Networking can be a big scary thing if being around people, especially strangers, makes you nervous or exhausted. Never fear, we’ve got some tips to help you grow your network and keep those relationships strong. We’re offering a chance to learn about networking and practice with professionals and student leaders next week. Read on for tips and more details about that event.
“…the best networking is often just making regular friends and being kind to them and keeping in touch. If you’re young, this is a long-term plan: you have to make good friends and then wait until they start having important jobs. But good networking is always a long-term plan.”
-Jen Dziura
“How to network when you’d really rather settle in with a good book”
Here are some suggestions on people who are currently in your network or could easily be added to your network.
Faculty and Staff
We want to help you! Make sure your professors and other staff on campus know who you are and a little bit about you. This helps us pass along helpful information, know who else to connect you to, and makes it more likely that we’ll say yes if you ask for a recommendation letter or reference.
Make an appointment with your advisor or career services professional and be sure to stop by faculty office hours. Introduce yourself, ask good questions, and share interesting articles or information. This will make you memorable and show that you take your network seriously.
Work, Internship, and Volunteering Supervisors
Your supervisors at work, internships, and volunteer opportunities want to help too. We remember when we were in your position and are better able to speak to your abilities and connect you with important opportunities and resources as we hear about them. The key is to be reliable and do good work. We’re more likely to introduce us to other people in our network if we trust you to be reliable and professional.
Outside Organizations
These can include volunteer or special interest groups outside of campus, including professional organizations or ones you’ve been involved with since before your time at IUPUI. Get to know the people involved and offer to help out using your skill set. As with work and internship supervisors, the people you meet in these organizations will connect you with their networks if they know they can trust your work and can also speak to your work ethic and abilities.
Your Friends and Classmates
Your friends and current classmates are your future colleagues and network. Cultivating these relationships right now and keeping in touch in the future will keep you connected to a diverse network. You can start by creating study groups for courses or grad school entry exams, or just by introducing your friends to people and events they might need to know or attend (and asking them to do the same).
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Whether you like it or not, events can be a great way to meet people or strengthen existing relationships. These events can also be very draining. Here are some tips for surviving networking events:
Choose wisely.
You don’t need to attend All The Things. Think about what you like to do and start there. Pick a group or an event that interests you, or think about where you can meet people with similar goals. It doesn’t have to be career-related but it can be. The important thing is that you have passion and energy for whatever you choose. Also, be realistic in which and how many events to attend. You know your limits best. If one event a month is what you can handle, don’t schedule one a week!
Do some basic research.
Find out who is organizing or in charge, who else will be attending, and see if you know anyone else going. Knowing things like dress code, location, how to get there, and where you can go if you need a break from the action can make it easier to handle. Stop by the room or location ahead of time if you can, and try to get there early or within the first 15 minutes. It’s much easier to adjust to the event of you can scope things out before it gets too busy and crowded.
Be prepared.
Did you know that there are workshops on campus to help teach you things like networking and etiquette? Check out the career services offerings and learn a thing or two to help feel more prepared. If there’s pre-registration for an event, fill that out and ask around to see if anyone else is going. Also, try to schedule in some recharge time before or after the event. Events are more bearable when you can count on a few quiet moments to get your energy back!
Put in an appearance.
This seems so simple, but just keep showing up to events and gatherings. Even if you don’t talk the first few times, you’ll get more comfortable each time. Decide ahead of time what your earliest leaving time is and if you’re still comfortable at the end of that, stay longer.
Make a big room small and manageable.
You can make a big event seem more manageable by introducing yourself to the person in charge or volunteer to help with the event. You could seek out a table or cluster of one or two people, hang out by the food or drink, or get in line and talk to the person in front of or behind you. Prepare some questions to ask and then listen to the answers (people love to talk about themselves). Keep conversations short and move on to another person or go take a break.
Find time to recharge.
Sit in the back of the room or near a door, if you want. You can duck out to check voicemail or respond to text messages or email (or just pretend) or hide in the bathroom or lounge area for a few moments. If you just exchanged business cards, take a moment to write a note on the back to give yourself a break and remember more about the conversation later.
Follow up.
People rarely follow up. Make yourself stand out by being one who does! Send a message within the next few days or connect on LinkedIn and reference something that you talked about. If you feel comfortable, ask for a short amount of time to chat one-on-one if you have specific questions.
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In summary, consider a few questions as you head out to grow your network:
- What do you like to do?
- Where can you meet like-minded people?
- What are your goals?
- Where can you meet people with similar goals?
- What networking opportunities on campus, in community could you do?
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Want some practice? Join LHSI and our partners on Tuesday, October 25 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in Taylor Hall room 104 for the Meet Your Network event. Learn how to network and then practice with campus staff and student leaders at this event co-hosted by Academic and Career Development, the Health and Life Sciences Advising Center, the Life-Health Sciences Internship Program, and School of Science PREPs office. You’ll even get some free business cards for the event if you register by Monday, October 24 at 5 p.m.!
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