Networking for Introverts
Introverts are the best at making real connections with people, but networking can seem super-intimidating. Being schmoozy and sociable as the goal for an event is enough to strike fear in our hearts and keep us in the corner near the food table. But never fear, there is a way to network that makes it a bit less daunting for introverts. Here’s my caveat though, this advice is great for people who are drained by big social situations, but isn’t quite designed for people with social anxiety, although you might find it helpful anyways!
Have a goal. Your goal can be, have at least a five-minute conversation with three people at an event, or go to six networking events per year, or add ten new contact on LinkedIn per quarter. Make it something that’s attainable with a bit of effort, so that when you get to your goal, you can call it quits and go home.
Set a time limit. It can be as short as you want: “I’m going to say hello to my coworkers and then go home” or “I’m staying for an hour” are perfectly fine limits for an event. One that I’ve used for longer events (like a conference or symposium) is something like, “I’ll stay until my phone goes into battery save mode” (at 15% battery) because at that point, either I’ve been having such a good time that I’ve been out almost all day, or I’ve been in the corner on my phone so much that I may as well leave.
Find an “in.” One easy in is to volunteer at the event. That way you can consider talking to people as part of your duties: “Are you having a good time?” “Can I help you find anything?” Or, you could just have a question that you ask each person you come across: “Your nametag says you work at this company. What’s your favorite thing about your role there?” “Hi, my name is Jane, and I’m interested in x field. What brings you to this event?”
Networking is really just a fancy word for getting to know people in a (mostly) professional setting, and can be really helpful in making connections with others, giving you a wide range of people you can call on as things arise, whether that’s looking for opportunities for yourself, or finding the right people for a job, or getting more information on a particular field.
