Networking In IT

Don't reach out cold until you have spoken and reconnected with all these people first and have asked for AIR + explained exactly what you are looking for. 🎈 Advice - career advice, job search advice, career pivot advice 🎈 Information - What's going on in the company, industry? What trends are they seeing? 🎈 Recommendations - Who do they recommend you speak with to learn more? What professional associations or groups do they recommend? Where do they go or what do they read to stay current? 🎯 Contact ALL these People So They Know What You Are Looking For 1. People You Used To Work With Your past work colleagues have seen you perform in the job and know your strengths and work ethic. These people make an excellent source of information to find out what changes are going on in the business and industry. You want to let them know you are looking for a new opportunity. 2. Friends, Family, Neighbors People you know are most likely to want to help you if they can. Your friends have a vast network of contacts you don’t know about. 3. Past Managers Assuming you and your previous manager or supervisor got along, it’s a good idea to reach out to them. Your past boss may know of upcoming opportunities at your old company 4. Target Company Employees Talking with people who work inside a company you're interested in allows you to learn what it is really like to work there. Plus they can provide advice and/or insight on the best way to apply. 5. Alumni/Classmates Don’t forget to tap into classmates, professors, and alumni as another potential pool of people to network with. Use LinkedIn's Alumni tool plus your school’s Advancement or Alumni office database. 6. Customers/Clients The people you’ve served already know you and are familiar with your work. Lean on them as a source of information about what’s going on. Your customers and clients have a feel of the work landscape and future needs. This information will help you position your most important skills and experience. 7. Vendors/Suppliers Similar to your clients and customers, these people know what it’s like to do business with you. They also have a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your industry because they are still servicing businesses. 8. Service Providers (Doctors, accountants, hairdresser, etc.) Don’t overlook the business relationships you have with professionals who provide you with services. These people have their own vast network of contacts. 9. Fellow Volunteers If you volunteer, you’ve likely established relationships with other volunteers and people within the organization. These people have seen you give your time and effort.

Data centers are rapidly becoming a major driver for DC power distribution and DC microgrids. Hyperscale facilities consume 20 to 100MW each, wit most of that power ultimately delivered at ~1V at the point-of-load for xPUs and memory. To improve efficiency and to reduce distribution cost, designers push voltage levels upward, with the conversion to 1V as close to the silicon as possible. Hereby, the power conversion system architecture is of crucial importance! Across the industry, facility-scale DC distribution is converging on either +/-400VDC (Google, Meta, Microsoft) or 800VDC (NVidia). In a future architectures, these DC buses will likely be fed from the medium voltage AC grid via solid-state transformers (SSTs). Today, the power delivery from 800V to 1V is envisioned to move from 800 V → 48 V → 12 V → 1 V. A rack-level conversion from 800V to 48V, is followed by a tray- or GPU card-level conversion from 48V to 12V. The final conversion from 12V to 1V happens on the GPU card, as close to the silicon as possible. Exact voltages may vary a bit. This structure evolved from traditional AC-fed architectures. However, it has two big drawbacks: it still requires substantial copper at rack- and tray-level and it has multiple conversion stages. Both add loss and cost. Skipping a stage—for example, jumping from 800 V directly to ~12 V—sounds attractive, but creates challenges for converter semiconductors and magnetics. A multi-module series architecture may be more promising! On the high-voltage side, modules connect in series, naturally dividing the input bus (e.g., 800 V into ~100 V segments). Each module converts directly to 12V, a much more favorable design point for both semiconductors and magnetics. These modules can be integrated directly on the GPU board, minimizing the amount of copper needed to transport power within a rack. A series architecture taps into low-voltage power devices which are more more efficient and more reliable than high voltage ones. Moreover, power converter transformer ratios are less extreme which simplifies magnetics. On the flip side, a series architecture requires a more complex communication and control. But embedded digital control, and high-speed communication are becoming inexpensive, making the control challenge solvable. Power system design is ultimately about managing the “conservation of misery”. Design challenges remain, but you can choose where the burden sits. The arrival of smart, all-digital power modules unlocks new possibilities to redistribute that burden more intelligently. #DC, #800V, #microgrids, #datacenters, #nvidia

