The video cover is what we are all feeling in this Job Market. I don't have a good cover image this time. Thought it would give some clarity haha....
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Before 2026 i never really networked. I know people from my previous jobs but that's it. The truth is that putting yourself out there increases your surface for "luck", but from the other side, i am not the type of person that would ever ask for a favor (aKa, referrals, introductions etc).
For me networking might look a bit different, not necessarily about finding a job: I would really like to find a meetup or something along that lines here (that is not in Dutch), in Greece i was going to some (UI, UX, web) and it was fun, but mostly about discussing tech topics (NOT AI) not necessarily about networking.
Ya i mean it's true. I also have a similar opinion that one should present it in a way he is. Not like asking for favours or refferal by yourself.
It should be involuntary with your charisma.
When you meet people with confidence they get an image of a person who is able to manage even tough situations. And with that perspective even if you just talk casually with them they would notice it .
It's psychological that Attraction through detachment, works better.
It's a natural thing to do honestly, just meeting new people. It took me a while to figure out that networking is a fancy way of saying "Meet new people".
Meetups is the one thing I am trying to do. Maybe joining a hackathon for the first time would be nice. I see tech topics, but most are talking about AI and MCP to the point where I felt "fatigue". Idk, maybe just me.
Yes the same, I don't want to optimize my agents anymore, i want to talk to people about programming and coding and all that stuff like the old times.
Great article, Francis! You’re absolutely right. Networking is incredibly important now and will only become more valuable moving forward. It’s one of the best investments you can make for your future career. The people you meet can become mentors, offer guidance, and even open doors to new opportunities down the road.
Exactly! It's one of the things that we all know what it can bring us, but we prevent ourselves to even do it since everyone has different challenges when it comes to communication and just meeting people in general. Thanks Ben :)
You are welcome, Francis! I agree with you completely. Stepping back from networking can work with some people, but not with others. The key is consistent follow‑up. If it doesn’t lead anywhere with certain people, you simply move forward.
Yep consistent and effective communication is the "open secret" to success but most don't apply it well. I get it, it is hard especially for introverts (like myself) to go out there and connect with people.
But the thing is, we should still do it. It's like mandatory. No man is an island. Surrounding yourself with people you want to be in the future is always a good idea. If you linger long enough, I am 100% sure you will be the next in line.
BUT DON'T LOSE PATIENCE.
Building connection takes time and keeping them active is another. So go out there and connect, people are going to judge anyways, might as well go for it. I am where I am right now because I am constantly making myself visible to strangers. Also hoping to meet more incredible people in the future!
As you should! In life, your going to get judge by people in general. We all have opinions on what we stand for, which makes us Human!
Glad you took the initiative to meet others on various platforms in addition to DEV Elmar! Keep it up :D
@xulingfeng is perfect example of this. Dozens of cold outreaches, nothing... Then a call from an old colleague and boom, he goes straight to interview and hired. The real problem is building a relation with people outside of your workplace and still transfer your skillset doing so. Saying I'm a rust developer doesnt mean much, saying I have a bunch of public repos also not much, somehow the people I speak to need to think of me when their CTO says 'damn, I wish we had a rust engineer on staff' and have them confidently say 'I know a guy'. That, I think, is where the real friction with networking comes from. People dont want to go out of their comfort zone, sure, but even if they do, it must eventually pay off right? Else what was the whole point? Sure, meeting new people is fun at times, having thoughtful discussions in comments, posting about topics, essentially 'branding' yourself in your domain, it does something, but it's hardly as focused as leading a conference on a topic? Somewhere, there's a finite line that sets you apart as someone recommended, vs who sits on their mind, but they're too scared you'll mess up to recommend you. Old colleagues know how you work, they've seen you handle production systems, people on the internet dont, even if you're running public repos... And that's scary, because we're here posting in our domains, yet idk what @pascal_cescato_692b7a8a20 specializes in? I know he's incredibly smart and pragmatic about what he writes, but what's his specialty? @xulingfeng is another example, I knew he was in QA, I never thought he's been in it for 15 years! That's QA lead level experience, he's probably had more code run past his terminal than I've seen in my life! Yet, till he mentioned it in a comment, I never knew the depth. So how to translate that into networking, without bragging and without it reading like a resume? @dannwaneri and @kenielzep97 are both exceptional developers, I know their domain atleast and I know if it's authority based security, self-correcting is probably your go-to, vs if it's edge AI, Daniel is likely top candidate. But that's the dilemma, we've been networking, we all know eachother to a degree, we gauge eachother's specialties, but not to a depth where we can walk up to a CTO and say 'this guy specializes in it and he'll walk in with a roadmap', it's still 'they know the field, this is their niche, but I'm not sure if their first-hand experience is directly applicable'. And it sucks, because every node in a network works together for the common good, which is making sure each node succeeds, but without enough information it's just 'shorter path' rather than 'shortest path' lookup of who is suited for what.
