Rack up another casualty of remote work and pandemic lockdowns: professionals are reluctant to reach out to other professionals, even as 70% say “your network matters more than your resume.” That’s one of the findings of Resume Now’s latest Networking in the New Job Market Report, based on a survey conducted with 1,000 U.S. workers in May 2025. Participants were asked about their networking habits, cold outreach experiences, use of AI tools, and perceptions of equity and access in professional relationship-building.
Most professionals and career coaches list your network as one of the most important resources for advancing in your career. But workers are more reluctant than ever to get started building a strong one. Resume Now’s report says that 42% of workers have never sent a cold message and have no plans to. Another 22% have considered it but haven’t followed through. And when they did reach out, the results were disappointing. About a third of those who’ve tried cold outreach say fewer than 1 in 4 messages get a reply.
Despite the low return on investment, the ability to connect to other professionals in your industry or your community is an essential skill. For some professions, it’s the only skill that matters: think recruiting, sales, PR, or fundraising. But many workers, especially those who started their careers working remotely, lack the confidence to put themselves out there. The survey found that most of the problems lie in how risky outreach feels.
- 42% feel like they’re bothering someone.
- 33% fear rejection.
- 33% don’t know who to contact.
- 29% don’t know what to say.
- 27% don’t think outreach will help.
- 12% feel unworthy of others’ time.
I believe the above responses are actually a reflection of what the workers themselves feel about people who reach out to them. Tik Tok is full of hilarious videos of Millennials and Gen Z workers staring in horror at their phone or email inbox when they receive a communication they’re not expecting. Or being asked by their manager to pick up the phone and call someone.
A recent article from CNBC online says Generation Z workers are taking classes to get over their “telephobia.” Telephobia is a “relatively recent phenomenon” describing people who fear phone calls, according to Liz Baxter, a career advisor at Nottingham College, a U.K.-based school for pupils aged 16 and older. She says they can do anything on their phone – except talk to people. “They associate the ringing phone with fear,” she said. “I don’t know who’s on the end of it. I don’t know how to deal with it.”
The school offers classes that involve a series of scenarios where you have to make a phone call – for example, calling the doctor to make an appointment, or calling in sick to work. The pupils are expected to sit back-to-back to mimic a phone call where they can’t see the person on the other end and practice by using scripts. Baxter said attending just one session boosts pupils’ confidence because it “demystifies how phone calls really work.”
Fear of rejection or feeling foolish is as old as human communication, of course. And it’s a good idea to practice before an important call like a sales call or phone interview. As a career coach, I’ve recommended having notes in front of you during an online meeting. (Although referring to them without being obvious is another tricky skill to master.)
Emailing or messaging through LinkedIn can be easier, especially since you have time to craft a message (and AI to help hit the right tone.) Asynchronous rejection also stings less, and you have the benefit of reusing parts of a message that did get results.
Taking the “cold” out of cold calling involves asking people you do know well to introduce you or refer you to a potential professional contact. That’s why in-person meetings and events are so important; they start relationships that link you to another tier of connections.
Here’s what would make it easier for the next generation: let’s start responding to requests for connection. Pick up the phone. Return the email. Be more generous with your time, attention, and resources. Reward people for taking a risk. Pay it forward, because you never know when you’ll be needing advice or help in the future.
Your Work, Your Way 