An Introvert’s Guide to Networking | by Madi Pollard
Do you hate networking? Does it fill you with dread, or send you into a cold sweat? Well, rest assured that you are not alone. If you were to read a list of ‘important skills to cultivate for success’, I can almost guarantee that networking would be on there. But what is it really, and how can everyone, including natural introverts, learn to improve and even excel?
Networking is commonly defined as interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. It can be very beneficial, particularly when you are thinking about changing job or career, or advancing in your existing one. Contacts can help introduce you to new companies that may have the perfect role for you. They might have access to information that is useful for you. But, it's not strictly one-sided. Remember that whoever you are networking with is looking for ways that you can support them as well.
So, if the idea of the networking portion of an event fills you with deep fear, how can you learn to overcome it? Here are four steps you can take to get more comfortable with networking.
1) Work on your personal pitch. People you meet are going to want to know about you, what you do and what you are looking to do next. Practise this, until you have a concise, and engaging way of describing what you do. Run through this until you feel comfortable, but not too forced. It's just to provide you with something as a basis for starting a conversation.
2) Find an interesting point, and ask their opinion. This works particularly well if networking after a roundtable, fireside chat or panel discussion. Make a note (mental or physical) of something that you were interested in, disagreed with, or want to learn more about. Ask what other attendees thought of that point. It doesn't need to be a meaty topic, or controversial, you are just looking for a way to begin a conversation.
3) Find a point of commonality. If you are invited to an event for a particular group, such as through an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for LGBTQ+ people, or BIPOC groups, use your experience as something to begin a conversation. I attended an event for LGBTQ+ people in tech, and almost all of us there ran, or supported an ERG, which formed a nice beginning to our talks.
4) If all else fails, just remind yourself that everyone feels this way! I've been networking for a while now, and I've never met someone who enjoys it. I'm sure they are out there, but they are few and far between. Most people find networking difficult or awkward, so you aren't alone.
Networking is a great way to plan for the future. People you meet now might not be able to support you immediately, but they may become a vital contact in the future. Or, they could just become new friends, people you can have an interesting conversation with.
If you go into a networking event prepared, confident (even if you fake it), and not expecting any particular outcome, you too can have a great time!
Madison Pollard is a Digital Business Transformation apprentice at Multiverse based in London, UK, and is writing for The Apprentice Lens. Here's more about them:
Hi! I'm Madi, a Business Analyst at Girlguiding, focusing on digital and transformation projects. A keen writer, I've been blogging in one form or another for years, and I'm keen to share the knowledge and skills that I pick up throughout my apprenticeship. A lover of all this data, I enjoy creating graphics to explain my passions, including books and gardening.