Networking 101: A Workshop for a Student's Perspective

February 10, 2009

The assistant director of the JMLS real estate center hosted a networking workshop for students. Attending the workshop was actually a prerequisite to attending a mock networking event at the school next week. The workshop, titled "Networking 101: Practical tips for converting a cocktail party into a long-term network", covered a lot of good points and presented an outline for having a strategy at networking events. Admittedly, I arrived a little late, so I missed the beginning. That said, I tried to take some good notes so I could describe some of the better points of the workshop here. Below is an overview infused with some of my own thoughts Keep in mind, the workshop was presented from a student's prospective seeking to network with potential employers.

The workshop focused on developing a plan and goals when attending networking events; and then executing that plan through preparation, confidence, and follow up. The key to effective networking is right in the title of the workshop: turning a networking event into a long-term relationship.

First, you need preparation. Many structured networking events will provide a list of the people who are attending, or at the very least are themed such so that you know what industry is likely to be there. That said, prepare goals beforehand and stick to them. Your goal should reflect what you want to get out of the event, such as meeting a certain professional or gaining certain knowledge. Keep in mind, the ultimate goal of forming a long-term professional relationship is accomplished through the follow up after the event.

Second is the event itself. The assistant director offered several good tips and strategies for easing the tension of a networking event. Upon arrival, take time to review the program if there is any, or survey the registration table to get a feel for who is going to be there. Take a lap around the room to see if there is a particular person who you want to meet. The most important thing to remember is that every one is there to meet people, and that all if not most people are a little nervous about the introduction. Therefore, you need to stay confident and introduce yourself, even if it feels a little awkward. By taking the initial step, you most likely are relieving the pressure from the other person. To help with this tension, many structured events will have an activity, such as formal introductions or games like meeting ten people in order to be eligible for a raffle.

When you are past the introduction, make sure you ask questions. Try to only ask questions you want to know the answer to. If your goal is information, ask questions focused on leading to that information. Likewise, if you are seeking to meet particular professionals, make sure you discover who those professionals are.

Ending a conversation can be as awkward and just as difficult as beginning one. The workshop suggested to end a conversation when it is not meeting your goals, or it has run its natural course. That said, keep in mind that networking is about relationship building. It is difficult to predict the path your career will take, so be wary of prematurely ending conversations that might not be "meeting your goals" for the evening. Also, always bow out of a conversation gracefully. If there is not an out, then remember there's nothing wrong with simply ending the conversation with a "nice to meet you" and a hand shake.

The final point the workshop focused on is, I believe, the most important: the follow up. Networking events can be similar to speed dating. The idea is to get to know someone enough in a short amount of time to want to speak with them again. Make sure you send a follow up email or note to people you want might want in your professional network within a day or two. However, do not just coldly send a resume unless it was requested. You need to follow up in person first and begin to build a relationship. Remember to take notes at the event to help you remember people. The easiest way is to jot a few things down on the back of their business card, including the name they use if different from the formal name on their business card.

As the workshop described, the idea behind networking events is to be able to meet new people and hopefully grow relationships such that they become part of your professional network. That needs to always be the mindset, even for students seeking employment.

Nate

ND Face-to-Face Event

December 15, 2008

Back in December was the second Face-to-Face networking event for the ND Alumni Network on Linkedin (www.Linkedin.com). The event was quite a bit more popular than the first one. Space was limited, so the number of attendees was capped at twenty-five, which filled up easily. The meeting was held in the offices for Weaver Boos Consulting, of which the organizer serves as corporate counsel.

There was an open networking period with wine and appetizers before we all got together and set down around the conference room table. I spoke at some length during the open networking period with the owner of the Chicago Diamond and Jewelry Exchange (www.chidexx.com). We met at the first ND face-to-face event, but didn't have much time to talk. It was interesting on getting a feel for what a diamond broker does and how Chidexx might be useful to me one day.

The discussion after the initial open networking was focused on introductions and ideas concerning how to use these events and Linkedin for effective networking. Much of the talk focused on building relationships and how we can effectively help those who are newly looking for work in this economy. The comments made go straight to some of the core principles of networking and building relationships. There was a general consensus in the room to pass along opportunities or keep individuals we know in mind whenever we hear of something. The idea is that if we build relationships, we're better able to match opportunities with people we know who may fit those opportunities.

