Ellens blog: Networking

After my last blog attracted a nice comment about how it had been unusually positive, I decided to continue in the same vein, and share with you some highlights from my best day at work since the last blog (last Thursday at the WorkLife Central “Strategic Networking” seminar)

I am somewhat of a shy extrovert, and have never ever felt comfortable in situations where networking is expected to take place. I tend to stick to talking to people I know, and panic if this is not possible before retreating into a corner, trying to look very busy and important urgently scanning my phone (while I am actually checking for an online shop hoping I can get a delivery slot before we run out of toilet roll at home).

The workshop dispelled several myths about networking that I had previously used as excuses never to do it unless absolutely unavoidable.

In the spirit of providing information in handy bite-sized chunks to my fellow busy professionals I have summarised the myth-busting in list-format, for easy digestion:

1. Myth 1: I will have nothing in common with these people. In fact, the City is a small world - you’d be surprised how quickly you can find things in common with complete strangers. My first ‘strategic network’ was with a lady who is, like me, a contractor and therefore found herself attaching more importance to networking in order to maximise her chances of maintaining a good pipeline of prospects when her current contract ends. “Me too”! I said, and we had a good chat about how we should both try to expand our respective networks to include some more senior people, who might be looking to recruit in future. Very useful.

2. Myth 2: That a more experienced person won’t want to speak to me. In fact, you shouldn’t look at someone and think that because they are older and more experienced than you that they won’t be interested in chatting to you. My second strategic networking chat was with a very experienced professional lady who I would not have even considered approaching if I hadn’t just been told to get up and speak to a stranger. We had a nice chat about LinkedIn, and shared our mutual views that Twitter is probably best left to the likes of minor celebrities and probably not considered a very professional means of interacting with fellow City workers (neither of us were on it, or knew how to use it).

3. Myth 3: No one will be interested in hearing about my job. In fact, you shouldn’t be surprised if someone would like to hear your experiences of your profession or industry sector. My third strategic network suggested we have a coffee because she wanted to know more about operational risk (my specialism). I can’t remember the last time anyone who isn’t at least 10 years younger than me asked to pick my brain about my job. In fact, I can’t remember the last time anyone asked me about my job unless they wanted me to offer them a job / help them get a job with someone I know / engage their services as a recruitment consultant to help me to recruit someone (at great expense).

4. Myth 4: there is no way to network with someone who is based overseas. In fact (and I really hope the lady who mentioned this tip is reading this), if you would like to network with someone who is visiting from another location and has a packed schedule of meetings, it can be helpful to engineer a situation in which you ‘bump into them’, apparently completely by coincidence.  Obviously being very careful not to do anything that might lead them to believe that they should call the police to report your stalking (very important). I took an action to try this approach with someone who is too busy ever to get a meeting with. With no expectation of achieving a successful outcome, I arrived early for a training session we were both due to attend, and amazingly my target network-ee was already there and I managed to get a priceless 5-minute chat that really would not have been possible any other way.

I’m converted. I might try networking more often….