Will you succeed or fail at networking?

Networking is critical to career success. Period. Yet many -- including lawyers -- fail to network or fail to network well. Networking is not contacting people you don't know though LinkedIn and asking them to help you get a job. Networking is a long-term strategy with long-term payoff. It requires effort, diligence, and willingness to be open to unexpected possibilities. 

In "Networking or Executive Job Search Success" at Bluesteps, Louise Garver identified particular traits and believes about networking to find commonalities among executives who are likely to fail in their networking efforts, and executives who are likely to succeed.

Not surprising, Garver identifies nearly opposite behavior and beliefs in executives who are likely to succeed.

In my experience in career development for lawyers, I've seen these same patterns. What's key to remember is that -- if you choose to do so -- you can move from failure to success. Shift your mindset about networking and the rest will quickly follow.