Isn’t network a technical term for wi-fi or world wide web!
How do humans network?
These were the questions that would pop up in my head every time someone advised me to network.
Over time, I realised networking just became a strange scary word because of the association we make of networking to a necessary outcome specially in a job opportuity. It was clearly not the only thing. Networking is basically a way of connecting to people, keeping abreast of the trends in the market from sources that are a living part of that market. Exploring the field when you are still in a dilemma of a career path and expressing your strong interest when you are sure about your career path.
My experiences with networking taught me a few things that I thought were worthy of sharing. So here we go!
NETWORKING FUNDAMENTALS
- Don’t be a predator looking for a prey
Be a farmer cultivating the crop.
It’s easy to get misguided to networking as a thing you need to only when you are on the lookout for jobs when the fact is that when you are looking for employment, the desperation comes through in the most unexpected ways negating all the tenets of networking. So make networking second nature instead of the go-to thing during unemployment distress - Be yourself
Be authentic, you don’t need to mimic someone to get noticed. Find your strengths and project them in your unique way so that the conversation can be fresh and not stale. - Be prepared.
Nothing breaks a situation like lack of preparation. Preparation is directly proportional to the interest you have in the case. So support your interest in meeting the person by doing thorough research, understand what you’d like to learn, prepare a list of organic questions and then meet. You can make specific asks – that only goes on to reflect your research more. - Be an active listener and be engaged in the conversation.
Don’t keep your mind occupied thinking about the next question to be asked instead of concentrating on the content of the talk.
Most importantly, It takes time!
Remember it takes time so have multiple touch points to nurture the relationship with the person you wish to connect with.
Take the first step.
Push yourself to take the first step and the rest become easier.
Genuine Interest/ Passion about something + Willingness to act + Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability + Ability to Connect with the Right People = Unstoppable force! (a.k.a Opportunity!)
Practise. Start small by trying to network with people with whom you are allowed to make mistakes in the process of learning – like your peers, seniors, college admin department. Slowly transition to the world of business professionals with a confident you!