Mix and Mingle 8 Networking Tips for Young Professionals - Sterling Career Concepts

Mix and Mingle 8 Networking Tips for Young Professionals Mix and Mingle: 8 Networking Tips for Young Professionals This is the second of a two-part series offering career advice for new professionals. Being a young professional is exciting but also a bit nerve-wracking. You’re working your first real job, paying bills and trying to network, all essential adulting skills they never taught in school. If you’ve never networked before, it can be intimidating to cold email someone or walk into a room full of strangers, so we’ve rounded up our eight best tips for young professionals who are new to networking. Start with your existing networks. It’s always easier to network with someone that you’ve had previous contact with. Your family and friends are a good place to start, as are any bosses from past jobs and internships. Alumni from your college and any graduate schools you have attended are also an excellent resource, and many universities offer alumni portals that specifically help alumni connect with fellow graduates. In fact, if you’re still in school, your career center might even be able to make a direct introduction to alumni currently working in your chosen field. Which brings us to the next tip: Ask for an introduction. Chances are, if you’re chatting with an expert in the field, they’ll know many more people than you do. After all, the more experienced you are, the more people you meet and the larger your network grows. If the networking goes well, don’t be afraid to ask at the end of the conversation if the other person has any recommendations for additional people you should reach out to. They might be willing to provide contact information for them, or maybe even make a personal introduction if you all really hit it off. Reaching out to someone who’s been vetted by your new contact is also way more efficient than cold emailing random people who may or may not be able to help you. Look out for networking events. Most cities have networking organizations that target young professionals or, in the very least, host individual networking events catered to young people early on in their careers. If your alma mater has an alumni chapter in your city, they may also host networking nights or other events where alumni of the school can mix and mingle. Other events such as industry conferences and workshops are also great opportunities to meet new people in your field, so do some research in your city to discover what options are available and sign yourself up for a couple of events. Don’t be afraid to fly solo. It can be intimidating to go to a networking event alone, especially if you’ve never really networked before in the first place. While it may feel like you’re the only one there flying solo, trust us: A good portion of attendees at any networking event are attending by themselves. Going by yourself actually makes you more approachable, and it also makes it easier for you to mix and mingle with new groups. Plus, if you only confine yourself to events that your friends can attend with you, you’ll severely limit your networking potential. After all, you can’t meet new people if you don’t actually go to the events! Set goals for yourself. Networking is a little bit like looking for a job. You can control what you put into the process (i.e., how many events you attend or applications you submit) but not necessarily what you get out of it (i.e., how many new connections you make or offers you get). Rather than judging the success of your networking by how many new work BFFs you meet, set goals for yourself that you can control. For example, you might commit to attend one networking event per month and to talk to at least three people at each event. Goals like this will keep you accountable and focused on your own actions. Brainstorm good questions to ask. Whether it’s a one-on-one call over the phone or an in-person networking event, you should be prepared to ask plenty of questions to keep the conversation going. Before the call or event, do some research on the company or industry and brainstorm good conversation starters for your next networking event. While it may feel a bit silly at first, you’ll be glad you did it when the conversation peters out and you’re casting around for the next topic to discuss. You might also want to bring a small notebook and pen to the event so you can make notes to jog your memory later. Don’t be afraid to ask for contact info. Assuming you’ve run into someone at a networking event, you won’t have a way to get in touch with them unless you ask for their contact info. Sure, you might be able to look them up on LinkedIn afterwards, but that’s not a guarantee. So, if you all have hit it off, offer to exchange email addresses or business cards as the conversation wraps up (yes, people still use good old paper business cards!). By the same token, don’t feel obligated to exchange contact info with everyone you talk to if the conversation didn’t go well or things seemed weird. Not every person you talk to will turn into an ongoing professional relationship, and that’s to be expected. Follow up promptly and politely. Once you’ve got someone’s contact info, you want to follow up soon after the event while you’re still fresh in their minds. A quick email or note on LinkedIn will suffice. Make sure to say thank you and reference something specific from your conversation to jog their memory. Try to send your note the day after the event so it’s prompt, but not too pushy. If the other person offered to help you with somethingâ€"say, to introduce you to one of their colleaguesâ€"this thank you email is a great opportunity to gently remind them. _____________________ Networking for the first time may be intimidating, but preparing ahead of time will go a long way toward settling your nerves and setting you up for success. If you’re a young professional, follow these eight tips to ace your next networking conversation.