After the discussion, there was another open networking period. There were several younger Domers there I recognized from when I was a student at ND. I was able to reconnect with a person who I recognized from the old days in the NDH (North Dining Hall). We raught up some and realized we had several mutual friends. All in all, the second face-to-face was an enjoyable event. It's a great example of how online social networking platforms can be used to supplement in-person networking.

Older Events

At this point, it's pretty noticeable that I am recounting old events here. I had the idea for this blog for some time before I was able to actually start posting. As a result, there are many events I attended several months ago, but wasn't able to post them as quickly as I would like. Unfortunately, I now feel I am falling too far behind in my posting and am not listing current events as quickly as I should. Therefore, I am going to start posting more current events, and thus there are several older events which will be posted completely out of any sense of logical order. I'll catch up one of these days.

Chicago Real Estate Council Holiday Event

December 2, 2008

In August I decided to go back to school, so I began the LLM program for real estate at the John Marshall Law School. The program at John Marshall was great for me for several reasons, the first and most obvious being that it is the only real estate LLM program in Chicago, and I believe it was the first of such programs in the country (or so they tell me). The second good reason for choosing John Marshall is the school is located less than a block from my office. It's nice to be able to walk over to school in less than two minutes.

I noticed a major difference being in the LLM program as opposed to my law school days back at IU. Law school focused primarily on theory and caselaw, while the LLM program takes a much more practical approach to transactional real estate practice. As part of this practical approach, the real estate center constantly stresses the importance of networking. I noticed that many of the students are not yet practicing attorneys or have not yet began their professional career. As such, they may be overlooking the importance of building professional relationships. This is partially why I decided to start this blog. In addition to blogging, I try to attend as many events with the center as possible, and I volunteered to help the center with their networking programs.

As a result, the center asked if I would be interested in attending the Chicago Real Estate Council's Holiday Event, so I jumped at the opportunity. I am obviously interested in real estate, but the difficulty I'm having is meeting good contacts in the industry. I work with lawyers everyday, but I'm not nearly as familiar with the non-legal side of the industry. I figured this would be another good opportunity to meet professionals outside of the practice of law.

The CREC's Holiday Event was held at Nacional 27 on West Huron, in the bar area at the front of the restaurant. This was the first time I'd been to Nacional 27. It has a great environment.

At first I spoke with a couple of people who both happened to also be attorneys in the real estate law practice. I spoke briefly with each about their practice and the effect the market is having on it. I also saw the two other students from John Marshall who were there. I spoke at some length with one of the students, whom I did not know beforehand, regarding his position as an administrative law judge here in Chicago. Additionally, he and I met a commercial broker who specializes in finding properties for his clients that are not publicly listed for sale. We spoke at great length about his work, both as a broker and as a property owner and manager. The conversation between the three of us was insightful and what I was hoping to get out of the event. I met two new people who were able to offer me knowledge about important aspects of real estate in Cook County. I was able to get their opinions on the city building codes and inspectors, and the effect that has on owning rental property in Chicago.

In conclusion it was a great event. I had some good appetizers, had a few drinks, met some new people, and gained knowledge I didn't have otherwise. I look forward to keeping in contact.

Nate

The First ND Face-to-Face Event

November 10, 2008

The rise of online social networking in the past few years has intrigued me in relation to the building of professional relationships. With younger generations particularly, the emergence of MySpace and Facebook, and other similar websites, has seemingly taken a minor monopoly of internet use. Likewise, resources such as Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) have emerged for professionals to connect in a similar way. The use of an online networking platform such as Linkedin provides a way to easily stay in in touch with your network, as well as to easily stay in tune with changes and progression in each individual's career.

That said, online networking cannot replace the value of in-person relationship building. Rather, online networks serve has an excellent supplement to personal and professional relationship building. Tongiht's event is an excellent example in how online networking, specifically Linkedin, led to a beneficial meeting among ND alumni. ND alumni have a group on Linkedin known as the Notre Dame Alumni Network that the Career Center at ND has endorsed as the official group for ND alumni on Linkedin. One of the members of this group began discussions on the group page proposing a face-to-face meeting for members here in the Chicagoland area. Tonight was the result of these discussions and the first of such meetings.

