I've worked at Google, Facebook, and the White House. These networking habits make a difference in getting a job.

Detailed summary

"I want people to view networking similarly to how they view investing in a 401(k)," said Alexander Smith.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alexander Smith, a content creator based in Austin. His identity and former employment have been verified by Business Insider. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity. I worked in tech for about eight years at Facebook and Google. I also did internships in college at MSNBC and the White House under President Obama. I've given people guidance and advice on how to navigate networking, create résumés, and interview. Posting on LinkedIn has allowed me to see both sides of this equation. I've seen how networking has opened doors to opportunities, and I've seen what works because I get a lot of messages, too.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Business Insider. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.