How to build career connections through networking.

Skilled at building relationships, women are born networkers. Yet many of us are afraid to exercise those skills, fearful that we'll be seen as fakes or "schmoozers."

This fear is holding us back, says Vanessa George, preventing us from realizing all of the opportunities that are available to us.

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Director of development for the University of California San Francisco Children's Hospital and previously the assistant director of UCSF's Center for Gender Equity, George is a dedicated activist who loves to network. She presented "Making Connections That Count" in San Francisco at the May meeting of the Northern California Network of the American Council on Higher Education's Office of Women in Higher Education.

Critical connections

"How you connect with people determines your success in every area of life," said George. And when you talk about forming connections, inevitably the word networking comes up.

Why is networking crucial? By cultivating relationships through networking, we can influence our career paths in many ways, including finding a new job, advancing in our careers, and receiving personal support. Indeed, many women admit that their careers are made and advanced through networking.

It's critical, said …