8. Industry Contacts

Silicon Valley hiring is driven by who you know. You can increase your potential for employment 3x by getting a warm introduction.

For this reason it is critical that you start building your network now to better position yourself for jobs opportunities.

Past Make School students have regretted not building their network early enough.

Thankfully, this tutorial will help you make connections and overcome any fears of talking to real professionals.

You ALREADY have connections at top companies

Strangely enough, you may know more people at a company than you think. To explain, I'll share a bit about network theory.

Sociologists call people in your immediate circle your first degree connections. These are people you interactive with frequently - friends, family, acquaintances.

The majority of your network is in second degree connections - the aggregate amount of people directly connected to your first degree connections.

Sociologists estimate that your number of second degree connections is X times greater than your number of first degree connections:

If you look through your second degree connections, you may find that you have second degree connections at practically every tech company in the valley - especially when you count the networks of Jeremy & Ashu (YC alums), and all the instructors.

All these companies are just a single connection away.

How can you tap into these networks?

How to find Contacts

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Review these slides on Messaging to industry contacts, these slides on How to find anyone's contact information, and networking tips and finding events

These slides will give you:

• template messages
• tips to connect with anyone
• hacks to find email addresses
• tips to connect at networking events

Do it! Find contacts

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Now, use the tips above to connect with 2-3 first and second degree connections at companies you want to eventually apply to. Alternatively go to one of the many meet-ups happening WEEKLY in San Francisco and connect with an engineer there.

Mark your completion in the course tracker.

Congrats on completing the tutorial! You should now be prepared to knock that next interview out of the park. Remember: you got this!