academics should not reject the very idea of networking out of hand, but embrace it as a valuable strategy for surrounding yourself with happy people who are happy to help you.
Many academics reject the very idea of networking for a variety of reasons. Many feel that acquiring and using professional contacts is more appropriate for those in industry or business, but not in academia.
Younger academics may shy away from the idea of proactively approaching peers and senior colleagues because they are introverted or because they don’t know how to start.
Networking is somewhat like exercise in that it requires extensive time and effort without being able to see immediate results.
The tendency to refrain from networking can limit people from reaching their full potential.
Source: Networking in academia