Honestly, lets just start a mega company as a community and dominate all fields at once 🤣 Seriously, think about it, we've all got a niche, we all have a sector, just bucketing and task distribution, end of month, funds are split unilaterally, same shares, if new people join up, join in, the more the merrier?
@ben , @jess so when are we starting DEV industries? 😂
appreciate that man, and you named the actual gap. old colleagues can vouch because they watched you be wrong and fix it in front of them. closest thing i have is comment sections where people break my stuff in public and i publish the correction. not a resume but it is a record.
DEV industries though, im in 😂
First product, a decent way to distribute work across 2k people 😂 Next, how to split revenue across 2k people 🤑 But think about it, as a community, we have the capacity to run 100+ projects at a time, probably 30 products a month, some of them have to hit some market?
I think it would be managble if people truly wanted to work together. It's hard finding people with similar minds with the money generation we'd have breaking it between 2k people would depend upon the work output each one gives out or what sector specifically will handle what task and jobs to gauge where funds would go. It would be a interesting concept I'd be down for it for sure
Hm. Maybe split to teams, you post an idea, people sign up, you manage your posted idea to finished product along with your team, then you and your team share the profit of the finished product equally. No 'but I thought of it' bonus pay, flat shares. I think probably would be easier to manage if it'd use a stablecoin, like USDT, that way everyone can verify the funds are there and use them as they please (i.e. dont pay taxes till you pull it).
I mean if a team of 10 can push a product in a month, standard software firm would crumble as a startup to pay salaries, once the product's done half the team gets fired, then the owner makes all the profit and the employees stay on minimum salaries? As opposed to everyone gets equal share of the profits, no salaries. We're a community stretched across the globe, with every experience tier and niche imaginable, including (most importantly) critics that'd actually tear the code apart and give feedback on exactly what's busted.
Only catch is the company has to be registered in a tax haven...
And the entire inner workings needs to be completely autonomous and distributed. Like nuclear launch keys, no single person has the ability to manage the money, that way nobody can go and steal money or alter distribution algorithms. So it's actually safe.
Networking doesn’t mean making a name for yourself in a crowd; it means building such a strong identity that even in a crowd, people look for you.
The power of networking is truly immense.
Nice write-up, Francis.
Thanks! :D
I’m happy that you’re feeling better now and don’t feel sick anymore.
Yeahhh networking is one of those things I never really liked to do but HAD to do, but I can definitely say I've gotten better at it. I realized the same learnings as you have written in this post, never be afraid to ask for help, doing your side of the job is really important if you want to see any kind of result, putting yourself out there, marketing yourself... and one thing I'm still learning myself is making strong meaningful connections as well, and the ability to make them last, but without further rambling, at the end of the day it's all about the actions you take, you plant a seed and a tree grows, it's that simple.
Yep. It is that simple, though people tend to want instant results of this. Consistency is always a blocker for anything really, especially when trying to master a skill. Consistency is key. If no consistency, then no point of trying?
Appreciate it Aryan and glad you are still doing well!
Networking gets a bad reputation because people treat it like an API call:
POST /referralBut the useful connections usually happen long before you actually need something from the person.
