about trying to become an author and the persistence that led to a valuable mentorship exemplifies the importance of persistence in achieving networking goals.

Highlights

Graduation from the top academic institution brought mixed emotions of elation and the pain of unemployment.

The book 'Never Eat Alone' by Keith Ferrazzi inspired the speaker to leverage networking for personal and professional growth.

Networking led to job offers from prestigious institutions like JP Morgan, NCAA, and Princeton University.

The speaker questioned why academic institutions do not teach networking skills to students.

Profound Ivy was initiated as a program to teach networking principles to young people.

Over 90% of Profound Ivy students secured their dream internships or jobs within a year.

The speaker's mission is to make networking a fundamental skill taught alongside math, reading, and writing.

Networking is presented as the currency of the 21st century, essential for making connections and progressing.

Three bones to networking were introduced: the wishbone, jawbone, and backbone.

The wishbone represents knowing what you want and who can help you achieve it.

The jawbone emphasizes competency and humility in networking, ensuring you know your subject and approach with respect.

The backbone symbolizes persistence, a key to success in networking.

The speaker shared a personal story of becoming an author through networking.

Networking is not just a skill set but also a mindset that can unlock opportunities.

The speaker envisions a future where networking is as fundamental as other core subjects.

The importance of teaching young people to network, as it can significantly impact their future opportunities.

The speaker's passion for networking and its transformative power in personal and professional life.

Transcripts

[Music]

June 4th 2013 it was graduation for me

and it was mixed emotions on one side I

was elated to graduate from the number

one academic institution in the country

I was excited on the other end and we

have some college graduates here to

graduate unemployed kind of hurts her

gut a little bit but it raised some

questions and I could remember one of my

good friends giving me a book in the

book changed my perspective the book was

never eat alone by Keith Ferrazzi it

talked about his journey his

professional journey as he used

networking and building relationships to

not only grow professionally but

personally so I thought to myself if it

could work for him maybe I should try it

so the next six months I did in the

results were amazing instead of looking

for jobs instead of reaching out jobs

were coming to me

JP Morgan NCAA Princeton University I

was amazed I was excited for myself but

more so it raised the question in my

mind how was I getting these results and

number two why aren't our academic

institutions why aren't our colleges in

our high schools teaching young people

this very important skill set this

inspired me so I went back to my alma

mater and I wanted to tell my friends

profound Ivy was a program that was a

passion project but it grew to so much

more and over the course of three years

I wanted to teach these principles of

networking to young people just like me

so that when graduation comes they

wouldn't experience that same feeling

over the course of three years results

were great over ninety percent of the

students that were in profound Ivy

landed their dream internship or their

dream job at the end of the year college

graduates

College undergraduates rather they

understand the principles of networking

but how can we take this ever so

important this ever so important detail

and apply it to young people I thought

long and hard

a year goes by and I go to Compton

California and I'm asked to teach

networking to students of course I say

it's great catch now they're elementary

students you guys left because you

understand there's a little bit of a

different pace there I remember the

first time I walked in the classroom and

I'm thinking to myself how do you teach

this complex topic but ever so important

to young people so I asked the crowd and

I say does anybody have a dream and a

young man by the name of Alejandro he's

about 4 feet tall but his arm shot to

the sky he said I have a dream I have a

dream

Alejandro and he stood up and he said my

dream is to be at a cross coach like my

lacrosse coaches and I said ok he has a

dream and I thought to myself this is

important here he knew something there

was some conviction there so I want to

share with you what I believe can be

incredibly important for young people

how do we teach young people the

principles of networking 3 bones to

networking three simple bones and you

guys all know this we all know this it's

common sense but sometimes common sense

is not common practice so the first bone

of networking wishbone whether you're a

college graduate or you're an elementary

school what do you want and who can help

you attain that alejandro had it he

wanted to be a lacrosse coach and he

knew that he had to reach out to a La

Crosse community to take that very next

step phone number two jawbone now

there's two components to a jawbone

competency and humility competency and

humility competency do you know what

you're talking about

have you done your research one of the

reasons I believe profound Ivy was so

good at what it at producing results was

because before students would reach out

we made sure that they did research on

their industry and in their company and

then the department and then the

position and then the individual so

before they began to network they had so

much extensive knowledge but by the time

they opened their mouths people were

intrigued to hear what they wanted had

to say the other part of that jaw bone

humility you could know everything in

the world but if people don't like you

if people don't like you they will not

help you

one simple part of humility is this and

I'm wearing his shoes these of garyvee

shoes and he has this his principle that

he says and it's 5149 whenever we make a

relationship and we're trying to connect

with someone it's usually 50/50 but in

networking if we can learn how to be the

51 if we can learn how to give more if

every time we reach out to someone we

could look and say what is it that

they're looking for and how can I help

it puts us in a position to succeed and

last but not least my favorite the last

bone that we need to network is the

backbone persist persist persist the

most common word and networking is the

word know you'll hear it over and over

again I like to tell students this story

and I'll tell it to you the same way I

wanted to become an author I had no idea

how to begin very simple formula and I

wanted to follow my own advice I wanted

to reach out to ten authors who wrote in

the particular area that I wanted to

ride him I read ten of their books at

the end of their book I saw their email

I reached out to the ten authors of the

ten authors I reached out to to reply to

me of the two that got back to me one

respondent and he was a best-selling

author and I'm so excited and I opened

the email it says good luck

but there was one guy a guy by the name

of Adam someone who I still talk to to

this day Adam called me Adam spoke to me

on the phone for three hours Adam taught

me how to market a book how to publish a

book how to write chapter by chapter and

at the end of our call Adam told me call

me when you finish chapter one powerful

powerful through networking through

networking that was my passion to become

an author and networking got me there

the reason why I believe these three

bones to networking is so crucial in

today's world is because young people

have to understand this is a skill set I

envision a time where networking is

taught just like math just like reading

just like writing because in the 21st

century I truly truly believe truly

believe that networking is the currency

of our age today an individual who has

the ability to make connections with one

another you'll always be in a place we

can progress where you can go forward

skill sets are okay right most people

think of networking as a skill set but I

hope with today and I hope going forward

that we can start to teach younger

people that networking is also a skill

set but it's also a mindset the people

to your left and your right can help you

in ways you couldn't possibly imagine so

if any of you know young people and

you're saying what do you want to teach

them three bones to networking wishbone

state what you want

jawbone ask with competency and humility

and last but not least backbone persist

persistent persist thank you guys

you