This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that hopes you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I'm your host, Mac Pritchard. I'm also the founder of Max Lest.

It's a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helped you find a fulfilling career.

Every Wednesday, I talk to a different expert about the tools you need to get the work you want.

You know that relationships matter when you do a job search.

But you're not alone if you struggle with making the most of your connections.

Matthew Warner is here to talk about how to maintain and grow your network.

He's the chief people and culture officer at Friends of the Children, Portland.

It's a nonprofit that guides, supports, and mentors

hundreds of young people. Matthew joins us from Portland, Oregon. Well, let's get going, Matthew.

Let's talk about networking. Why do you need to network at all when you do a job search?

Mack, that's such a great question. And I think it's one that we sometimes forget to really

think about. And when we're looking for a job, when we're looking for a new career, maybe,

what's the first thing we think about? It's who we're going to spend our lives with, really.

It's who do we see in the morning, who are problem solving with, who do we create the

future with in really a collaborative way. And so when we think about who we want to spend that

much of our time and energy with, really knowing who we're going to call on and be with

really as a determining factor in how happy we're going to be in our lives.

How can networking help you connect with people who you will enjoy working with?

I think that the people we will enjoy, often are the people we did enjoy. And when we think about

networks, what we sometimes fail to remember is that networks are just relationships. Who are the people in your

life? Who are the people you enjoyed? Who are the people you helped? Who are the people who helped

...