“It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.”
On networking, work, and career development
I’ve been rereading a book called The Defining Decade: Why your twenties matter — and how to make the most of them now.
I read it once when I was in my early 20s, and now I’m rereading it in my later 20s and I have to say: I’m doing some of the things they recommend. One of the concepts that author Meg Jay introduces is the idea of identity capital. She defines it like so:
Identity capital is our collection of personal assets. It is the repertoire of individual resources that we assemble over time. These are the investments we make in ourselves, the things we do well enough, or long enough, that they become a part of who we are.
For instance, my job with TJ Maxx was not a good source of identity capital. However, that isn’t to say that I didn’t gain soft skills from that, which were transferable into the public library realm.
Becoming a library page and library assistant has helped me gain more identity capital. With this, I’m more able to progress in my career and find opportunities that can help me advance.
The following chapter is what spurred me to make this post. Because someone I interviewed (for information, not for a job) once told me,
