College Experiences That Helped a Director of Development at Lighthouse Schools Succeed
Karen, a Director of Development, learned that "relationship building," not just "networking," is key to career success. Genuine connections over time foster mutual support and open doors to opportunities that a purely transactional approach might miss.
Networking, Relationship Building, Career Development, Leadership, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Karen Fee
Director of Development
Lighthouse Community Public Schools
University of Southern California, '91
University of Utah, '96, MEd in Eduation
International Relations & Affairs
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Building genuine relationships is more effective than transactional networking.
2. Networking is about relationship building, not quid pro quo exchanges.
3. Approaching career development with a focus on building relationships can lead to more opportunities and support from others.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
One lesson I'd like to share is about networking. When I was an undergrad, people talked about it constantly, but the term felt a little clinical and lacked warmth.
It seemed very quid pro quo, like asking "How can you help me later?" But what I learned in my career is that it's about relationship building, which is just another way of thinking about networking.
When you build genuine relationships with people over time, they want to help you. They'll try to make their organization or contributions work, or connect you with someone who can make a difference.
I think if I had approached it as an undergrad and earlier in my career as relationship building, and never passed up an opportunity to get to know someone and build a relationship, I would have approached things differently.