Confident Networking in Career Transition: 3 Proven Scripts That Open Doors

Satomi Beyond Bias
Jan 23
3 min read

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When Experience Isn’t Enough

I recently met Vanessa (name changed).

She gave nearly 20 years to the United Nations.Field missions. Headquarters. Crisis response.

Last year, her contract ended.

She went home thinking:“I’ll land something soon.”

After all, she was experienced.

Respected.

Highly mobile.

She applied across the UN system.

The very system she knew how to navigate.

Her career coach encouraged her to keep applying.

Six months in.

Very few interviews.

Funding cuts everywhere.

Ten months later, she had applied to 200+ roles.

For the first time in her career, she had to look outside the system.

That’s when she felt completely lost and came to me.

When Skills Don’t Translate Automatically

On paper, Vanessa is a strong Programme Manager:

Global portfolios.

Donor mobilisation.

Government and partner engagement.

But in the private sector, none of that translated clearly.

She started to assume:“Who would not want someone like me back home?”

She wasn’t wrong about the market reality.

But she was using the wrong strategy and execution.

This is not an unusual story.

I hear versions of it every week.

Why the Private Sector Feels So Hard

Entering the commercial world often feels like this:

You’re speaking French, and suddenly the market expects Mandarin.

Same intelligence.

Same capability.

Completely different rules, language, and expectations.

I know this personally.

I spent over 10 years in the private sector as a Talent Acquisition Manager in US tech firms before moving to a UN agency.

Here’s the biggest difference I noticed.

Applications vs Networking: The Real Gap

In the private sector:

Roughly 50% to as high as 70–85% of roles are filled through networking and referrals, depending on the study and definition used.
Very few mid- to senior-level hires come from cold online applications alone.

In the UN and many NGO systems, it’s the opposite.

You must apply.

The system expects it.

That mismatch trips people up.

If you’re tired of applying for roles that lead nowhere and watching your confidence erode with every rejection(or worse, silence), this is where the shift needs to happen.

3 Proven Networking Scripts That Open Doors

These are the same scripts I share with professionals navigating career transition from UN, NGO, and humanitarian systems into the private sector.

They are not about asking for jobs.They are about positioning.

Script 1: The Re-connection Script (Dormant Contact)

Who it’s for: Dormant contacts you already know from the UN, NGOs, or past roles.

Primary goal: Re-open trust and restart the relationship naturally.

Core question: “What do you wish you’d known before you made the move?”

Why it works: People enjoy sharing hindsight, which lowers barriers and rebuilds connection quickly.

Script 2: The Industry Insight Script

Who it’s for: Professionals already inside the private sector whom you respect but don’t know well.

Primary goal: Understand how value and skills are defined in a new industry.

Core question: “What capabilities are becoming most critical over the next 12–24 months?”

Why it works: You signal strategic thinking and invite expert insight rather than asking for opportunities.

Script 3: The Learning Conversation Script

Who it’s for: Senior professionals or peers you want to build a new relationship with. Primary goal: Build connection while gathering real market intelligence.

Core question: “How is value actually recognised and decisions made inside the system?”

Why it works: A clear, time-bound ask respects their time and creates genuine, peer-level dialogue.