Kaivalya Gandhi (APM class of 2021) shares his thoughts on building a support network at work, and how the APM program has helped him establish his own network.
A piece of career advice that resonated with me recently was that it’s not just about what you know and can do, it’s also important who knows of your talent, potential and accomplishments.
As someone who joined the program mid-cycle due to exceptional circumstances (kudos to the talent team who handled my unique onboarding situation best they could!), I was grateful to be a part of the APM community. It introduced me to a group of passionate peers from various backgrounds, many of whom I’ve become good friends with.
I didn’t realize how valuable the associate cohorts are until I met a few colleagues who shared their experiences navigating the company independently. While it’s still possible to have a great support network without being in a community like the APM program provides, it definitely requires a lot more intentional effort. Ultimately, it’s what one makes of the opportunities and environments they have access to.
I have found the principles below extremely helpful to ramping up and building my footing at the company, and hope it can be helpful for your situation:
Be genuinely curious
Showing an interest in the work and life of the person you’re meeting with opens up the door for further conversations from a point of familiarity.
For example, I met my current manager after I observed her asking great questions at a workshop for product people at the company. I was intrigued about the context and challenges she was facing, and wanted to learn about her projects and experiences. She ended up advocating for me to join her team, and I’ve loved the growth and learning I’ve had as a result of the opportunity.
Uncover common ground
Humans connect based on shared interests, and the same applies to colleagues at work: finding hobbies, backgrounds or values in common based on past experiences can prove to be formative of a lasting professional and personal relationship.
This is how I connected with a passionate product colleague, despite us working on completely different products. We had certain rare similarities in our lives and ended up bonding as great friends!
Find ways to be helpful
Part of being memorable and leaving a positive impression means finding opportunities to offer support, feedback, ideas or even take something small but pressing off someone’s plate… they will be thankful, and you will be top-of-mind the next time they have something come up.
Taking the initiative to reach out to other people (no matter how busy they might seem) can lead to great conversations, friends, mentors and even your next opportunity. You never know what can happen if you don’t try!