Is Networking an Economic Advantage — and What About Introverts Later in Life?

[Alpha Marine]

It is a valid prerequisite for success in recent times because you cannot achieve success alone, it is easier and better achieved when you team up with like minds and that is the product of networking.

No, it is not. You don't need to network to be successful. Networking can help you become successful, but it's not required. The fact that you can't do business alone doesn't mean you have to network. Looking for funding, investors, or business partners does not necessarily mean you have to network. Having business meetings is not networking. Networking is going to functions and events
Networking requires you to meet with people and not necessarily talk about work; you can talk about random stuff and create relationships. It's exhausting for people who are introverted.

I dont belive all that is necessary to be successful. It might help your journey a lot and give you opportunities, but it doesnt mean you can't be succeful without it.  

[alastantiger]

People often say that widening your network is important for economic survival and career growth. But what about people who are naturally introverted or reclusive?
For someone who has never been good at social interaction, building a network feels almost impossible. This becomes even more difficult in middle age, when job markets are more competitive and personal habits are already formed.
From an economic point of view, networking is often described as a form of “social capital.” Those who have it can access better information, better jobs, and more business opportunities. But how does a person who starts from zero build this kind of social capital later in life without having to completely change their personality?
Is it realistic for introverts to improve their economic situation through networking, or are there alternative paths such as remote work, online communities, or skill-based income that reduce the need for traditional networking?
I would really like to hear from people who have faced this problem and found practical ways to deal with it.

Networking doesn’t have to mean becoming extroverted or forcing yourself into uncomfortable social situations at its core, it is actually simply about building trust through consistent value over time and introverts can grow social capital by focusing on depth rather than breadth, letting their skills, reliability, and quality of work speak first, and forming one meaningful connection at a time. With online communities and skill-based platforms like Linkedin and X it is now possible to improve your economic situation without traditional networking making visibility and usefulness more important than personality or constant social interaction but still networking in the traditional sense is good and better for your public image.

[Smartprofit]

Currently, in my opinion, the most effective way to communicate is to combine offline and online communication. You find people you're interested in online, connect with them, and then meet in person. These can be one-on-one meetings or group gatherings.

You can view this as a project. Over time, you'll develop a strong habit of constantly communicating with different people.💃

However, in my opinion, classic networking events don't contribute to career and financial success. At such meetings, people tend to "sell" themselves to each other instead of simply having fun. Meanwhile, it's precisely through shared entertainment and fun that strong friendships are formed (which can later develop into something more).

If you work for a large corporation, you won't have a good career without communication skills. If you're freelancing, in many scenarios you can earn money even without strong communication skills.

[Marvelockg]

People often say that widening your network is important for economic survival and career growth. But what about people who are naturally introverted or reclusive?
For someone who has never been good at social interaction, building a network feels almost impossible. This becomes even more difficult in middle age, when job markets are more competitive and personal habits are already formed.

No matter how much of an introverted person that you are, when it comes to making money, it is best not to allow your introverted nature affect that area because when it is time to pay bill, giving an excuse that you are an introvert will not pay the bill for you. in a digital age as this, being an introvert is no longer a serious concern because you can always take advantage of social media to still project yourself even though you are shy or so.

If you get a good skill, you can thrive real well even though you are an introverted person. it can only get worse if you are claiming that you are an introvert and at the same time you lack the necessary skill.

[tygeade]

People who are naturally introvert, go through a tough time. The only option for introvert people is to lock in and work on themselves, study more than others, work harder than others and believe in themselves. Extrovert people have life on easy mode compared to introverts because they don't shy away from people, instead, network with people and have a better chance of stepping up in their career.
To my mind, besides extremely hard work, the only option for introverts is to work on their social skills. It's never late to improve social skills. If things are terrible, they can visit a doctor and get prescription on anti-anxiety medications and visit a psychologist. Combination of these two can help them to become extroverts. I don't know if you know popular YouTuber called Togy but he is a good example of how to transform yourself from introvert to extremely extrovert.

I have done basically the same thing. I am an introvert and I am at home working 12 hours a day at least everyday, sometimes even more, and when I have something to take care of, like doctors appointment or anything else, either I keep working until very late into the night, or just not work that much that day and make less money.

It is not an easy life but it's quite clear that this is what we need to do and this is what we are going to do. What we should be doing right now is different and shouldn't be this big of a deal. Just stay at home and use your PC and make money, it is not really that hard and there are million ways to do it.

[Die_empty]

No, it is not. You don't need to network to be successful. Networking can help you become successful, but it's not required. The fact that you can't do business alone doesn't mean you have to network. Looking for funding, investors, or business partners does not necessarily mean you have to network. Having business meetings is not networking. Networking is going to functions and events
Networking requires you to meet with people and not necessarily talk about work; you can talk about random stuff and create relationships. It's exhausting for people who are introverted.

I dont belive all that is necessary to be successful. It might help your journey a lot and give you opportunities, but it doesnt mean you can't be succeful without it.  

I was confused when you said networking requires meeting with people. Maybe networking can be classified into business and social. Maybe social networking needs physical appearances in informal events and other occasions. Business networking is focused on business interaction, collaboration, and partnership. Such interaction could happen both online and physically. An example of a business-minded online networking social platforms like LinkedIn. I had to ask Google about business networking and the result is below.

Business networking is the strategic, mutually beneficial process of building and nurturing professional relationships to exchange information, resources, and opportunities. It involves connecting with individuals—such as peers, mentors, or potential clients—to foster trust and long-term value, typically through industry events or online platforms like LinkedIn.

Nobody knows everything. Steve Jobs needed to connect with Steve Wozniak to make Apple successful. Bill Gates cannot deny the support of Paul Allen in his journey to make Microsoft a household name.

[Asiska02]

I am not an introvert or reclusive person but I find it hard to somehow network in social circles, not because I don’t want to but maybe it’s my type of personality that’s stopping me from pushing harder in that perspective. And again, when it comes to networking, I wouldn’t say I am that bad, thanks to the internet and remote works that you can get to socialize with more people and not make your little introvert self vibe in you be an hinderance to it even if I’ll be better described as an ambivert. The world as evolved from the traditional means of networking physically to online meets and networking. So many prefer to be introverted now and still make money and be path of the newest resolution in the economical phase.

[letteredhub]

Networking provides an individual with bigger chances of meeting people that can bring them to informations that can tremendous change their life for the better. Being an introvert doesn't help in this current age as you can left behind in a room where information is flowing it can get to you when it's already late. Dwelling on the notion that you're an introvert and reclusive in character wouldn't do you any good, it would rather make you loss out on opportunities from people which a simple conversation could have availed you with.

[Davidvictorson]

From an economic point of view, networking is often described as a form of “social capital.” Those who have it can access better information, better jobs, and more business opportunities. But how does a person who starts from zero build this kind of social capital later in life without having to completely change their personality?

It’s simple
- Get a hobby
- Find a community people are share this interest
- Be active and join their gather regardless of whether it is online or physical
- Contribute positively to the group. Even a dummy has something to contribute.

Is it realistic for introverts to improve their economic situation through networking, or are there alternative paths such as remote work, online communities, or skill-based income that reduce the need for traditional networking?
I would really like to hear from people who have faced this problem and found practical ways to deal with it.

Anybody can improve their economic situation regardless of personality type. Be intentional about and seek the resources to do it. With the world being connected through the internet, it is easy. First search for how people who are introverted have done it and that is the template you can use or modify to achieve your own goal.