Applications through job portals are slow and crowded. A large share of roles - including AI ones - are filled through people who already know, or get referred to, the candidate. For a beginner, networking is not optional polish; it is often the fastest route in. And it does not have to feel fake.
Reframe what networking is
Networking is not cornering strangers for favours. It is becoming visibly useful and genuinely interested in a field, so that when opportunities appear, people think of you. Done this way it is sustainable and even enjoyable.
Practical moves for beginners
- Build in public - share your projects and what you are learning; it starts conversations for you
- Join a few communities where AI practitioners actually talk, and contribute rather than lurk
- Ask specific, small questions of people whose work you have read - specificity gets replies
- Go to events, online or in person, and follow up with one useful message
Use your existing network first
You already know people. Career changers especially underrate this - your current field has AI-adjacent connections. Tie it to your story from transition to AI from another career.
Give before you ask
Share useful things, help others, answer questions you can. A reputation for being helpful opens more doors than any cold message. Communication is itself a hireable AI-era skill - part of what Strategic Application of AI in Business develops.
The bottom line
Most AI roles come through people, so build visibly, contribute to a few communities, use the network you already have, and give before you ask. It is the highest-leverage thing a beginner can do beyond building skill. Next: from AI beginner to getting hired.