Top managers don’t require #mentoring anymore? Wrong. The opposite is true. Still, it is something not disclosed too often. As to myself, I am learning from many people, but one person clearly stands out. Ralf Thomas of Siemens is a companion and counselor to me since 20 years and across several companies and development steps. We started our journey at Siemens when, as a “young” M&A project manager, I approached him on the occasion of a finance talent program. From there on, we kept the dialogue. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲? Through meetings and calls every now and then, sometimes shorter and more casual, sometimes longer and more concentrated. Always considerate of his extremely tight schedule. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀? Personal development, the role of a CFO, also vis-à-vis the management team, requirements of and people around new positions, the general state of affairs and the contribution of business leaders. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 on productive mentorship: Personal fit matters a lot, in terms of character, values, thinking, also to some degree the age difference (in our case 10 years). Don’t be shy, approach personalities you consider inspiring. If they have an edge for people development, they will be open. Clarify expectations and operating mode explicitly. Take initiative. As a mentee, always prepare. E.g. practically, until today, I sketch an update of my situation and potential discussion topics and share before our meetings/calls. Focus on the material points, don’t waste time. Be flexible on format. Openness is of the essence. Think reciprocal – (try to) offer information pieces of benefit to the mentor. Be persistent, do not let it slip away. As any personal relationship, it requires interest, proactiveness, investment. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁? The trust and “close to friends” relationship we have built. My mentor’s optimism … and: tolerance for my mistakes 😉. Thank you Ralf, I am grateful for 20 insightful years (and hopefully many more to come)! What are some of your mentoring experiences?

📍 Enterprise Network Resilience Solution: How Can Enterprises Eliminate Single Points of Failure Through Secure High-Availability Network Design? Network resilience isn't built on luck; it’s built on rigorous engineering and the systematic elimination of Single Points of Failure (SPOFs). As a Network Security Engineer, understanding every layer of a network architecture is fundamental. Security is not limited to the firewall; it requires a complete understanding of how the Edge, Core, Distribution, Access, and Cloud layers work together to deliver a secure, resilient, and scalable infrastructure. 📌 Here is a breakdown of the core technical pillars supporting this infrastructure: 1- Edge (Fortigate Firewall) Tier: The Edge Security Tier is the first line of defense in an enterprise network architecture. Deployment of a FortiGate HA (High Availability) cluster (Active/Passive or Active/Active). This secures the network edge and guarantees uninterrupted traffic inspection and seamless failover if a primary gateway drops. 2- Core Switching Tier (Layer 3): Implementation of an MCLAG Stack (Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation). By leveraging MCLAG at the L3 core, we eliminate Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) blocking loops, maximize bandwidth utilization, and build a highly resilient, high-speed backbone. 3- Redundancy and Aggregation: Access switches are dual-homed to the core via cross-chassis LACP (EtherChannel) trunk links. If a core switch or a physical link fails, sub-second deterministic convergence ensures zero impact on end-users. 4- Access Switching Tier (Layer 2): Strict VLAN segmentation at the access layer to isolate user traffic, minimize broadcast domains, and enforce zero-trust security principles internally. 📌 The Result: A highly adaptable, scalable, and fault-tolerant architecture ready to power corporate campuses, enterprise environments, or modern data centers. Security is not limited to the firewall; it requires a complete understanding of how the Edge, Core, Distribution, Access, and Cloud layers work together to deliver a secure, resilient, and scalable infrastructure. Architecture knowledge is what transforms a technician into an engineer. #NetworkEngineering #CyberSecurity #Fortinet #Networking #HighAvailability #Infrastructure #Cisco #EnterpriseNetwork #SystemsArchitecture

