Over the past few weeks, my posts have focused on social media and its affect on job searching, networking, and what I like to call "career development." My new obsession, seemingly, as been fueled in part by my work this past summer with law students. I've found that many students, and young professionals, don't know how to use social media to connect professionally, and many are not taking the precautions to control their online content that may have a negative impact. Recognizing both the benefits and pitfalls of your online footprint is integral in job searching and networking, but this recognition fails to really teach you anything about how to network.
I repeatedly tell my audiences that online networking and social media is a fantastic tool and powerful supplements to your networking efforts, but it cannot completely replace good, old fashioned face-to-face networking. Depending on my audience, a lot of the talk will be about the "networking theory". I feel it's important to stress to students that networking is essential in your career, and it's most effective when done all the time, particularly when you don't need it. But, like many things, networking is a term of art used by career services offices and the likes. It's difficult for some people to understand exactly what networking is or how to network. I usually field both questions.
The answer is both simple and complex. There is no magic formula to networking. Like many things in life, it's personal, so find what works for you, and practice what you find successful. The easiest thing for me is to collect tips from others, try them out, and eventually develop your own networking style. Networking can seem to come naturally to those who are outgoing, but what about those of us who are introverted or get anxiety about meeting new people. For us, like anything, it takes practice. I've come across a couple of articles recently that give some simple, but nonetheless useful pointers for those of us who have difficulty "networking."
Two short articles worth sharing are, 8 Ways To Shake Your Nerves And Network Like a Pro, by Alana Horwitz, Business Insider (this article was linked to by the one sited below, and can be found on www.openforum.com); and, Networking: Be Confident in any Environment, by Martha Newman, JD, PCC, TopLawyerCoach, LLC. Combined, these articles offer 8 easy tips:
(1) Start small. Attending large networking events can be overwhelming, so start small. You can tap into networks you already know, like old friends or acquaintances you've lost touch with. Focusing on a small group of people is an easy way to start growing your network. You never know who your old acquaintances might know. Someone you have lost touch with may be a great foundation for meeting new people.
(2) Listen. This is an oft overlooked skill which is essential to effective networking. Not only that, but it's easy for those of us who are not outgoing and not comfortable driving a conversation. For law students knee deep in job searches, I half jokingly tell all of them, follow the stereotype: lawyers love to talk, and usually really love to talk about themselves. Networking is a two-way street. Nobody wants a contact who is constantly taking and never giving back. Law students always say to me, I have nothing to give the managing partner of a firm. They couldn't be farther from wrong. If someone wants to meet a student to offer advice or help with their job search, then what they want is for you to LISTEN to them. This applies to networking in general, not just job searching. Listening is a great way to get to know someone, and, for example, an easy way to discover what someone's goals may be at a networking event. It's not always this easy, but don't forget to listen.
(3) Smile. This sounds ridiculous, but I agree with the advice. I attended a networking event in Chicago years ago put on by the Chicago Real Estate Council (CREC). Unfortunately, at the time my law practice was consumed by two particular litigation cases, where my opposing counsels were not always conducting themselves with the professionalism most lawyers like to see in their practice. For a young attorney, the stressed seemed unbearable. The day of the event happened to be a particularly bad day. I was allowing the stress of these cases to affect me outside of the office. I was approached at the event by a real estate partner at a small/mid-size firm in Chicago. I knew the firm well, and may have enjoyed working there. I wasn't rude, but let's just say I wasn't my usual smiling self. Our conversation was very short, and he quickly moved on. I have always regretted that moment. Moral of the story, I should have smiled.
(4) Find Common Interests. This goes hand-in-hand with the first tip. Start small. Find something you're interested in and get involved. One of the articles suggests attending a wine tasting event, great suggestion. Meet people at a smaller event who also enjoy drinking wine. Events like these are less intimidating environments and give everyone a conversation starter, the wine.
(5) Be Prepared. The articles suggest having an amusing story to break the ice or fall back on if you get nervous. This can be a good suggestion, but I think your preparation better served by focusing on the common interest, or theme, of an event. For example, if your at a business networking event for an alumni club, it's easy to ask how active an attendee is with the club. If there's a speaker at the event, use that as a conversation starter. Throwing out a random story about a past job might not always be a safe fall back. If the conversation lends itself to that, then by all means go ahead. The important thing here is to prepare yourself to drive the conversation if you have to. This can be difficult for us introverts, so try to prepare with something simple. Ask a simple question and be prepared to listen.
(6) Don't Be Late. The articles make a great point, if you arrive late, most of the attendees may already be involved in conversation. It might be a lot harder to break into one, and it definitely be a little more intimidating to do so. I was early to one of the first true networking events I attended. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, and I was actually early by accident. I was approached by the person who organized the event and she quickly introduced me to two people. I must have had that deer-in-the-headlights look. Like any true Domer, I had already found my security blanket, the bar and a beer in my hand. That might have tipped her off that I needed help. Being early allowed me to helped by one of the volunteers at the event. Had I arrived late, they might have been already tied up and been unable to help my lost soul.
(7) Volunteer at Networking Events. This is probably one of the best tips out there. If you volunteer to be a greeter at an event, you are forced to talk to virtually everyone. This forces you to get past any anxiety you might have about meeting new people. It also puts you in good favor with the people who organize the events, who are then more likely to introduce you to some of their contacts.
(8) Use Social Media. I know, back to my obsession. I just can't get away from it. Use social media to follow up with people you meet. Connect with them; send a link you think they might find interesting; use it to keep in touch and schedule an "informational interview" (another career services term of art). There is a ton of materials out there concerning how to use social media. Try to find some advice that discusses using social media in your industry. Someone in sales may use it differently than a lawyer does. Also, read my recent posts, and don't worry, I'm sure I'll be revisiting this soon and often (it is an obsession after all).
Remember, there is no secret way to network. There are definitely ways to network that have proven to be effective, and there are definitely things that don't work. If you're thinking about networking and trying to get better at it, then you're already ahead of most people. Like GI Joe used to tell me, knowing is half the battle.
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