Old Networking Habits You Need to Drop, with Wendy Dukes

Networking evolves with the marketplace, technology, and your own career stage, and habits that once worked can now make you look out of touch to the people you most want to impress. Find Your Dream Job guest Wendy Dukes says the fix starts with directness. Rather than spend ten minutes of a coffee meeting building up to your ask, state what you need from the start, then share the details that support your request. 

Offer something in return, too, so the connection benefits you both. Wendy also urges job seekers to retire two old standbys, the business card and the printed resume, in favor of a strong, current LinkedIn presence. And remember: networking isn’t limited to professional events. Your next great connection might happen in a grocery store line, at a tailgate, or even on a cruise ship.

About Our Guest:

• Wendy Dukes is the director of the early careers program at the Forté Foundation. 

Resources in This Episode:

• Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn.

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Episode 564:

Old Networking Habits You Need to Drop, with Wendy Dukes

Airdate: August 12, 2026

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I’m your host, Mac Prichard. I’m also the founder of Mac’s List. It’s a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helps you find a fulfilling career.

Every Wednesday, I talk to a different expert about the tools you need to get the work you want.

It’s easy to get used to doing things a certain way.

But what worked for you in the past may no longer be effective, especially when you look for your next job.

Wendy Dukes is here to talk about old networking habits you need to drop.

She’s the director of the early careers program at the Forté Foundation. It’s a non-profit organization that launches women into fulfilling and significant careers.

Previously, Wendy worked in career development at Purdue University, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and the University of North Carolina’s business school.

She joins us from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Well, let’s jump right into it, Wendy. You say networking habits can start early. Where do most people learn how to network?

Wendy Dukes:

I think most people learn how to network from just watching others do it. Some people, it can happen naturally, but I started networking, believe it or not, in high school. High school is about that time when you start to make friends, and then you start to make more friends.

And when you think about it, that is networking. Maybe you want to get into a club, or it could be running for a school position, and you’re reaching out to different people; you’re reaching out to various individuals on the school staff to ask for help.

That’s networking, and so it does start really early, and I think it’s something that each of us probably has never thought about before. These are skills that you’ve had for a very long time. So it starts early.

Mac Prichard:

Okay, so they start early, and networking habits, whether they’re bad or good, why do they stay with us so long? Wendy, why is it hard to shake these habits?

Wendy Dukes:

It’s something that’s built into our DNA. Once you do something well, you continue to do it. If it works, why change it? And that’s one thing that we tend to forget about sometimes, that you always constantly need to be updating your skills, updating the way that you do networking based upon the current marketplace, the economy, where you live, what position that you currently hold.

Networking is constantly moving, and it’s changing, and you always need to stay on top of it.

Mac Prichard:

Can out-of-date networking habits or bad ones hurt your job search and your career?

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah, if you’re doing something that’s outdated and the individual that you’re networking with may not understand what you’re doing or may not have the tools that are necessary to assist you with whatever networking technique you’re doing, that looks bad on you.

It makes you appear not to be really increasing your skill set as you should be, or keeping on track of trends. It’s just not a good book, and you don’t show well.

Mac Prichard:

Okay, well, let’s talk about the networking habits you should drop and the classic habits that still work, and let’s talk about the ones you think people should stop doing. Number one on your list is you don’t ask for what you don’t need. What do you mean by this? Not asking for what you don’t need.

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah, so lots of people approach networking as a sales pitch, right? And so at times when people are networking, it takes them a long time to lead up to what they actually want that could be an email, a conversation in a coffee shop, or it could be a Zoom call.

What gets me the most is that it may take five to ten minutes for an individual to actually get to what they want from you. We know that’s what networking is. Somebody wants something from you. And so what I say nowadays is start by saying what you want from the start.

It’s almost very similar to what consultants do. Consultants will deliver what their recommendation is, and then they’ll provide the supporting documentation or supporting information that goes along with their recommendation.

And so when you’re doing networking, say what it is that you want and then provide your supporting information that goes along with that.

I think a lot of people are just really time-stretched right now, and we do have the greatest technology available to us. So get to the point, say what you need, and don’t beat around the bush with it.