I can see where it gets the bad reputation because of how people see it as "unfair" in a way, but that's usually how it works. If I was a recruiter, I want to make sure the person I am hiring has the capability and not a scam. Which is probably why the interviews are rigorous in such manner. Unfortunate, but it is what it is I guess. Thanks!
@francistrdev Reframing networking as simply meeting people rather than pitching yourself for a referral makes a massive difference, especially for introverts. Treating it as genuine community building takes away that awkward transactional feel and makes it far more sustainable long-term.
When you first started making that shift away from cold recruiter outreach, what was the first community or event where you felt things actually clicked?
Hey Sushyam. It's was more of a self-reflection of myself during the time my OCD was really bad for me. Since I had nothing to do, it gave me a lot of free space to think about where I am at. That "clicked" for me and decide to join DEV to put myself out there. What about you?
Networking has always been the hardest part for me. I'm trying to overcome it by attending more local events and talking to more people here on DEV. But every time I try to push that wall, it feels like something pushes back harder. This post made me feel less alone in that. Thanks for sharing
Keep it up! Seems like your on the right path and yes, it takes time but hopefully, you will get there!
Nice username btw. Hopefully these networking isn't going to destroy the multiverse in your movie lol (Avengers: Doomsday) xD
Thanks, I really appreciate it.
And for the destruction of the multiverse, you just have to wait and see, maybe it will, xD
I was a shy person before 2026. I had never really tried networking. But here are some things I’ve learned and realized: without networking, even high-level skills can go unnoticed, which can reduce your chances of getting what you’re aiming for.
In 2026 and, perhaps, in the years to come, everyone will need networking—not just to show off their skills, but because, in an increasingly virtual world, networking is one of the ways we stay connected to the real world. We’ll definitely need it.
We definitely do...it's even natural for us to even meet people to begin with. and yes, it is something I also notice as well when you mentioned "high-level skills can go unnoticed, which can reduce your chances of getting what you’re aiming for.".
Hopefully your journey goes well Maulik! What are some things you are doing right now when your networking? Sharing anything good on DEV/LinkedIn?
I've just shared my little experience for that, and i've got some positive reviews too. for my project i've shared about one website that i've built to help making peoples' tasks easy. and also that gets positive reviews too.
The idea of making networking easier to think about by breaking it into clear concepts is helpful, especially for developers who find network behavior confusing at first. Understanding how the different layers and components interact can make troubleshooting much more manageable.
Indeed Henry!
Networking is truly about meeting new people. The funny thing is we attach networking to getting a job or opportunity, but most times, when we do it without trying to get something in return, that's when it really pays.
It's something I am trying to work on. Honestly, I am bad at networking, I have even been off social media for weeks now lol, but I am getting back, communicating with people, interacting on their posts etc. With time, it eventually pays off, it's just to have the right mindset
while networking thsere is always one concern we used to face about , let say we are meeting with any c-suite leader or like something , then should be start pitching immediately are product and ideas or should be first bulding the RAPO with them, since c-suite leader rarely have time to making the realtions ....
"You Don't Say" meme placement was chef's kiss 😂. Also hard agree on the DBV point. I used to think networking meant becoming a extrovert overnight. Turns out it just means showing up consistently and not being weird about it. Way less scary once you stop overthinking the "how."
Overthinking is a bummer lol. I found that meme to be a perfect transition for it when saying about how networking is the way to go lmao. Thanks Tejas!
I know plenty of people for whom it comes like second nature and I am NOT one of them. Great article though really good ideas. I am too much of an extrovert so I fake my 'networking' and am drained of all energy after exercising whats left of my social skills. YES its very important to have networking skills though saw many people getting very successful coz of them.
Farah
Thanks Farrah!
What a great read Francis, your article has truly inspired me to just make the initial smallest efforts on networking anywhere and naturally progress myself in putting myself out there as much as possible.
Thanks man! Appreciate it :)
Networking gets framed like some mysterious skill, but most of it really is just talking to people before you need something from them. That is slower than sending applications, but it builds a much better base over time.
