As I wandered Washington, DC, I talked to God about networking. I was there attending an anniversary gala for students, faculty and alumni of my graduate school and feeling the pressure to promote myself and make connections with alumni who might be potential employers or have connections.
It seemed like the motivation for meeting people was due to a fear of missing out on career opportunities. Although I know networking is an essential part of today’s marketplace, it felt like all the students were expected to strive to make things happen, and that didn’t resonate with what I know about God and how well He can set things up for me.
As I walked around the National Mall, I was listening to a sermon podcast. The speaker explained that self-promotion is exhausting because it takes a lot of effort to maintain a position when you’re the one who pushed the door open and that it’s easier to let God promote you because then He sustains you. With a whole new freedom from the pressures of networking, I continued roaming our nation’s capital.
I made my way to one of the monuments but unfortunately it was closed. Interestingly though, I saw some tourists inside the monument and found myself thinking, I have no idea why, but I really want to see this monument, so I’m going to jump the
barrier too. When I did a park ranger called out, “I’m going to need you to leave the premises!” Trying to excuse myself as I headed to the nearest barricade, I replied, “Of course! I’m S0 sorry! I just really wanted to see the monument. I’m a big fan…”
Suddenly, an older man with an accent from my home country called to me, “Did you get kicked out too?” I sheepishly said yes and our conversation quickly turned to our homeland. Almost instantly we discovered we had lived in similar places and studied at the same university. He asked me what I was doing here and I explained that my school in Boston has a large number of alumni in DC, so our gala event was held here. He then told me he planned to visit some business associates in Boston so I suggested we meet for lunch whenever he came to town. He was grateful for the invitation. I asked him why he was in DC and he explained he is the CEO for a large organization and was there attending a medical symposium.
Here I was chatting with God about networking and I randomly meet a CEO. We met up days later in Boston and he asked me my career plans. Upon hearing my answer, he took out some paper and began writing down names of significant contacts in the line of work I was hoping to pursue! This is what it means to rest in God! He is the ultimate networker.
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