Mac Prichard:

And what stops people from doing that, Wendy? Because we’ve all been in that meeting where the conversation goes on for 15, 20, 30 minutes. And you’ve got to go. And then the ask emerges. What stops people from doing that in the first couple of minutes, asking for what they want?

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah, think a lot of people, yeah, I think a lot of people are either afraid to do it, they don’t want to appear as if they’re being rude or…

You know, not offering something in return. And that is the key. You can ask for what you want, but also offer something in return. You don’t want it to be just you trying to get something from an individual. You also want to create a benefit for them too.

But what I say is that if you go in there with confidence and you know what it is that you want, and you can demonstrate that by the way that you ask. It’s not coming across as rude. It’s coming across as thoughtful.

Mac Prichard:

And how do you not come across as rude? You mentioned confidence, being direct. Are there other tips so that you can make your request promptly, directly, and politely?

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah, and I think, you know, a lot of people could preface it by saying, you know, I understand that you’re probably pressed for time, so I want to make our conversation quick. And with that, you can go right into what your ask is.

If you just set the tone, then the other person will understand; they’re not rushing through this. They’re being cognizant of my time. And so if you set the precedent for the conversation, it will not come across as rude, but again, being thoughtful.

Mac Prichard:

You mentioned offering something in return. How can you determine before the conversation what you might provide to the person you’re meeting with that will be of value to them?

Wendy Dukes:

Great question. Do your homework. So please, please do not meet with someone or network with an individual that you don’t have an idea what their background is. And this is where LinkedIn, mean, that is, it is the greatest tool that’s available to anyone when it comes to networking.

Find out what it is they do. Find out if you have any commonalities. Find out where they attended school. That’s usually the first thing that I do. I want to see what I have in common with

them. Who do I know that they might know? Do they have a similar experience that I have in my background?

And so with that information, I can come to the conversation prepared to kind of break the ice at first by saying something like, I see that you know so-and-so. Or, in my case, I would say, you’re a Boilermaker. You attended Purdue. That’s great. When did you attend?

And putting that up first during the conversation can make an individual feel at ease. They feel rapport with you because you share a common interest.

Mac Prichard:

Yes, and I should mention to viewers that Wendy and I bonded over my uncle Al, who was a Boilermaker a long, long time ago, back in the 1940s. But let’s get back to you and your expertise, Wendy.

So another item on your list of items, or habits rather, to drop is to stop believing that networking only happens at professional events. What do you mean by this? What do you have in mind?

Wendy Dukes:

Right, so when people hear the term networking, I think it’s an automatic corporate lever that goes off in their mind. Like, I can only network at a work event or some kind of professional happy hour. And that is not the case. I have found that you can network just about anywhere.

To give you an example, I networked on a cruise. So on cruise ships, you’re always gonna be in some sort of line, and instead of just standing in line looking in front of you, take a moment to talk to the people next to you on each side.

And I did that one time, and I found out that the individual that was cruising with me worked for a licensing company in the Midwest that worked with all the Big Ten schools, licensed their logos, and I thought, this is the best person to network with because can I get free merch? Do they sell their things on my campus?

And we had a conversation, found out that Purdue was one of their licensing partners, and it started up a connection and a conversation by just someone I met on a cruise.

And you can meet people when you’re volunteering, you can meet people at tailgating, you can meet people at the grocery store. So with that said, always know that networking can be an opportunity just about anywhere.

Mac Prichard:

Terrific. We’re going to take a break. Stay with us when we return. Wendy Dukes will continue to share her advice about old networking habits you need to drop.

We’re back in the Mac’s List studio. I’m talking with Wendy Dukes. She’s the director of the Early Careers Program at the Forte Foundation.

It’s a nonprofit organization that launches women into fulfilling and significant careers.

Previously, Wendy worked in career development at Purdue University, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and the University of North Carolina’s business school.

And she joins us from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Now, Wendy, before the break, we were talking about old networking habits you need to drop. And you have a list.

And the third item on that list of networking habits you’d like people to stop is to believe that you need a business card. Wendy, why is a business card obsolete?