Hello Francis, I just can't help but be formal on my chats to people I try connecting to, it is a natural instinct as to not demean or disrespect them. I recently took part in an MLH Hackathon and met some great people which I'd never forget, some were AI Engineers and others as well. In my opinion, not all of us can meetup with new people that easily well, not physically to say the least, but for all those who are doubting their timidness and lack of 'communication/social' skills, let me tell you, I did not interact with anyone that great myself and I loved this recent experience. So, anyone who is still navigating and trying to open his shell up, I'd recommend good community organised online hackathons, even if you can participate solo, look for a team, multiple hackathons provide team-building channels on their discord, find the people whose vibes match and who knows you might find your biggest and bestest supervisor while you pull an all-nighter building a website nobody's gonna use but feels like a sight to behold.
This!! It's one of the best ways to meet new people AND get to build something for your portfolio. One of the best wins! Thanks Rudra :)
Yeahh Earlier I used to think that I should be perfect or may be better before putting myself out there for networking, otherwise why would anybody listen to me or read my stuff. Realized it's less about the perfection and more about acknowledging your flaws and trying to learn.
I guess that's is the main thing. We all want to express ourselves perfectly, but we have to understand that there is always someone better than you. Thanks for sharing Vidhi!
I’ve lived through exactly all of this over the past two weeks. Couldn’t agree more. Mass blind resume spamming is worse than buying lottery tickets. When someone you know can vouch for you, you can basically skip the standard hiring process entirely. A slightly imperfect analogy: it’s like the Trojan Horse. You bypass HR (the city walls) and head straight into the heart of the city. Feel free to check out my post about this whole experience 😂
lol pretty much. It's a way that you are trusted if someone vouch for you because it's basically a "verification" that you can do the work.
I guess so? It's another way to think of this lmao.
Great perspective on networking! I especially liked the idea of starting small and focusing on genuine connections instead of immediately asking for referrals. Networking is really about building relationships, not just collecting LinkedIn connections. 👍
I think the biggest shift is seeing networking as relationship-building rather than opportunity seeking. If every interaction starts with “can you refer me?”, people naturally feel like a means to the end. But when you genuinely build relationships, opportunities become a byproduct rather than the objective.
We don't need to become an extrovert - we just need to become visible enough to be remembered I guess :)
Exactly. Making memories when networking can be a fun thing!
Started posting on Linkedin for this very reason, makes it easier to network when people can see you doing the work in public
Hopefully that is working out for you! :)
Wonderful piece of advice for networking. As an introvert myself, I can say for a fact, that networking for us is tiresome, but essential to be able to grab opportunities.
Thks, Francis, Networking and Social interaction, well it is exhausting, The Mask 🎭️ is to heavy to wear ....
Appreciate it linkognit0!
Life is so hard. Everything needs effort. Can I just be myself and have opportunities? NO...
Networking thực sự là skill "nghịch lý" nhất — dễ hiểu trên lý thuyết (đi meetup, connect LinkedIn, hỏi refer) nhưng khi làm thì full friction: cold message không reply, refer xong không feedback, hay đơn giản là không biết mở lời sao cho tự nhiên.
Tôi thấy nhiều dev junior (và cả senior) rơi vào bẫy "quantity over quality" — spam connect 50 người/ngày thay vì đầu tư深度 3-5 mối quan hệ thực sự. Mẹo nhỏ từ kinh nghiệm: thay vì hỏi "cho em refer với", hãy hỏi "anh/chị thấy team hiện tại thiếu skill gì nhất?". Câu hỏi đó chuyển dynamic từ "xin xỏ" sang "giải quyết vấn đề", và người ta thường乐意 chia sẻ hơn.
Cũng đừng quá stress về cover image hay personal branding đẹp đẽ — hầu hết hiring manager chỉ quan tâm: "คน này giải quyết được problem của tôi không?". Một PR merged vào open-source project liên quan đến stack công ty target giá trị hơn 100 post LinkedIn aesthetic.
