Scared of Networking? How to Start When You Know No One in Industry

The way most people talk about “networking” is broken and honestly kind of cruel for anxious people.

If you’re sitting there thinking, “I want an alternative medical career, but I literally don’t know a single person in industry and I have no idea what I’m doing,” you’re not behind. You’re just not playing the fake extrovert game everyone pretends is normal.

I’m going to walk through exactly how to start networking in industry when you know no one, you hate bothering people, and your brain is screaming, “They’ll think I’m annoying / desperate / unqualified.”

The ugly truth: industry isn’t a meritocracy, it’s a people‑ocracy

Let me rip the Band‑Aid off.

Your CV alone will not get you into pharma, consulting, health tech, med comms, informatics, or anything else on the “alternative medical careers” list. I’ve watched brilliant people with MDs and PhDs send 100+ cold applications into portals and get…nothing. Not even a rejection email. Just the void.

Meanwhile, the person who knows a director at XYZ biotech somehow “stumbles into” a role after a 20‑minute Zoom coffee.

Is that fair? No. Is it the game? Yes.

But here’s the part almost no one tells you: “networking” isn’t magic charisma or being an extrovert. Not in medicine, not in industry. It’s:

• Sending slightly uncomfortable messages
• On a semi‑regular basis
• To specific, carefully chosen people
• With a clear, small ask

…while your anxiety insists you’re being a nuisance.

You don’t need 1,000 connections. You need like 10–30 real humans who will remember your name.

How People Actually Get Alternative Medical Roles

Category	Value
Online applications only	20
Referral / internal advocate	30
Networking + then applying	35
[Recruiter reached out](https://residencyadvisor.com/resources/alternative-medical-careers/what-pharma-recruiters-really-look-for-in-hiring-physicians)	15

Look at that breakdown. Blind applications are the weakest path. But “networking + then applying”? That’s where most of the realistic wins are.

So if you know no one in industry right now, your job isn’t to become a networking god. Your job is to go from zero to…two. Then five. Then ten.

Step 1: Fix the story in your head before you send anything

Before we get into scripts, we have to deal with the mental garbage that’s going to sabotage you.

Here are the three lies your brain is probably feeding you:

1. “They’ll think I’m using them.”
   No. You’re a clinician (or trainee). You’re the one who’s used to being used. People in industry remember how brutal the path was. A lot of them want to help someone like you, because someone helped them.

2. “I have nothing to offer.”
   Stop. You have so much to offer: clinical insight, patient stories (de‑identified), understanding of workflows, front‑line frustration with broken systems, validation that a solution is or isn’t realistic. That’s gold in health tech, pharma, payer orgs, and med education.

3. “I’ll look desperate.”
   Everyone trying to transition looks desperate. They just hide it under polished LinkedIn banners. Asking thoughtful questions doesn’t make you desperate; it makes you intentional. Begging for a job in the first message? That’s desperate. We’re not doing that.

Here’s a quick mental reframe that helps: you are not “asking for a favor.” You are giving them an easy chance to feel useful and generous for 20 minutes. People like that feeling.

Step 2: Build a tiny, targeted starting list (not 500 strangers)

The worst thing you can do is mindlessly blast 100 random people.

You want a surgical list of ~10–20 people to start. Here’s how to build that from literally zero:

1. Go on LinkedIn. In the search bar, type something like:

   • “MD medical affairs”
   • “MD clinical research associate”
   • “physician health tech”
   • “MD medical science liaison”
   • “physician medical writer”

2. On the results page, filter by:

   • Location (optional, but can help)
   • “Past company” or “School” to find anyone even vaguely aligned with your background (same country, same type of hospital, same med school, same residency specialty).

3. Look specifically for:

   • Physicians / residents / fellows who left clinical practice
   • People with any title that starts with “Medical,” “Clinical,” “Medical Affairs,” “Safety,” “Scientific,” “Medical Director,” “Health Outcomes,” “Medical Writer”

4. Open their profile and ask:

   • Do they have any shared context with me? (Country, training background, language, specialty)
   • Does their “About” section sound remotely human?
   • Do they post occasionally about their work or transition?

If yes, they go on your list. Aim for maybe:

• 5 people in one target field (e.g., medical affairs)
• 5 in another (e.g., health tech / product)
• 5 more who are just interesting physician‑in‑industry profiles

That’s your Phase 1 list. Not random. Not massive. Just specific and manageable.

Step 3: Use shamelessly simple first‑message scripts

Your brain is going to want to write a novel. Don’t. Long messages scream “I need a lot from you” and people will ignore that when they’re exhausted.

You’re sending something short, respectful, and specific. Example scripts you can literally copy and adapt:

For a connection request (with note):

Hi Dr. [Last Name],
I’m a [current role: IM resident in X / GP in Y / final-year med student] interested in moving into [field they’re in: medical affairs / health tech / med comms]. I really appreciated your transition story from clinical work. Would you be open to connecting here?

