Make Your Vision Board Career a Reality: Key Takeaways from Build Your Dream Network by J. Kelly Hoey

Welcome to the first post of Money Mondays! Since we’re here on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, I thought it would be fitting to kick off this series by focusing on the importance of networking and how to make the most of it to achieve your career goals...

This week, we’re diving into J. Kelly Hoey´s book, Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World. Networking is essential for career success, but it’s not just about collecting contacts—it’s about developing genuine relationships with people who support your vision and help you grow.

Hoey’s book offers modern strategies for building purposeful networks, ensuring your connections align with your career goals and help turn your vision board into reality. Let’s get into the key takeaways...

📚Key Takeaway #1: Networking is About Building Allies, Not Just Contacts

Networking is about creating meaningful connections with those who believe in your goals and can help you achieve them and vice-versa. In the book, Hoey advocates for shifting from traditional networking to ally-building, which focuses on long-term, valuable relationships. To do this she advocates in Building Meaningful Connections and establishing relationships based on trust, shared goals, and mutual benefit.

Key Tip: Offer Value First, add value to your network by offering support and opportunities before asking for help or a culture of foster mutually beneficial connections rather than favours.

📚Key Takeaway #2: Set Clear Career Goals and Know Who to Ask for Help

For networking to be effective, you need to have clear career goals. This means knowing what you want and identifying who in your network can guide you or connect you with the right opportunities. It's important to know what you want and to be clear about your career aspirations so your networking efforts are aligned with your long-term goals.

Key Tip: Targeted Outreach, Identify the right people in your network who can open doors or offer mentorship and support and reach out.

📚Key Takeaway #3: Surround Yourself with people who inspire you

Networking is not just about getting ahead—it’s about surrounding yourself with people who inspire and challenge you. Hoey emphasises the importance of building a supportive community of allies who can help you see the bigger picture and aim higher and therefore advocates being thoughtful about your circle.

Key Tip: Follow people who inspire you, when sending invitations to connect whether that be on this platform or on email or reaching out in real life, expand your circle by connecting with people who challenge and inspire you alongside people that you may already know.

📚Key Takeaway #4: Networking is a Continuous Process, Not a One-Time Activity

One of the key lessons from this book is that networking is not a one-time event. It’s a continual process that requires regular engagement and relationship-building. the author advises making it a regular process and also making it fun so that you can stay consistent rather than seeing it as a chore.

Key tip: Regularly follow up with your network to stay engaged and build lasting relationships set aside a time at an interval that works with your schedule and goals (fortnightly, monthly, quarterly and reach out to people in your network).

📚Key Takeaway #5: Avoid Random Acts of Networking

Before attending an event or joining a new group, ask yourself how it aligns with your goals. Avoid random, aimless networking by being intentional in your efforts, it's important to ensure each networking activity has a purpose and aligns with your career aspirations. Being intentional with this helps with making the practice of networking more rewarding and simple.

Key tip: before joining groups, determine that this group shares your values and goals. focus on community and building long term meaningful relationships by offering value staying engaged. this will help with the previous point of staying consistent.

📚 My Biggest Takeaway

The most important lesson I learned from Build Your Dream Network is the value of networking with a clear purpose. Setting some time aside to visualise my career goals has allowed me to use time networking more intentionally. This allows me to connect with people that are more aligned with my work and purpose shifting from transactional networking to building genuine, strategic relationships which has been transformative.

Overall, this book is a good resource for anyone looking to build a strong, purpose-driven network that helps turn career goals into reality. Hoey’s advice on avoiding random networking and setting clear career goals is invaluable for anyone seeking strategic, intentional relationships.

How are you building the network and allies that will help you achieve your career goals?

Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments! Let’s discuss how intentional networking can turn your vision board career into a reality...