This week, part three of the series, we’re going to talk about the art of networking which is a key element of any career, whether you’re a job seeker or a CEO. The most obvious goal of networking seems to be finding opportunities for your career or your business (or hiring for them), but it’s also a great way to make friends, find thought partners, collaborators, and eventually, your tribe. Theres tips I've learnt over the years watching people I admire, and great news for introverts who loathe socialising.
As a product of living in five cities as an adult, and wanting to get out there to meet new people, I've found myself at all kinds of events from burger meet ups where a group of people would try out a new burger joint every month, to career events where I could learn from the workshops and seek collaboration opportunities.
Pre-pandemic, the biggest way to network was to go to social events and conferences, but thanks to gigs moving online for a bit, there’s a new, global window of opportunity we have access to. I could be an artist or a gamer and find connections with likeminded folk sitting halfway across the world.
All social activities present the opportunity to grow your network. The key difference - and also the loveliest part - is that most of the time, we get to be ourselves without an ulterior motive.
Here are some tried and tested tips I’ve learnt over the years from attending random events and learning from people who are way better at this than I am. At events, no matter what you do in life, what sets good networkers apart is this:
Don’t be a “resume-reader”
Speak naturally about what you know and don’t know, and try not to narrate your resume like a text-to-speech, as tempting as it might be!
Get curious and listen
When you’re in a networking event, get curious, ask relevant questions and give people the opportunity to speak.
Offer help without the receiver asking for it
This makes an impact like no other, and I’ve seen so many people I admire do it. They’re already very good at 1 & 2, and what makes them even more special is that as they’re listening to you, they’re also making a mental map of everything they know that can help YOU. It’s extremely generous and if done right, makes the receiver feel really good about themselves.
And if the listener doesn’t take up on your offer? No biggie. Life goes on.
If you're an introvert, networking or socialising will seem like a chore to you. It is. But there's no denying that there will be times you have to do it. Or you can't get out of it.
What can you do then?
Well, you remember this guide and pray for the best! Jokes aside, here are some networking tips for all the introverts reading this:
Find your jam. There must be at least one activity that you enjoy doing. Are any of those doable with others, like running or painting? Find common interest groups that do these activities so that you’re in your comfort zone to begin with.
Practice. Try out different talking points in front of your mirror, or a friend. Neither of them will lie to you, and you’ll feel better knowing you’ve made the effort.
Remind yourself of the universal truth. Everybody gets nervous. It’s okay to be nervous, but it’s even more okay to work on getting past your nerves where you can.
Go deeper not wider. When you're at an event, think quality over quantity. Use your energy in forming real connections with the few people who you engage with.
Connect people. Introverts have the supreme advantage of being better listeners. Use this skill to connect people with others, they’ll be all the better for it.
Networking can sometimes get a bad rap, coming across as sales-y and exhausting.
But if you go with an open mind, and with a genuine desire to help others (instead of only asking for help), you’ll be surprised at what opportunities can open up.