Marketing professor and entrepreneur Scott Galloway offers a straightforward message to job searchers: being visible and socially connected can often be the difference between getting picked and being passed over. He notes a rule of thumb — a large majority of hires end up going to someone the hiring team already knows or has met. Showing up in rooms, events and conversations simply expands the odds in your favour.
Galloway argues that beyond credentials and hard skills, what matters in many hiring situations is trust, familiarity, and the ability to show up. That means active engagement: attending industry gatherings, initiating conversations, and maintaining relationships even when no job is on the line. In his view, many candidates treat networking as a sporadic activity linked only to job searches — but that mindset misses the point. Networking should be a continuous practice.
He also highlights that in today’s competitive job market, being technically competent is assumed. What sets someone apart is often the intangibles: interpersonal connection, demonstration of hunger and initiative, and being in the right place at the right time. By being socially present — online and offline — you improve your chances of being noticed, remembered and ultimately selected.
For those working to build a career, Galloway’s advice is clear: don’t wait until you need a job to step out and engage. Cultivate relationships now, invest in your network, show up in your field — because when opportunity knocks, the person in the room is the one who will be considered.
