Question #49
“How do I find networking events when I live in a small town/city?”
Dear LJ,
This is your chance to get creative! I have three ideas for you:
Plan a trip or two to your nearest big city to attend events there. Make a weekend of it even! You can go to the conference or networking event, and also set up some informational interviews, or coffee catch-ups, and some personal downtime in a couple of days or over a long weekend.
Make the most of virtual events. It doesn’t have to be weekly, but maybe try to find one virtual event per month in your career area of interest. Look at offerings from professional organizations, institutions from which you are alumni. Fully engage in the event, and follow up with any interesting or relevant new connections.
Bring the people to you! Plan a small conference or virtual event that brings people in your field together. Tell a friend to tell a friend, or maybe take it as an opportunity to go deeper with people you’ve met previously.
I think sometimes we get discouraged because we don’t have the perfect circumstances, or ideal opportunities. However, we can use whatever resources that we do have to get whatever we want. How can you be creative with your resources?
