You Don't Have a Networking Problem. You Have a Magnetism Problem.
By Mckenna Riggles · Real Talk with Riggles · April 2026
LinkedIn just released their 2026 Grad's Guide. And one number stood out: 44% of Gen Z say not having the right network is the biggest barrier to landing an entry-level role. A separate Robert Half report puts it even higher — 53% of Gen Z say finding new connections is their single biggest networking challenge, more than any other generation.
I don't doubt those numbers. But I think they're describing a symptom, not the disease.
Because here's what I've noticed — both in my own career and in watching the people around me: the ones who build real professional traction aren't always the ones who "know the most people." They're the ones other people want to know. That's a different thing entirely. And it's a skill nobody's really teaching.
Networking is a strategy. Magnetism is an identity. One gets you in the room. The other makes people invite you back.
Most networking advice treats connection-building like a numbers game. Attend enough events, send enough messages, collect enough contacts — and eventually something sticks. But if you walk into every room as someone people haven't heard of, haven't seen add value, and don't have a reason to remember? Volume doesn't fix that. It just makes you more forgettable at scale.
The reframe
Stop asking "how do I meet more people?" Start asking "why would someone want to know me?"
Those are completely different questions. One is about activity. The other is about identity. And only one of them gives you lasting leverage.
Magnetism isn't a personality trait you're born with. It's built deliberately — through how you show up, what you give, and how specific you're willing to be about who you are and what you stand for. Here's what that actually looks like in practice:
1
Have a point of view, not just a presence. Anyone can show up. Very few people show up with something worth saying. Know what you think about your field — even if you're new to it. Especially if you're new to it. Outsider perspectives, said with confidence, are underrated.
2
Give before you ever ask. The fastest professional connections aren't built through pitching — they're built through being genuinely useful first. Send the article. Make the intro. Leave a comment that actually adds something. Be someone worth knowing before you need anything from anyone.
3
Be specific about who you are. "Looking for opportunities in business" is forgettable. A clear, confident articulation of what you do and why it matters — even if you're early in your career — is not. Specificity signals self-awareness, and self-awareness is magnetic.
4
Build something that exists before you walk in. A blog. A project. A portfolio. A newsletter. Anything that shows people who you are before they've had a chance to ask. The LinkedIn data showed the number of members adding "founder" to their profiles surged 69% year-over-year — Gen Z is already figuring this out.
The real talk part
None of this is to say the market isn't hard — it is. Entry-level hiring is down 6% year-over-year. Thirty-five percent of jobs labeled "entry-level" require three or more years of experience. The traditional on-ramp is genuinely broken in a lot of industries, and I'm not here to pretend otherwise.
But the thing that hasn't changed — and I don't think will change — is that people hire people they like, trust, and remember. Algorithms shift. Job markets cycle. That equation stays the same.
So while everyone else is worried about not knowing the right people, the real question worth spending your energy on is: are you becoming someone the right people want to know?
That's entirely within your control. Regardless of where you're starting from.
That's the method.
If you're a high school junior or senior figuring out your first move — I built something for you.