If they accept but don’t respond, follow up a few days later:

Thanks for connecting, Dr. [Last Name].
If you ever have 15–20 minutes, I’d love to hear about how you made the move from [your specialty or context] to [their role]. I’m early in exploring alternative careers and trying to understand what realistic paths look like.

Or, if you feel weird about asking too soon:

Thanks for connecting. I’m doing a lot of reading about alternative careers right now, so I may reach out with a couple questions once I’ve done more homework, if that’s alright.

The key rules:

• Don’t ask for a job.
• Don’t send your CV uninvited.
• Do ask for a small amount of time or permission to ask questions.

Your worst fear: “They’ll ignore me and I’ll feel stupid.”
Reality: Maybe 30–50% won’t respond. You’ll survive. You’ll move on. The ones who do respond are your people.

Step 4: The actual conversation – what to say so you don’t sound clueless

Your second fear: “Okay, what if they say yes? What do I say without sounding like an idiot?”

Here’s a simple call structure I’ve seen work over and over for anxious folks:

1. 1–2 minutes: Thank them, give context

   • “Thanks again for taking the time. Quick background: I’m a [role], currently [situation: residency year, burned out in clinic, curious about X]. I’m exploring [their area] and honestly know very little beyond what I’ve read online.”

2. 8–12 minutes: Ask smart, open questions
   Things that show you’re serious and thoughtful:

   • “What does a typical week actually look like for you?”
   • “What surprised you most when you left clinical practice?”
   • “If you were me, with [your background], what 2–3 steps would you take in the next 3 months?”
   • “What mistakes did you see other clinicians make when trying to transition?”
   • “Are there any specific skills that made the biggest difference when you were breaking in?”

3. 3 minutes: Small, clear ask at the end
   You are not saying “Can you refer me?” (yet). You are saying:

   • “This was incredibly helpful. If I take a first pass at my CV or explore some roles and have a couple more questions, would it be alright to reach out again?”
   • “Is there anyone else you think I should talk to at some point? No worries if not, but I’d appreciate even one other name.”

You end the call with:

• A clear understanding of the role
• 1–3 concrete next steps
• Maybe 1–2 new names to reach out to

That’s networking. That’s literally it.

Step 5: Track this like a mini clinical project, not like social chaos

If you leave this in your head, anxiety will convince you “you’re not doing enough” while you’re actually doing more than most people.

Make it boring and visible. Spreadsheet. Notion page. Notes app. Whatever.

Name	Role & Company	How I Found Them	Date Contacted	Status	Next Action
Dr A. Smith	Medical affairs, PharmaX	LinkedIn search	2026-01-05	Connected	Ask for call
Dr B. Patel	MSL, BiotechY	Friend of friend	2026-01-06	Call complete	Send thank-you
Dr C. Nguyen	Health tech PM, StartupZ	LinkedIn post	2026-01-08	No response	Nudge once
Dr D. Garcia	Med writer, AgencyQ	Alumni database	2026-01-10	Pending	Wait
Dr E. Johnson	Safety physician, CRO	LinkedIn search	2026-01-10	Accepted	Schedule call

Give yourself a tiny process:

• 2–3 new connection requests per week
• 1–2 short calls per week (once things start moving)
• 1 follow‑up message per person you’ve already spoken with every 1–2 months (quick update, not begging)

You’re not trying to become a professional networker. You’re trying to keep a small, meaningful web of humans alive.

Step 6: When and how to transition from “just chatting” to “applying”

This is where a lot of anxious people freeze. They’ll do the talking part, then never actually step into the “hey, I’m applying now” phase because they’re terrified of being too forward.

Here’s the line you’re aiming for: “soft but clear.”

Once you’ve:

• Had 1–2 conversations with someone
• Taken at least one of their suggested steps (course, project, updated CV, etc.)
• Found a role at their company or in their area that looks plausible

You can send something like:

Hi [Name],
Thanks again for our conversation last month. I’ve since [update: revised my CV, started an online course in X, done some informational interviews] and I’m planning to apply for [Role] at [Company].

If you think it’s appropriate and you’re comfortable, I’d be grateful if you’d keep me in mind or share any advice for tailoring my application. Totally understand if that’s not possible, and I really appreciate your guidance either way.

You gave them:

• An easy “out” if they can’t/won’t help
• A very clear signal that you’re serious now
• A reminder of who you are and what you’ve done

Best‑case: they offer to refer you or flag your CV.
Medium‑case: they give specific advice.
Worst‑case: they don’t respond and…nothing explodes. You keep going.

From Stranger to Industry Contact

Step	Description
Step 1	Find profile on LinkedIn
Step 2	Send short connection note
Step 3	Leave or nudge once
Step 4	They accept
Step 5	Ask for 15 min call
Step 6	Have focused conversation
Step 7	Send thank you and small update later
Step 8	Apply for relevant role
Step 9	Ask for advice or possible referral
Step 10	No response?