The face-to-face was a success, and there's now a discussion about tentative future meetings with the goal to expand on the number of attendees. The meeting was held at the Rosebud Theater District restaurant on West Madison, and there was a turnout of roughly fifteen Domers. Those who attended included several attorneys, both in private firms and in-house; an executive consultant and turnaround specialist; the now president at St. Francis High School; the owner of Chicago Diamond and Jewelry Exchange; and the CEO of the Attainable Housing Alliance among others.

The discussion centered on introductions of those present and then focused primarily on ways to best utilize these face-to-face events. There were a lot of good ideas and good discussion about networking in general and how to use Linkedin to further our relationships. The event was a success and a popular idea among those present. We agreed to hold future face-to-face events, which I am looking forward to attending.

Nate

ND Attorney Networking Event

November 6, 2008

Tonight was a joint networking event with the attorney networking group of the Notre Dame Club of Chicago and the Texas Christian alumni club. The event was at the Metropolitan Club in the Sears Tower and included appetizers with a cash bar. There were a number of professionals present and current students from the TCU MBA program, who were visiting Chicago through the career services department of the school. There was a cocktail hour with an open meet and greet period. Then there were two speakers featured, followed by another open networking period. This is a common setup at networking events and the same setup I've experienced at previous ND attorney networking events.

The two speakers were both from the academic world, one a business law professor in the TCU MBA program, and the other an ND alumni, employment lawyer, and professor at UIC. Both speakers focused their talks towards the industry and the non-attorneys present. Their topics involved the increasing use of mandatory arbitration to settle disputes, and employment law concerns from a business prospective.

During the open meet and greet, I bumped into a friend of mine who I met at a similar event. She's a great networker and is always trying to help others develop their careers.

Additionally, I spoke at length with director of the Graduate Career Service Center for the Neeley school of business at TCU. We discussed different resources here in Chicago to aid MBA students in their search for employment after school. Particularly we discussed CoreNet Global, its Chicago chapter and the CoreNet University Alliance and Resume Bank for students. CoreNet Global is a professional association for corporate real estate executives. Check out the Chicago Chapter's website at www.corenetglobal.org/chapters/chicago. The Chicago Chapter's Universioty Alliance serves as a way to link students to senior real estate executives. It's a great resource for students. Check out the website at www.corenetglobal.org/chapters/chicago/universityalliance.html.

I left shortly after the speakers, but despite my early exit, the event was informational and I was able to meet some new people and discuss some great resources.

Nate

Real Estate Happy Hour

January 21, 2009

In late January I was invited to a holiday networking event by a VP of the title company I use for my commercial real estate transactions and minutes of foreclosure, Guaranty National Title Company. I wasn't sure if I could squeeze the event in or not, but I reasoned it was important for me to go. I realized beforehand that I probably would not know anyone there. Notwithstanding, with as much emphasis I'm putting on networking nowadays, it only stands that I would have been a hypocrite for not attending.

The event was held at a new bar on Wells Street called Bull and Bear. It was actually the night before the bar officially opened to the public. It was a pretty cool atmosphere inside, with a ton of TV's for sporting events. Needless to say, I think I'll be back there at some point in the near future.

Since there was not one person present who I knew beforehand, this was an exercise in the introduction at a networking event. First things first, I ordered a drink, then started making the rounds. I introduced myself to a number of people, the first of which were a couple of younger guys who worked for developers and builders. I'm interested in the business side of development, so I tried to use this as a chance to gain some practical knowledge. Unfortunately, it shortly became clear that these guys were not actually there to gain any contacts, rather just to take advantage of the drink special.

While most people attend networking events to actually network, this is not always the case. Particularly as a lawyer, I'm a strong advocate that most everyone at a networking event is worthwhile to talk to. You never know when anyone can turn into a client, referral or otherwise. However, there is one exception to this philosophy, and that's when the person is not interested in networking period. This person is not looking for any type of ongoing relationship or even ongoing communication. So in this instance, it's important to recognize that your time and effort is best spent elsewhere. That said, I quickly moved on.

There were plenty of other people I met in the next hour or so. While I failed to meet anyone who I feel gave me an immediate benefit from the event, like I stated above, almost everyone you meet has potential benefit. Plus, this event gave me the opportunity to address the one situation where, in my view, it is important to quickly end the conversation and move on.