Most job seekers approach networking the wrong way. They think it’s about who they know, but the real game-changer? 🚀 Who knows YOU (and what you bring to the table). If the right people don’t think of you when an opportunity arises, you’re missing out on referrals, hidden roles, and direct introductions that can fast-track your job search. Here’s how to build real connections that lead to job offers: 1️⃣ Show Up Where Your Industry Hangs Out If no one in your field knows you exist, you’ll stay invisible to opportunities. Instead of lurking, start contributing. ✅ Comment on industry leaders' posts. Share insights, ask smart questions, and add value to conversations. ✅ Join relevant LinkedIn & Slack groups. Participate in discussions, answer questions, and share useful resources. ✅ Attend virtual or in-person events. Ask insightful questions in Q&As—people remember active participants. Example: Instead of just following a hiring manager, engage with their content. Comment: “I love this take on [topic]. We faced a similar challenge at [Company]—curious how your team tackled [specific aspect]?” This builds familiarity before you ever send a connection request. 2️⃣ Make Your LinkedIn Work for You If someone looks you up after seeing your comment or post—what will they find? ✅ Strong headline → “Marketing Manager | Grew SaaS ARR from $5M to $12M | Content & Demand Gen Expert” (Not “Seeking Opportunities”) ✅ Clear About section → Share your expertise and key achievements, not just a job history. 3️⃣ Warm Up Connections Before You Need Them Don’t be the person who only messages when they need a job. Instead, start relationships early. ✅ Reconnect with old colleagues: "Hey [Name], it’s been a while! I saw you recently moved to [Company]—how’s it going? Would love to catch up!" ✅ Follow up on online interactions: If someone responds to your comment, DM them: “Loved your perspective on [topic]! Would love to stay in touch.” ✅ Offer value before asking for help: If you see an article, podcast, or resource relevant to someone, share it: “Thought of you when I read this—figured you’d find it interesting!” 4️⃣ Turn Conversations into Opportunities The best networking doesn’t feel like networking—it feels like a genuine conversation. When talking to someone new: ✅ Be curious: Ask about their career journey, not just job openings. ✅ Make it easy: Instead of “Can you refer me?” ask: “Would you be open to sharing any advice on breaking into [industry]?” ✅ Follow up: If someone gives you advice, update them later: “Took your advice and connected with [Person]—really appreciate your insight!” Example: If you build relationships before you need them, you’ll be top of mind when the right opportunity comes up. Networking isn’t about chasing people—it’s about making yourself visible and valuable so opportunities naturally come your way. 💡 What’s one networking habit you can start today? Drop it in the comments! ⬇️

Deloitte surveyed 809 Indian professionals. Nearly half of young employees feel abandoned by their managers. The 2025 Deloitte Survey reveals something uncomfortable:  📌62% of Indian Gen Zs and 56% of millennials want active mentorship from managers.  📌But only 44% and 47% actually receive it. 📌85% of India's young workforce engages in weekly upskilling. They're not waiting around. They're aggressively developing capabilities, with 94% of Gen Zs and 97% of millennials prioritising hands-on learning over theory. In my experience, it’s usually the top performers who crave guidance the most. Without it, they hit a ceiling early, make avoidable mistakes, and start looking for managers who’ll actually invest in them. Here’s what’s worked in my experience: 1. Make mentorship a KPI for managers. Tie it to their performance goals, not just project outcomes. 2. Pair new managers with senior mentors. Good mentorship starts with leaders who’ve been mentored themselves. 3. Create visible growth paths. If employees can’t see what’s next, they’ll assume there isn’t a “next.” 4. Hold skip-level conversations. Sometimes, employees open up only outside their reporting line. 5. Reward managers who grow people, not just results. That’s how you build a culture that retains high performers. The companies that build this discipline don’t just keep talent, they compound it. The ones that don’t keep wondering why their best people leave first. How are you ensuring your best talent gets the mentorship they're seeking?

That "Easy Apply" button on LinkedIn might be holding you back more than you realize. After two decades of placing C-suite talent, I've watched countless qualified executives disappear into the black hole of automated applications. Meanwhile, the executives who secure premium roles are rarely clicking that deceptively convenient button. Here's why direct networking outperforms digital applications every time: 🎯 When you apply through automated systems, your meticulously crafted resume competes with hundreds of others in an algorithm-driven screening process. 🎯 At the executive level, your unique value proposition gets diluted to keywords and bullet points. 🎯 Instead, focus on building meaningful connections with decision-makers. A warm introduction from a trusted contact carries exponentially more weight than even the most polished application. 🎯 Remember: by the time an executive position appears on LinkedIn, informal conversations about potential candidates have likely already begun. 🎯 The most valuable opportunities often exist in the hidden job market - positions filled through recommendations before they're ever publicly posted. By nurturing your professional network, you position yourself to be considered for roles that the "Easy Apply" crowd will never even see. Your executive experience deserves a more sophisticated approach than a convenience button designed for volume recruiting. Invest your time where it truly delivers results: in conversations, not applications. What's been your experience with executive job searching? Has networking opened doors that applications couldn't? #ExecutiveCareers #Careers #NetworkingStrategy #HiddenJobMarket

