Slingshot Weekly (5/13/26) | Networking? That's Just Research With People

Most people hear the word networking and immediately tense up.

It sounds like handshakes, elevator pitches, awkward small talk, and trying to impress someone who may or may not care. For students, young adults, and even professionals, networking can feel like one more performance. One more place where you are supposed to act like you have it all figured out.

But what if networking was never meant to start with proving yourself? What if it started with learning? 

The best networking is not transactional. It is not about collecting names, chasing opportunities, or trying to sound impressive. The best networking is research. It is curiosity in conversation form. It is the informational interview. The core concept of informational interviews is interviewing people to learn more about who they are, their path, their journey, and what got them to where they are at today.

When you approach someone with, “Can I learn from you?” the pressure changes. You are no longer trying to sell yourself into a room. You are trying to understand the room. You are asking what the work actually feels like, what surprised them, what challenges they did not expect, and what advice they wish someone had given them earlier.

That kind of conversation can teach you things a website never will.

A job description may tell you the responsibilities. A person can tell you the rhythm, pressure, culture, tradeoffs, and hidden realities of the work. They can tell you what kind of person thrives there and what kind of person may feel drained by it.

The future can feel abstract when it only lives in your head. You can think, scroll, research, compare, and still feel stuck. However, after a few honest conversations with people, patterns begin to show up. You start hearing what excites you, begin noticing what does not fit, find realization in which paths sound good, and
start building direction from real information, not just assumptions.

This is especially important for people who feel pressure to choose “the right path” early. You do not have to know your final answer before starting a conversation. In fact, the conversation may be what helps you find the next question. Networking as research gives you permission to be unfinished.

When chatting, interviewing, or meeting people, try asking:

• What do you wish people understood about this work?
• What surprised you when you first started?
• What skills matter most here?
• What kind of person tends to thrive in this environment?
• What would you do differently if you were starting again?

These questions do more than create conversation. They create insight. So maybe the next step is not a bigger opportunity yet. Maybe it is not a perfect plan. Maybe the next step is one honest conversation. Sometimes, that is enough to make the future feel a little less far away.

Reflection Questions of the Week:

• What is one career, industry, or role you are curious about that you have never actually spoken to someone about?
• If you approached networking as learning instead of performing, how would your mindset or approach change?
• Who is one person you could reach out to this week simply to learn from their story, experience, or perspective?