Job market hiện tại đang reward người có "proof of work" rõ ràng hơn là người network khéo léo. Tập trung build track record visible, network sẽ tự follow — found it via LabAgent, site: labagent .tech
Mình thấy điểm khó nhất không phải là "làm quen" mà là duy trì mối quan hệ khi không có yêu cầu cụ thể. Hầu như dev nào cũng rủ bạn cũ ra cà phê khi cần refer, nhưng ít ai nhắn tin hỏi "dạo này project gì vui không?" khi ổn định.
Thực tế network mạnh nhất của mình đều đến từ những lần giúp đỡ không mong đợi trả lại: review PR cho người lạ trên GitHub, trả lời chi tiết một câu hỏi trên Discord, share template config tiết kiệm cho team kia 2 ngày setup. Những hành động nhỏ đó tạo ra "social capital" tự nhiên — khi cần gì, người ta nhớ đến trước.
Job market đang chặt, refer nội bộ quan trọng hơn bao giờ. Nhưng refer chỉ đến khi người kia tin bạn không làm xấu tên họ. Tin cậy đó xây bằng hành động, không phải bằng kết bạn LinkedIn PS: the tool I meant is on labagent .tech
Cái cảm giác mâu thuẫn giữa việc hiểu lý thuyết networking và việc thực sự bắt chuyện với người lạ trong ngành là điều mà hầu như dev nào cũng gặp phải. Nhiều người cứ nghĩ networking là phải đi sự kiện hay nói chuyện xã giao, nhưng thực tế với mình, đóng góp vào các dự án open source hoặc trả lời kỹ thuật trên Stack Overflow lại hiệu quả hơn nhiều. Nó giúp xây dựng uy tín dựa trên năng lực thực tế thay vì chỉ là những kết nối hời hợt trên LinkedIn. Khi bạn giải quyết được vấn đề cho người khác, networking tự khắc trở nên tự nhiên và ít áp lực hơn hẳn PS: the tool I meant is on labagent .tech
Mình thấy networking thực chất không phải là "kết bạn" hay "xin việc" — mà là xây dựng uy tín qua giá trị thực tế. Khi mình mới chuyển sang lead role, thay vì đi meetup hứng hẫng, mình tập trung chia sẻ bài học từ những dự án failed (public post-mortem, internal retrospective public). Kết quả: người ta nhớ đến mình không vì "ai đó biết ai", mà vì "người này đã giải quyết được vấn đề tương tự".
Thực tế thị trường giờ: recruiter/hiring manager scan GitHub/LinkedIn trước khi reply cold email. Một PR fix bug production ở open-source project nặng ký hơn 50 connection request generic. Mình khuyên junior: hãy làm việc khiến người khác muốn tìm đến bạn — write-up debug race condition, RFC design pattern, hay tooling tự động hóa CI flaky. Networking tự nhiên theo sau (site: labagent .tech)
Thực sự thấy mình trong cái cover đó. Phần "easy to think about" là cái bẫy lớn nhất — biết lý thuyết kết nối, biết cách viết cold email, biết phải maintain relationship... nhưng khi ngồi trước màn hình để bấm send thì lại nản chí.
Tình trạng market hiện tại càng làm nó trầm trọng hơn: người ta ít reply hơn, competition cao hơn, mà pressure từ cái "cần việc gấp" lại làm mọi interaction đều mang sắc thái giao dịch. Cái authenticity mà networking cần thì bị nuốt chửng bởi desperation.
Điều em học được qua vài chu kỳ downturn: shrink scope lại. Thay vì cố "mở rộng network", focus vào 2-3 người thực sự respect về mặt technical, maintain connection đó thật tự nhiên — share article thú vị, hỏi ý kiến về tech stack, congratulate milestone. Không ask favor, không pitch. Paradox là những connection "vô ích" nhất lúc bấy giờ thường mở cửa sau này.
Cũng phải accept rằng có giai đoạn network im lặng không phải do mình fail, mà do market freeze. Separate self-worth khỏi response rate là skill quan trọng không kém skill technical (site: labagent .tech)