Most people think networking is how you get ahead - NO. Strategic Project Leaders create value and leaders seek them out; hence, their network grows— that is why they rise. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬, 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬. Executives and decision-makers are not impressed by flattery or forced small talk. They are moved by : ✔️clarity, ✔️ relevance, ✔️your ability to help them think differently or move faster toward a goal. This is where most professionals get it wrong: They network to be seen, instead of networking to be of service. When you shift your mindset from “How can this help me?” to “How can I create strategic value for this person or organisation?”—everything changes. 🪀Doors open. 🪀Conversations go deeper. 🪀Opportunities multiply. Strategic networking is not about volume—it is about intention. It is not only about visibility—it is about value to others. That is how I built relationships with leaders I once thought were out of reach. That is how you position yourself as someone worth aligning with. 👉Not just a professional. 👉Not just a contact. 👉A catalyst. Want to learn how to create value that builds networks like a Strategic Project Leader? Let’s talk. I will show you how I do it—and how you can too. #FolaElevates #StrategicLeadership #Networking #ProjectLeadership #StrategicElites #CareerAcceleration #ProjectIntelligence ----------------------- Adam Grant, a renowned organizational psychologist, also notes that successful networking is not about climbing the social ladder but creating meaningful, reciprocal relationships. This aligns with research from the Journal of Management Studies, which found that leaders with diverse networks are better positioned to identify and leverage new opportunities.

Directors and VPs: Your network is expiring right now, and you do not know it. I see this every week with the senior professionals I work with. They have impressive titles, strong track records, and a LinkedIn connection count that looks healthy on paper. But the moment they need their network, they discover the truth. It was never a network. It was a contact list. Here is what separates the professionals who get called first for opportunities from the ones who are still waiting: 𝟭. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 Identify the ten people most relevant to where you want to go next. Then ask yourself one honest question: when did you last add value to any of them without needing something back? A contact list waits to be activated. A network grows whether you need it or not. 𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 Before asking for anything, give something first. Share a relevant article, acknowledge a genuine win, or offer an introduction that benefits them. The senior professionals with the strongest networks are not the best askers. They are the most consistent givers. 𝟯. ��𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 Most professionals network laterally. The ones who grow fastest network upwards. Identify five people who are already where you want to be in three years. One relationship at that level is worth more than fifty connections at your current one. 𝟰. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰 Never send "I would love to connect and explore opportunities." It signals zero preparation and zero respect for their time. Reference something specific about their work, their company, or their recent activity. Specificity signals you did the work. Generality signals you did not do it. 𝟱. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Networking is not a series of one-off interactions. It is a presence you maintain over time without an agenda. Comment meaningfully, respond to updates, and check in without needing something. The professionals who get called first are not always the most qualified. They are simply the most present. A network is not built when you need it. It is built long before that moment arrives. And the professionals who understand this are never the ones caught starting from zero. Save this post if you are a Director or VP who knows your network needs attention. If you are ready to work on your positioning and your network intentionally, send me a message. I want to make sure it is the right fit before we start.

Designing Microsoft Azure networks isn’t about creating address spaces—it’s about building deterministic, scalable connectivity foundations. At the core, an Azure Virtual Network should follow intent-driven segmentation, not legacy VLAN thinking. Avoid “flat VNets.” Instead, design subnets based on function and policy boundaries: * Workload subnets (VMs, AKS nodes) * Platform subnets (Azure Firewall, Application Gateway, Bastion) * Private Endpoint subnets (isolate PaaS ingress) Subnet sizing is often underestimated. Plan for growth + IP consumption by platform services (e.g., Azure Kubernetes Service, Private Endpoints). A /24 per critical tier is a practical baseline in enterprise environments. Routing strategy is critical. Use User Defined Routes (UDRs) to enforce traffic inspection via Azure Firewall or NVA. Combine this with forced tunneling patterns when regulatory control is required. For name resolution, never rely on default Azure DNS alone. Introduce centralized DNS (Azure Private DNS + custom resolvers) to support hybrid and multi-cloud scenarios. This becomes essential when integrating Private Link. Speaking of Private Link: treat Azure Private Endpoint as the default for PaaS access. Disable public endpoints wherever possible and enforce access via private IP space. Security boundaries = NSGs + ASGs, but don’t stop there. Use: * Layered NSGs (subnet + NIC) * Application Security Groups for dynamic workloads * Deny-by-default policies For scale, separate concerns using hub-and-spoke or Virtual WAN architectures. Never mix shared services and workloads in the same subnet or VNet unless there’s a very explicit reason. Finally: IP addressing strategy must be global. Overlapping CIDRs will kill hybrid/multi-cloud designs later. Bottom line: VNets are not just containers—they are your network control plane. Design them like you would design a datacenter fabric. #Azure #MicrosoftAzure #CloudArchitecture #CloudNetworking #AzureNetworking #VirtualNetwork #SubnetDesign #CloudSecurity #ZeroTrust #PrivateLink #AzureFirewall #HubAndSpoke #NetworkDesign #CloudInfrastructure #EnterpriseIT #CloudStrategy #HybridCloud #MultiCloud #InfrastructureAsCode #AzureArchitecture #CloudBestPractices