Early in your career, you had no problem networking.
But now?
You overthink it.
You draft the message three times.
You worry they’ll wonder what you really want.
And then worst of all, you don’t reach out.
Here’s the shift I see all the time.
When you’re junior, you’re expected to reach out.
You don’t hesitate to ask for coffee.
You don’t second-guess whether you’re bothering them.
It’s seen as being ambitious and driven.
But once you’re more established, something weird happens.
You think you’re past that.
Or you feel that society will look down on you for it.
But networking isn’t something you grow out of.
It should evolve as your career evolves.
People will always want to hear from someone who is curious and ambitious, regardless of their career stage.
And when you stop building new relationships, you rely on past ones to shape your future.
Don’t let ego get in the way of growth.
You’re never too senior to network.
So stop hesitating, and start reaching out.