From Chicago to Alaska, to Arizona, and Back

(Maybe not in that order, but networking helped Professor Krause—instructor at the School of Hospitality and Management at Kendall College—have an extraordinary career.)

In my mind's eye, I see a young Michael Krause standing near the door to the work dinner: nervous, not knowing a soul, and wanting the evening to be over ASAP. He is only there because his boss asked him to go. He knew he couldn't say no. 

That is how he found himself at his first work dinner in his career that changed the trajectory of his life.

When everyone was seated, he reluctantly walked in and sat down at his table. Then, something magical happened. The person next to him started talking to him, and the rest was history. His comfort level went up and he saw immediately the benefit of attending work-related events.

This moment took Krause to Alaska, Arizona, and back to Chicago.  A career that anyone in the hospitality industry would dream of.  He managed associations, hotels and sold advertisements for the Official Airline Guide*. Along the way he made deep friendships, had a family, and many adventures. 

His advice on networking? Get involved in your industry association and then build on it. That dinner led to him being invited to join the association, and he quickly moved up to become the Chair. 

He also emphasizes persistence, perseverance (or what is now called resilience), something he tells his students is one of the top 3 skills employers are looking for.  

The widening of his network led to promotions, and better jobs and relationships, many of which have turned into friendships that still exist today.

Why? People refer people they know and trust. That is why, even today, 80% of jobs are acquired through referrals. This number, even in this techno world, hasn't changed.

After running the Alaska Hotel and Lodging Association for 25 years, Krause returned to Chicago. He got re-acquainted with one of the first people he met when starting his career. That person offered him a sales job; he started out as a local sales rep and eventually rose to the position of National Sales Director, and finally Worldwide Director.

He recommends at any stage in your career to join the association that is connected with your business, attend the educational programming, and the social events associated.

* Official Airline Guide (OAG) was a printed publication that business travelers used to plan their travel. OAG has done a great job of transforming itself into a modern-day site with wonderful information about air travel.