That’s the whole flow. Not mystical. Just a sequence of slightly uncomfortable but doable steps.

Step 7: Specific ideas if you truly, honestly “know no one”

If your brain is still yelling, “But I really don’t know anyone,” here are concrete doors you’re probably ignoring:

• Med school alumni office – they often have lists of alumni working in industry. Many of those alumni expect to be contacted.
• Specialty societies – oncology, cardiology, etc. often have industry liaisons, committees, or members who’ve crossed over.
• Conferences – not just the clinical ones. Virtual pharma / med affairs / health tech conferences often have attendee lists or Slack/Discord spaces.
• Local meetups – “digital health,” “health tech,” “data science in healthcare.” Yes, showing up alone is terrifying. You can also just join their online group and DM one person.

Networking when you “know no one” starts with accepting that “knowing someone” usually just means “I sent them an awkward message 3 months ago and then followed up like a semi‑functional adult.”

It feels like you’re intruding. On the receiving end, it looks like you’re motivated.

What to do when the rejection/no‑response spiral hits

You will send messages that get ignored. You will have calls that feel awkward. You will absolutely say something and then replay it later thinking, “That sounded so naive.”

That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re in the game.

When the spiral starts:

• Cap your networking time – e.g., “I’m allowed 30 minutes twice a week to send messages / follow up.” Then you’re done. No doom‑scrolling LinkedIn the rest of the night.
• Track actions, not outcomes – “I sent 3 invitations and 1 follow‑up” is a win, even if zero replies yet.
• Remember selection bias – the people bragging online about offers from 5 big companies aren’t showing the 40 ignored messages.

You don’t need universal approval. You need a tiny fraction of people to say “yes” at each step.

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FAQ (exactly 6 questions)

1. How many people should I message before I decide networking “isn’t working” for me?
More than you’re comfortable with. To be blunt, if you’ve messaged 5 people and only 1 responded, that’s actually good in this space. I’d say you need to reach out to at least 20–30 people over 1–2 months before you can even start judging your “response rate.” Remember, you’re playing a numbers game with human beings who are busy, burned out, or checking LinkedIn once a week on their phone between meetings. Silence doesn’t mean you’re awful; it means they’re overloaded.

2. Is it rude or weird to follow up if someone doesn’t respond to my first message?
No. One polite follow‑up is completely normal. Something like: “Hi [Name], just bumping this up in case it got buried. No worries at all if now’s not a good time.” Send that 7–10 days after the first message. If they still don’t answer, leave it. You’re not going to “win them over” with persistence, and you’ll just exhaust yourself. One follow‑up is professional. More than that becomes noise.

3. What if I’m still in med school / early residency and not ready to apply yet—is it too early to network?
Honestly, this is the perfect time. You can be transparent: “I’m [MS3 / PGY1] and not planning to transition immediately, but I’m trying to understand what options exist so I don’t feel trapped later.” Most people in industry wish they’d started asking those questions earlier. The earlier you start, the more genuinely exploratory your conversations can be, which actually takes pressure off both sides.

4. How do I handle it if they ask for my CV and I’m scared it looks ‘non‑industry’?
First, that’s normal. Everyone’s CV looks “too clinical” at the beginning. Send what you have and say, “I know this is very clinically focused still; I’d really appreciate any quick thoughts on how I might start repositioning it for roles like yours.” You’re inviting feedback, not pretending it’s perfect. Most folks will either give a couple high‑yield tips or tell you you’re better than you think. A few may ghost after that—fine. You got what you needed: data.

5. Is it better to focus on one alternative path (e.g., just pharma) or explore multiple at once?
If your anxiety is screaming for certainty, you’ll want to pick one lane immediately. Don’t. At the very beginning, it’s actually smarter to talk to people in 2–3 different areas: pharma (medical affairs/safety), health tech/product, med writing/education, maybe consulting. After 5–10 conversations, patterns will show up—what drains you, what excites you, what realistic entry points exist for your background. Then you narrow. If you lock into one too soon, you risk doing a huge amount of work toward something that would’ve been a bad fit.

6. What’s one small networking step I can take today that isn’t terrifying?
Do this: open LinkedIn, search “MD medical affairs” or “MD health tech,” and find one profile of a physician whose path looks even vaguely interesting. Don’t message them yet if that spikes your anxiety. Just save the profile and write down one question you’d want to ask them if you were braver. That’s it for today. Tomorrow or the next day, turn that question into a 3–4 sentence connection note and send it. You don’t have to fix your whole career this week. You just have to send one slightly scary message.

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Open LinkedIn right now and find three physicians who left clinical practice for roles you might want. Save their profiles, and draft a one‑paragraph connection note to each—even if you don’t send them yet.