This document discusses the importance of building a professional network and provides tips for doing so. It notes that relationships are built on trust over time. Introductions from trusted contacts can help get jobs or make connections. The document recommends identifying different types of contacts to build a network, including mentors, coaches, industry insiders, trendsetters, connectors, idealists, realists, visionaries, partners, and future stars. It advises populating your LinkedIn profile with useful contacts and insights from building relationships over six months.

2. Start Building Your
Professional Network
Sanjay Vijayakumar

3. Why?

4. #1 REASON: One of the biggest
assets in your life will be your
professional network of the
people you can count on.

5. Why?

6. BECAUSE: Almost everything you
do will be connected to people in
real world and relationships in the
professional world work on TRUST.
To meet new people effectively,
you will need “INTRODUCTIONS”
from someone who that person
already TRUSTS.

7. Example: if you want to get hired in Ola,
introduction from Aravind Sai (SV.CO
batch#1) who is already in Ola would make
your resume preferred amongst other
resumes and even selected, everything else
being the same.
#Tip: Aravind may not always refer contacts to OLA if he doesn't think the person may not
make the cut as his own reputation gets affected with a bad introduction.

8. Example: if you want to know how the
finance industry works, it would be a
good idea to build a relationship with
Sony Joy, Founder of Chillr who is
also on the SV.CO Visiting Faculty
Tip: Do note that Sony has raised VC funding from Sequoia Capital which
means that if you know Sony well, you can in future get introduction to
Sequoia Capital as well)

9. Building TRUST takes
Time…

10. … and thus start investing
in building relationships
very early on.

11. Start building your
network from people you
already know

12. Network with people you already know &
would be relevant in your startup life (like
your seniors from college now doing
startups, current batchmates, SV.CO
alumni)

13. To Do:
Populate your Personal LinkedIN Profile with your
useful professional connections and update in
timeline the total professional connections the team
together has.

14. Remember: What eventually
matters is not the Number of
Connections but the DEPTH of
connections.

15. We recommend that you identify the
following Different Types of People to add
in your network over the next six months.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/22/job-search-mentor-professional-success-career-coach-forbes-woman-leadership-how-to-network.html

16. 1. The Mentor: This is the person who has reached
the level of success you aspire to have. You can
learn from their success as well as their mistakes.
Heed their wisdom and experience. This relationship
offers a unique perspective because they will have
known you through several peaks and valleys in your
life and watched you evolve over time.

17. 2. The Coach: The coach is someone who
comes in at different times in your life. They
help with critical decisions and offer an
objective perspective with no strings attached.

18. 3. The Industry Insider: This is someone in
your chosen field who has expert-level
information or access to it. This person will
keep you informed of what’s happening
now and what the next big thing is.

19. 4. The Trendsetter: This is someone outside
of your chosen industry who always has the
latest buzz. It can be on any topic that you find
interesting. The goal in having this person in
your network is to look for those connections
that spark innovation via the unconventional.

20. 5. The Connector: This is a person who has access
to people, resources and information. As soon as
they come across something related to you, they are
sending you an e-mail or picking up the phone.
Connectors are great at uncovering unique ways to
make connections, finding resources and
opportunities that most people would overlook.

21. 6. The Idealist: This is the person in your network
you can dream with. No matter how “out there” your
latest idea is, this is the person who will help you
brainstorm ways to make it happen. Without
judgment, they are focused on helping you flesh out
your dreams in high definition, even if you don’t
have a solid plan yet on how to make it happen.

22. 7. The Realist: On the flip side, you still need the
person who will help you keep it real. This is the
person who will give you the raised eyebrow when
your expectations exceed your effort. These are not
people who knock down your dreams, rather they
challenge you to actively make your dream happen.

23. 8. The Visionary: Visionary people inspire you by
their journey. They are similar to the Idealist, but the
visionary can help you envision an actual plan to
reach your goal. One personal encounter with this
type of person can powerfully change the direction
of your thinking and life.

24. 9. The Partner: You need to have someone who is
in a similar place and on a similar path to share
with. In fact, partners do a lot of sharing. This is a
person you can share the wins and woes with.
Partners will also share resources, opportunities
and information

25. 10. The Future Stars: These are smart
students/ juniors to whom you can serve as
mentor to. Students you can help shape
and guide based on your experiences.
One of the best ways to learn something is
by teaching it to someone else.

26. Fear Nothing! Cold Email send by Varun Satyam (Batch 2) to Richard Branson for Build your
professional network target.

27. Also write down your insight in
your timeline entry as to what you
will do over next six months to
build a great network.

28. Insight = new learning, action
items or other todo tasks.
All because you
performed this task.

29. Insight pointers: Relationships
need time to be nurtured so you
cant really build and maintain a
very large network in real world.

30. Insight pointers: populate your
network with people who will be
are relevant to the business idea
you select.

31. Don’t forget to check
the Rubric for pointers.