Networking Starts Before You Need Anything

The networking mistake almost everyone in medicine makes.

I see the exact same email land in my inbox at least three times a week.

It usually starts with an overly formal greeting, followed by a sudden, intense interest in my career trajectory. Then comes the pivot: a request for a rotation, an endorsement for a competitive fellowship, or an introduction to a board member.

I never fault the sender. I read them all, and I know exactly what drives them: a stretched rota, a fractured training pathway, and the sudden, terrifying realisation that simply passing exams is no longer enough to secure the job. They are reaching out because they are out of options and a deadline is looming.

The problem is not that they are asking for help. The problem is the timing.