Wendy Dukes:

A business card is obsolete because people lose them, they throw them away, they can’t keep track of them, and I mean… Where do you keep them nowadays?

So the best thing that you can do for yourself is to do one of two things. The first thing that I recommend is to have your information in your phone. So have yourself as a contact in your phone.

This works particularly well if you have an Apple Phone and iPhone because when you meet someone, all you have to do is tap their phone and your information transfers over to their phone automatically.

The second thing is to optimize your LinkedIn name, and by that I mean it’s your URL for your LinkedIn web page. So you can either share your LinkedIn QR code. You can find that by going into the search bar in LinkedIn, and it pulls it up for you. Take a screenshot, save it, give it to someone, or you can just tell them what your LinkedIn URL name is.

Mine is Wendy Dukes, so you type in linkedin.com forward slash Wendy Dukes. So it’s very easy. Use technology, use free technology to your advantage and really get rid of your business cards.

Mac Prichard:

So Wendy, what do you say to the people who have the old school habit of taking the card and then, after meeting someone, writing a note or some information that allows them to remember that connection and what they might have promised to do?

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah, so I’ve run into that too. I’ve gotten business cards. I find myself without a pen or anything to write on the back of a card. So I’ll take a note in my phone. If you use LinkedIn, you can actually put a note in there, like when you met this person and how you met them.

The best thing that you could do is usually at the end of the day, if I’m doing some heavy networking, I’ll go back to my hotel or home, and it’s still fresh on my mind who I met.

What did we talk about when I need to follow up? So do yourself a favor and don’t put that off until days later. When you get home, definitely just do a debrief and write down who you met, what you talked about, and when you’re gonna follow up with them.

Mac Prichard:

Perfect. Another old networking habit you encourage people to drop is to print out your resume. Presumably this is a resume you’re bringing to a coffee meeting or an informational interview. Why shouldn’t you do this anymore, Wendy?

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah, well, wastes paper, number one. Second thing is, a lot of our resumes are probably no longer on one page. They’re probably going to two pages, hopefully not three. But even when you go to career fairs, a lot of companies don’t even want your resume anymore.

They want you to scan a QR code and get into their system that way. So that is the number one reason why you do not need a resume at an interview or career fair. Companies do not want them anymore. What are they going to do with them? You know, they’re just going to throw them away too.

Don’t print out your resume, but be prepared to share your resume in some sort of fashion. The best way is LinkedIn again, because LinkedIn allows you to upload your resume, and by sharing your LinkedIn profile, anyone can go and access your resume at any time they want to.

Another trick, I’ve done this before: if you have a Google Gmail account, you can go to Google Drive, you can set up your resume in your Google Drive, and you can share the URL that way too. So many ways that you can utilize and not have to print out a physical resume anymore.

Mac Prichard:

Okay, so the resume isn’t dead; it exists electronically, and it’s also supplemented by LinkedIn. And why is LinkedIn so important?

Wendy Dukes:

LinkedIn is so important because of its portability. I think a lot of companies are even using it now to automatically fill in job applications. So you’ll see that a lot. You go apply to a job, and it’ll say, do you want to upload your resume or utilize your LinkedIn profile?

Lots of jobs are getting posted that would just tell us what your LinkedIn profile is, and that’s all we need. Easy apply on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has just become a gold standard for the first place that a lot of employers look. A lot of people who are networking look on LinkedIn.

So definitely maximize LinkedIn as much as you can. It’s free for now. It’s been free for over 20 years, and take advantage of it.

Mac Prichard:

You have three networking habits, classic ones you encourage people to keep. I want to go through them quickly because we’ve got a limited amount of time. So number one of the three is you need to follow up. Why is this a classic networking habit you can’t let go of?

Wendy Dukes:

It shows you care. I mean, it shows that you still care about the person.

Millennials and I think Gen Z, it’s very difficult to get them to buy into this, but I think it’s really important because you will stay on top of mind for that person. You will stand out from the crowd. If you send them a follow-up note, it can be a text message. It could be an email. I know some people who still send handwritten notes.

