Professional networks as a means of addressing career inequality
Socially Mobile founder cites the importance of skills, competency, hard work and networks in graduation speech
This is the text of a speech given by Socially Mobile founder Stephen Waddington at the Summer semester graduation ceremony in London.
Congratulations to all of you for your Socially Mobile success. What does life hold next?
You need three things to get ahead in a professional role.
1. Skills and competency
2. Relentlessness in hard work and pursuit of your goals
3. A network that will support, advocate and promote you
Socially Mobile is designed to provide a mid-career intervention and support students in developing a management education. Its goal is to help level up diversity.
You’ve completed the ten-week programme and demonstrated your willingness to work hard. A colleague from a military background has described the programme as a SAS-level intervention.
A professional network is made up of relationships within society, usually unseen, that, within a family situation, help people get started and, within a professional context, act as an accelerant on an individual’s career.
I’ve worked hard to develop a network for good reason. My dad was a butcher, and my mum worked in a post office. My route into public relations was writing more than 120 letters to the directors of agencies.
One of my favourite books is the Cluetrain Manifesto, published in 1999 by four US thinkers and doers. It predicted much of what we know today about the impact of the internet on markets. It described the democratising power of networks as a positive force for good.
Through professional networks such as Guild and LinkedIn you have the potential to make a direct approach to almost anyone in the industry. If you’re thoughtful, it will land, and you’ll have the basis for developing a relationship.
Socially Mobile is slowly building an alumni community, cohort by cohort. Guild underpins it, but its power lies in the human relationships and support graduates give each other.
We’ve recently launched an alumni lecture once a semester—our thanks to Hannah Barlow, co-founder BB Partners, for delivering the inaugural lecture next week. We’ve also asked community members to volunteer as ambassadors to support future applicants and students.
The discourse in society and our industry around diversity is slowly shifting to one about inclusion, equity, and fairness. Access to education and professional qualifications are an important part of this conversation, as are professional networks. Socially Mobile continue to support practitioner in both of these areas.
Applications for paid and funded places on the next Socially Mobile cohort close on 20 August. Please head to the website for more information and share the details with anyone you think might benefit.
I want to end by returning to Cluetrain. When Sarah and I first met, she bought a first edition of the book, contacted each of the four authors and couriered the book around the US until they signed it. I took that as a strong expression of interest, and here we are many years later. It’s also an example of the drive, determination and life force of my Socially Mobile cofounder and incredible life partner.
Thank you for listening, and congratulations to everyone graduating today. It’s time to celebrate your success and help build your professional networks.
