How to Build a Network from Scratch
This substack is longer than usual, but the templates are worth the time!
As an Ensign, I wanted to work at a LOGSU and cold-called one of the Supply Corps Officers at LOGSU 1. I printed out my record, drove the four hours to Coronado, and arrived to find that he had forgotten our appointment and was out golfing. The jokes on him, though; another Supply Corps Officer felt terrible I’d come all that way, so he had lunch with me… and I ended up marrying him. That turned out well, but it changed how I felt about cold calling and networking!
Go Deep: Networking as a Skill
Who to network with:
Your network should include a wide range of communities, rates, and ranks, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
Rank: Within your community, those offering the most recent and relevant advice are often no more than two ranks above you. Things have changed since very senior people were in your shoes, and they may not have much time left in the military.
Career Path: Someone with a similar background will understand the pros and cons of your resume. Someone with the experience you don’t have but want can help you know how they got into those positions and understand more clearly what the position is.
Priorities: If someone has made very different decisions than you, that can be fine, but if it is something MAJOR like having a family (especially EFMP family members), understand that their advice will come from a different perspective and may not align with your priorities and goals. Finding at least some mentors who have non-professional similarities and priorities to yours will help their advice be relevant to you.
The key is to have mentors who bring diverse perspectives and value to your development. Having mentors for different aspects of your life can help you get a well-rounded perspective when making decisions and increase the likelihood that you’ll know someone who knows someone when you need to leverage your network.
Cold Call
If you don’t have anyone connecting you to this person, you must make contact out of the blue. The best thing you can do in this situation is be humble, be flexible, and do some research ahead of time!
Subject: Mentorship Request Regarding [topic]
Good Morning/Afternoon [Mentor's Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I am currently [your position]. Your recent [project/publication/achievement] on [specific topic] particularly resonated with me and has fueled my interest in [specific area of interest].
As someone eager to grow and develop in [specific field/area], I am reaching out to explore the possibility of you mentoring me. I am particularly interested in learning about [particular topics or skills you wish to learn], and I believe your expertise would significantly accelerate my learning and development.
To better understand my background and interests, [briefly mention your relevant experience, projects, or skills]. I am especially keen on [mention any specific project, goal, or area you want to explore with the mentor's guidance].
Would you be open to a short introductory call or meeting at your convenience? I understand your time is precious, so thank you for considering using some of it to help me grow and learn!
Thank you very much for considering my request.
Very Respectfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Warm Call
If you’re lucky enough to have a mutual friend or work connection with someone, ask for an introduction that includes their relationship with you and why they are connecting you. Here’s a sample email:
Subject: Introduction and Connection with [Your Name]
Good Morning/Afternoon [Mentor's Name],
I am writing to introduce you to [your name], who I know through [your connection]. They are interested in [topic/common ground], and I thought you would be an excellent point of contact for them to get some information and mentorship.
They are [something complimentary], and I know you are a supportive leader, so I wanted to make sure you knew one another.
I will let them take me off the thread and introduce themselves, but I wanted you to know they are a great [rank/job/whatever].
Very Respectfully,
[Their name]
Once that introductory email is sent, I follow up with a modified version of my cold email that thanks our mutual friend and skips anything they already mentioned.
Open Networking Events
The elevator pitch. Before going to a networking event, think about who you are trying to meet or connect with. If you can, do a little research so you know the background of a few other attendees. Then you need some conversation points:
Comment on the event, including the venue, speaker, or activities. This is an easy, neutral way to approach someone cold and know you’re on common ground.
Give a relevant compliment if they have recently done or published something you found interesting, inspiring, or impressive.
Ask open-ended questions. "What brought you to this event?" or "What projects are you currently excited about?" or even “I would love your perspective, how do you see [recent thing] affecting our jobs?” can help kickstart conversations that are more than just yes/no questions.
Immediate Follow-Up
One of the most impactful things I have learned to do is send an immediate follow-up. This can be an email, but if I want to make an accurate impression, I send them a handwritten note on stationery. It’s old school, but that’s part of the charm. Include when/where you met, what you talked about, a meaningful detail, and other relevant things to stand out from the generic follow-ups AND so both of you can reference it later to remind each other of the connection.
Here’s my template:
Subject: Great Connecting with You, [Mentor's Name]
Good Morning/Afternoon [Mentor's Name],
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me [mention where you met, e.g., "at the XYZ conference last Thursday"]. I truly appreciated the opportunity to learn about your experience in [specific area/field] and your insightful advice on [specific advice or topic discussed].
I am very eager to explore the ideas we discussed, especially [mention any specific idea or piece of advice they gave you]. As suggested, I will [mention any action you plan to take based on their advice, e.g., "read the book you recommended" or "reach out to the contact you provided"].
Please let me know if there is an opportunity for me to reach out, and thank you for your advice with a cup of coffee!
Thank you once again for your generosity and support. I am very much looking forward to our next conversation.
Very Respectfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Long Term Maintenance
Last but not least, you have to keep the conversations alive. There are a few significant touch points to do this:
when either of you changes billet or rank
thank them for their guidance anytime you receive a FITREP/EVAL/OER
Anytime you receive an award, or congratulate them if they do!
say something friendly during the holidays
These intermittent follow-ups should be very short, like three sentences or less, so as not to clog up their time but to keep the relationship current. Then, it won't be so out of the blue when you need more advice, an introduction, or anything else.
Go the Distance: Leadership Challenge
There is a billet in your community that you’ve had your eye on since you first joined. It’s in a great location, looks challenging and exciting, and would be great for your career. You are about four years away from being eligible for the billet, and you’ll need some recommendation letters and guidance to get it.
Luckily, your community is hosting a base-wide “hail and bail,” there will be several people senior to you but in your community at the event.
Unluckily, the only person on the base who has had the job you want is TAD and won’t be at the hail and bail.
How can you leverage this event and other people on base to build up your network and help you earn your dream job?
Email me how you’d approach it so we can include it in our discussions on the podcast!
depthdistance@substack.com
Quarters: Pass the Word
The Office of Special Trial Council is up and running! NAVADMIN 028/24 lists all of the offenses that require the command to immediately turn over disciplinary proceedings to OSTC, including a broad range of sexual misconduct. This is part of the push to remove the investigation of and punishment for things like involuntary sharing of intimate images away from the COC, and a good step towards justice and getting predators out of the ranks. Let your people know about this win and review the included offenses.
Uniform changes are here, too! NAVADMIN 031/24 blew everyone’s mind with hands now being allowed in pockets, tiaras and bucket covers for women, leggings under PT gear, false eyelashes, and more! You’ve probably already seen 28 memes and Reddit threads about it, but read the actual message, too!
Physical Therapists are here to help! The DOD piloted a program to use PTs as the FIRST medical interaction for musculoskeletal injuries rather than requiring a referral. Outcomes were better, and money and time were saved, so now it’s being expanded to be DOD-wide in the next two years. Details aren’t complete yet, but we can all appreciate any steps towards saving our knees and backs from deteriorating and unclogging some of the back-ups in medical access.
I work in higher ed and one of our curricular goals for this month is how to build a network. The advice and templates are very helpful. Thanks!