At some point of your life, you will be invited to a business event where everyone is in suits, poised with tall glasses in one hand and chatting in small groups. Welcome to the business world, where such events are inevitable and the skills of networking are invaluable.
A great approach to networking is to rethink how you make friends when you were young. Now you are in a new classroom and you have to get to know all your classmates again. As a rule of thumb, be genuinely interested in the person you meet and chat. There would be some that you can get along with, some which you can't find any common topics, and some that hit off with you immediately - just like what happens in your class.
Remember the necessities for networking, as explained from my previous post on checklist for networking.
Also, for those people where you can't find anything in common but find yourself stuck with them for some unforeseen circumstances, there is always a list of general things to talk about to fall back on.
1) he is afraid to ask for favors
2) he dislikes the notion of knowing a person just to benefit from it
In my own version of Networking, i think it is about doing favors. I think people understand you might not have anything to offer back now, but when the time comes, you would duly do so, or do so for others in return. It is actually a gentleman's agreement from this perspective.
In a nutshell, networking is similar to other activities in life. You will be hesitant and nervous in your first attempt, but after some practice you will get the hang of it. You will get the help of mentors and when you get better, you will share your knowledge and advise the young. Remember to always pay it forward. Happy Networking!
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