STEP 5
NETWORKING
HOW TO NOT BE THAT AWKWARD PERSON AT EVENTS
Let’s get one thing straight: networking is your secret weapon for unearthing all those unadvertised job opportunities. But before you panic and dive into a sea of business cards, make sure you’ve got your networking etiquette down pat.
DO
- Set a goal: Aim to make 3 new connections. Wandering around aimlessly is a bit sad, friend.
- Smile and make eye contact: No one wants to approach a poker face. So whack that smile on your dial.
- Find common ground: Listen for things like shared career paths, industry experiences, mutual connections, shared trauma from the last algorithm update, that kind of thing.
- Ask smart questions: Show interest in other people’s careers. You’re not just here for yourself – this is a two-way street.
- Play matchmaker: Introduce people with similar goals. Trust me, it’s fun. And it makes you look even more well-connected.
- Follow up – fast: Send personalised messages right after the event while they still remember your face. Use LinkedIn, email, smoke signals, whatever. Just do it.
DON’T
- Be there out of guilt: If you’re only showing up because you ‘have to’, everyone will smell it a mile away. And you’re not being very fun.
- Be a wallflower: Yes, I know the new season of Love Island just came out. But if you’re glued to your phone in a corner, you might as well have stayed home.
- Launch into monologues: You’re there to talk with people, not at them. So make sure you’re leaving the space for other people to speak, too.
- Ask for a job: Nobody likes a hard sell. Even though everyone knows that’s what you’re after. Build rapport before pitching yourself.
- Think only about you: If it’s all about what you can get, you’re doing it wrong.
- Ghost people: Don’t go radio silent after the event. If you said you’d connect, then do it. It’s really that simple.