It’s totally up to you, based on the person that you met with, what method you want to utilize. And like I said before, when you are done with networking at an event, and you come home that night, definitely make a follow-up something that you need to do. Don’t follow up in two weeks.

Actually, don’t follow up in a week. Follow up within one to two days. And I think that’s usually the goal that I set for myself.

Mac Prichard:

All right, so follow up and do it quickly within a day or two. The second classic networking habit you say that never goes out of style is to send a thank-you email. You touched on this a moment ago. Is it an email, a text, a card? And why is it important to do that, Wendy?

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah. Again, it sets you apart from the crowd. You’re breaking through the clutter. People are gonna remember you because you sent them a personalized thank you. Thank you for taking the time to discuss with me. Fill in the blank. Thank you for introducing me to whoever it is you met.

A thank you note, I think, could go even further; snail mail is perfectly fine if this individual did something significant for you. You don’t need to go out and buy a gift or send flowers, but a handwritten note, I think, can go a very, very long way.

Mac Prichard:

And the last classic networking habit you say people should never lose is to not burn bridges. What do you mean here about burning bridges?

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah. This is really important. Don’t burn bridges. For example, if you bombed an interview or didn’t get hired for an interview, don’t discount the person that you met with. Just because you didn’t get hired doesn’t mean that they need to be on your list of people that you don’t like.

You may end up meeting that person months down the line. You may get another job opportunity through them. So you don’t want to burn bridges. You may want to keep in contact with that individual.

If it was a hiring manager or a talent manager, you can ask for feedback. You can say, please keep me in mind for future opportunities. This always happens. They’re going to think about you maybe months later.

It actually just happened to a person that I know, where they interviewed for a position a whole year ago. And a couple of weeks ago, they actually got an email from the recruiter that said, “Hey, I know you didn’t work out for the first position you interviewed for, but I’m just having one open up; you’re a perfect fit for it.” I want to go ahead and put you on the interview list.

Skipping through so many different processes. So that’s exactly why you don’t want to burn bridges, because you never know when an individual may come up again, either in networking or a referral. Always keep those relationships in a good stage.

Mac Prichard:

So don’t assume the door has closed. Well, it’s been a great conversation, Wendy. Now tell us what’s next for you.

Wendy Dukes:

Yeah, so working at Forte Foundation, I’ve been there for over five years, and I’m really looking forward to the next chapter.

So many things are changing within the workplace, and what I’ve been working on at Forte is providing additional opportunities for individuals who want to take the next step in business leadership.

What we’re looking at now is focusing on the younger crowd. So, now, believe it or not, some of us are nearing retirement age. Some of us may be pivoting to different types of jobs, and guess who’s taking those over? It’s millennials, and it’s Generation Z.

So, I’m focused on early careers, and you know what, there’s so much work to be done with getting college students in the right frame of mind when it comes to going after a career search. Things are so different now. They’re starting to use Claude. So that’s what’s next for me.

Mac Prichard:

Terrific. Well, I know that our audience can learn more about you and your work at the Forte Foundation by visiting the Foundation’s website, www.fortefoundation.org.

And you also invite listeners and viewers to connect with you on LinkedIn. And when you do reach out to Wendy, I hope you’ll mention you heard or saw her on Find Your Dream Job.

Now Wendy, given all the great advice you’ve shared today, what’s the one thing you want our audience to remember about old networking habits you need to drop?

Wendy Dukes:

You know, years and years ago someone shared this with me, and I tell it to everybody that I meet when it comes to networking. It’s not about who you know; it’s who knows you.

So you may have a list of a thousand people, but if they don’t know you, it doesn’t count. So make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward and making a good impression when you network.

Mac Prichard:

Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job.

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Have a question or a suggestion? Email me at mac@macslist.org, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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This show is produced by Mac’s List.

Susan Thornton-Hough schedules our guests and writes our newsletter. Lisa Kislingbury Anderson manages our social media and creates our transcripts.

Our sound engineer and editor is Megan Hattie Stahl. Our music is by Freddy Trujillo.

This is Mac Prichard. See you next week.

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