ABSTRACT
Networks can be defined as interconnected systems of people. Women can increase their chances of career success by establishing relationships with other individuals or by joining network groups. Networks are both a source of information about possible job opportunities and an avenue for influential contacts that can help women throughout their careers. Consider the young, talented individual who is informed about a job opening before it becomes known to others and whose network members put in a good word for him with the hiring manager. This individual will have an advantage over others who hear about the job opening through a more formal organizational channel such as the human resource department. Imagine the person who is recommended for a high-profile client assignment that will give her the needed experience to advance to the next level or the individual who is given frank career advice. These types of experiences are necessary to reach the highest level of the organization, and they make it easier to navigate the mid-level of an organization.
