Too many professionals say the key to getting a job is networking, networking, and more networking. Your teachers, your advisers, your mentors, and even your barber will tell you the key to success is networking. Have you found yourself frustrated by this vague nugget of wisdom? What does networking really mean? If you find yourself doing what you think is networking and still aren’t getting results, read on.
Before getting started, let’s clear up one common misconception: networking and establishing friendships are not mutually exclusive ideas. We oftentimes consider networking to be another kind of business transaction where the other party gives us something: a referral, interview, and maybe even an internship in exchange for a couple minutes of our time via a LinkedIn request, email, or a quick chat over coffee. I’m not sure about everyone else, but my time certainly isn’t that valuable.
Networking can be as simple or meaningful as you want it to be. Whether that means it’s with a lifelong companion, friends you made recently, classmates, or acquaintances you meet at career fairs, field trips, or career presentations, the definition of networking is very fluid and means different things to different people, and that’s okay.
“Well, thanks for confusing me more than I when I started reading this, Drew.” Don’t fret concerned reader. Hopefully this information is more liberating than it is worrisome. You don’t necessarily have to be a charismatic extrovert to “network.” If you’re working to create positive, mutually beneficial relationships that help both you and the other party, whether it be a friend, classmate, or adviser, you’re doing great.
When approaching anyone in what could be considered a “networking” situation, even if you feel like you don’t have anything to offer the other party (which is totally unlikely), keep the following in mind before talking to them:
- When talking to someone else, always think to yourself “How can I help this person?” They may be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a small business owner, or even a friend, but consciously thinking the question will always make you more desirable.
- Learn to craft meaningful, engaging stories that keep the listener and yourself interested. This may take more practice for some than others, but honing the art of telling a tasteful, riveting, and potentially humorous story can help you stick out in someone’s mind.
- Don’t be afraid to open up and share your passions with others. People are much more inclined to relate to you if they know something personal about you. Maybe you constantly strive to fight homelessness, make a difference in your school, or just like to stay current on world issues, make that clear to others without polarizing them, and they’ll warm up to you quickly.
- Pay all of your attention to the person in front of you. Shut down your internal voices that want to argue with everything and connect to that person so you can really understand and digest the information they’re sharing.
- Never forget the classics: Smile, shake hands firmly but not too hard, ask them everything you want to know about what makes them tick, get their contact information, shoot them emails, grab lunch, stay connected with them on LinkedIn, and ask for help getting the job when it feels “right”. (But I’m sure you knew that already).