Just about every successful business professional will attest to the importance of networking, in fact there is a whole social media platform dedicated to the cause (whether it’s effective is a whole different blog). Colleges reinforce the importance of networking starting at Freshman Orientation and host a myriad of Career Fairs for their students to practice. I vividly remember the awkwardness of my first Career Fair clutching a black padfolio I’d purchased that day with copies of a resume that listed very little work experience wondering how to approach someone at a Big 4 firm. When I think back on my interviews from college, there are only a few that I recall. While I can’t remember one case interview scenario, I do remember the human connection I made with interviewers over a mutual love of yoga or a love for William and Mary traditions.
Fast forward several years and now I’m the one behind the table trying to calm the nerves of anxious college students, many of them too young to realistically be considered for an internship. While I’m not disputing the values of networking, especially for young professionals just starting out, I view this type of networking as a means to an end. Most students at Career Fairs have the same approach, shoving their way to the front of the line and bombarding the recruiter with their qualifications making it difficult to stand out as an individual. Individuals who put in extra effort by reaching out on LinkedIn with a genuine interest in my chosen career path always leave a lasting impression and I’m usually more willing to go the extra mile to help them. I’ve found that any type of networking event in a more causal setting such as over appetizers or a cup of coffee, allows the conversation to flow more naturally.
As a new analyst at my first job, I was required to attend a training on “how to network” where we learned effective ways to leverage networking to accomplish our career goals. This methodology always felt very scripted to me and while there is a time and place for surface-level networking such as informational interviews, they don’t lead to long-term relationships. I’ve found that these transactional conversations rarely produce strong relationships compared to conversations conducted in a more social setting. Much like reverse mentoring, I believe networking should also be a two-way street where the person seeking help should also bring something to the table – even if that just means doing research. The bond I developed with Cindy was based on a genuine interest in learning about her from both a professional and personal lens and I apply that same approach to my professional networking.
In sharp contrast from my college Career Fair Days, where I used to run around campus alternating between yoga clothes and suffocating business clothes in the swampy Virginia heat, most of the opportunities I have to network are in settings that are outside the office. I have built more relationships than I can count over dinner, during sports events or even squished in the back of Ubers. I try to keep in mind that a networking conversation shouldn’t always be about my end goal, and I’ve found it much easier to build an initial connection with a topic that some may consider “small talk” before diving directly into the weeds. It is important to remember that leaders of an organization are people too and sometimes they just want to talk about their latest binge or gush about their children. Although Happy Hour may seem like the last place you want to be after a long day, I’ve found those conversations to be very beneficial in developing lasting bonds with my coworkers or expressing my interest in a new project opportunity.
While “social” networking has proved to be valuable in my career, conversations that take place with coworkers should still carry a certain level of professionalism. It is just as easy to make a negative impression with loose lips from drinking too much. I have a certain amount of pride in being the most sober person because I know I’ll remember what I’ve learned, and no amount of peer pressure will change that. To be transparent, some of the more important decisions in the business world take place outside the office and it can be very easy to be out of sight, out of mind (yes, FOMO also exists in the business world). My advice is to try to accept invitations to connect with coworkers outside of Zoom and email threads and once you get there – know your limits!
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