Beyond the Blazer: Tips for Networking
You’re wearing your best blazer, making sure to nail that perfect business-casual look. Your bag is filled with the essentials — a stack of business cards featuring your name and title, a notebook, a pen, and your cell phone. You’re armed with an approachable smile as well as a concise but effective overview of the work your company does and your role in all of it.
Time to turn on the charm and start networking — we’re totally ready, right?
For some of us, it’s not that easy.
Personally, I wouldn’t list networking as one of my all-time favorite activities. It’s not something that they taught me in grade school or college (although, that would have been helpful). Instead, it’s a skill that I had to learn after I already had a job. And it’s a skill everyone has to keep working on.
Are you nervous before and during networking events? Do you get the this-is-kind-of-cringe-and-awkward feeling that makes you question whether you’ve ever actually appropriately navigated a social situation?
Don’t worry. You’re not the only one.
Some Tips for the Rest of Us
Some people thrive at networking events. Sometimes it comes naturally. Most of the time? It’s a skill that people need to hone and develop. Below are some tips to help ease the nerves and make sure you’re ready to go.
- Know the landscape. Make sure you know what type of networking event you’re attending. Is it a conference with panels and speakers? Is it a gala? Is it a happy hour? Who’s going? What companies are sponsoring the event? This knowledge will do more than just inform your outfit — it will help establish what kind of atmosphere you’re entering and what type of professionals you might meet.
- Know what you do. This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s good to have an elevator pitch for what your company does and for what you do at your company. It can be easy to throw around empty buzzwords, so make sure what you’re saying gives real insight into all the intricacies of the work you do. This will help others identify opportunities to collaborate with you and your organization.
- Be genuine. While networking opens the door to possible opportunities for you or your organization, it doesn’t always have to be hyper-focused on personal or professional gain. At the end of the day, you’re a human trying to connect with other humans. Sometimes a good conversation on common ground is enough.
- Follow up. It’s great to walk away from an event with a handful of business cards and possible connections. But the work doesn’t end there. If there are people you met who you think align with your work or you want to learn from, make sure to follow up by email and on LinkedIn. If you really made a good connection, then it’s great to suggest grabbing a cup of coffee with that person if possible. It’s important to both build and maintain your network.
Hopefully, these tips will help you better network (and have more fun doing it). After all, you’ve got to show them you’re more than just a really good outfit.
