The “Art” of Networking (or rather, 1 Simple Tip for Networking…)

December 29th, 2008 • Career Advice

I actually have two posts that I’m working on right now, but given the lighter nature of this one as compared to the other one, I figured I’d write this one first. The second post will be up soon.

On my previous post, Ken commented:

I’d love to see a post about true networking — I think there are many grads out there who think they understand it but don’t properly put it into action. Networking is so much more than just walking up to people and saying “Hi.” It’s knowing where they are, what they’re up to, and cultivating a relationship that pays you dividends in the long run. It won’t just help you get a job, it will help you be successful when you finally land it, and create a back-up support system if you lose it.

While I’m a little flattered that Ken thinks that I’m an expert on networking, I also felt obliged to share my thoughts on how to network.

Here’s a list of things to remember when networking for any purpose – be it for career purposes, for social advancement, or whatever other purpose you may have:

1. Be genuine, and form genuine relationships.

That’s it. If you’re interested in someone merely because they can help you find a job, that’s not networking (and that’s also not going to work the vast majority of the time.) In order for you to truly form a network where you are able to utilize the resources within it, you must represent yourself as YOU. I can’t emphasize this enough; if you’re trying to be what you think people are looking for, you’ll get exposed eventually. Sure, over the short term it may work, but if you truly want a network of varied individuals, you need to show your variety. This is where Ken’s comments really ring true – networking isn’t about saying hello, it’s about forming that relationship where you know where someone is and what they’re doing. Form those relationships, and you’ll be someone who is thought of when something in your skill range or interests come up.

I know Katrina and I have bantered a little bit about how direct you should be when meeting people (she thinks you can be very direct, I don’t exactly agree) but that approach all depends on what sort of character you are. Sometimes, I wonder if my approach doesn’t necessarily work all of the time because of how I carry myself. In a way, I have a lot a political traits to myself – I’m a name and face person, I can carry on a conversation in just about any subject, I’ve been called “socially adaptive” – and I wonder if that comes off as either too slick, or as fake. Sometimes, being direct gets you the sort of attention you’d like right away – in my opinion, it depends on the situation. Are you at a networking event which brings together job seekers and key decision makers? Go nuts in trying to reach for a job. Are you at a charity event for a worthy cause? Maybe it’s not the best time for your pitch.

An important thing to not do is to take someone giving you a business card as permission to bombard them with your message. Yes, exchanging personal details is an important step to creating that genuine relationship, but that doesn’t mean that you should be pestering them with your resume, or job requests – unless this permission has been explicitly given.

So, the bottom line is: be yourself. You have lots of unique things to offer that no-one else does; take that confidence with you and you’ll do fine. Remember, networking isn’t necessarily easy, nor is it something that you can accomplish in a day’s time. In order to properly develop your network, you have to put the time and effort into it; half-assing it will result in mediocre results. Networking is work, yes, but it’s fun – so go out, meet people, form relationships and put yourself out there – you’ll do just fine.

(In the future, I’ll cover the difference between electronic networking approaches (social networks, etc) vs. person-to-person networking approaches – these do differ.)

Tags: Networking, Social Media

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