Reputation is one of the most important attributes of professional networking. It takes much longer to build a good reputation than it does to create a bad one or destroy your own. You must remember that it's not only your reputation your are building (or destroying), it is also your network's reputation. Each of us has a small circle we turn to. How you conduct yourself reflects on your circle too. This holds true in just about all interpersonal interactions from attending a networking event to sending an email. If you are a jerk at a networking event or don't take the time to create a relevant subject line in an email, you could potentially be harming yourself. Your actions reflect on your network, good or bad, so remember what's at stake.