This content has been automatically translated from Ukrainian.
I have long wanted to tell these two stories.
Perhaps in life, I do not tell stories as vividly as in the texts you read. Maybe it's because during a live conversation, there is no opportunity to reread, delete, or rewrite a phrase to make it sound better. Also, writing allows you to tell two stories at once.
We constantly hear that creating communities, forming connections, or mastering small talk are basic skills of a modern person. But all these words remain quite abstract until you grow up and find yourself in real life, where you need to be able to navigate and sometimes have advantageous or useful contacts.
The first story is funny but very illustrative.
It was told by my friend back when we were freshmen. Part of our course lived in dormitories in Darnytsia, even though the university was in the center of Kyiv. There, you could meet anyone — and not always with a sober mind. To be honest, the philosophy students at that time genuinely believed that a certain degree of alcohol in the blood helps to better understand the essence of existence.
During one of those "philosophical discourses," my classmate talked about a homeless man who lived nearby. It turned out that he was a wonderful conversationalist and well-versed in modern philosophy. He had once worked as a university lecturer, but life took a different turn, and he had become so accustomed to street reality that he no longer wanted to change anything. And thanks to this acquaintance (and a couple of sandwiches), my friend figured out the structure of existence faster than any of us.
I am not at all urging you to run around the city in search of "hidden philosophers" among the homeless. But this is a story about the importance of learning at least something about the person you encounter in studies, work, or projects. After all, you never know what will happen to both of you in five or ten years.
The second story is about the people around
Among my former classmates today are the manager of the band "DakhaBrakha," an entrepreneur who opened her own bakery in her hometown in eastern Ukraine, a singer, researchers, teachers, and people in creative professions. This is how the philosophy faculty "shook" us after six years of study.
With colleagues, the story is similar. The people with whom we once tried to change the youth and society now work as the operations director of The Ukrainians, managers at Genesis and MacPaw. My lecturer and mentor in the first year later headed the Institute of National Memory. And I could provide dozens more examples like this.
All these stories are about one thing — the importance of maintaining contacts with a large number of people. After all, it is through these connections that you can help each other, create something new, and support someone at the right moment.
The story about the homeless man, like all the other examples, is a reminder: without a genuine interest in people, we lose significantly more opportunities than we can imagine.
So here are a few simple networking tips for young readers:
- Be sincere. Don’t try to immediately “get something” from a person. It’s better to show interest and respect for their experience.
- Maintain contacts. Not just when you need help. From time to time, write to them, ask how they are doing.
- A small contribution has great value. A piece of advice, a recommendation, or even a brief meeting can change someone’s life.
- Observe and listen. The most interesting contacts arise unexpectedly – in a lecture, at a café, at an event.
Networking is not just about benefiting yourself. It’s about broader access to knowledge, partnership, sustainability, and mutual support. A small contact today can turn into an opportunity in ten years that changes someone’s life. Perhaps even yours.
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