New to Networking or just want to network with some new folks? Who you know is just as important--if not more--as what you know. That was a heavy pill for me to swallow when I graduated from college. I wasn't trying to hear that working on my 4-year degree full-time, for 5.5 years--through a marriage and two babies, that I had to be sociable too! I was trying to will it, when I finally graduated and entered the work world, that it was going to be about what I KNOW--dammit!Yeah, that didn't work out so well.
But things did start happening for me, an introvert, as I pushed myself to get to know more people in the industry that I wanted to be in.
Getting to where you want to go professionally can be overwhelming with so many new rules to the game, and things changing so rapidly. But connecting with others doesn't have to be if you take baby steps. A show of support for someone you admire through a retweet here, or a (genuine) comment there can get things rolling in growing who you know. Soon, you'll have the confidence to attend local meet-ups or invite someone out for coffee and conversation.
What you can do right now!
Find out if the people you admire, those you can learn from, and decision makers are on Twitter. If so, follow them. Everyone of them. All of them! See what they're discussing and have something useful or insightful to contribute to their tweets or conversation.
What tips do you use to grow your connections?
Tweet
1 comments:
Great tips about Twitter and comments. If I'm going to network in person I make sure to always listen attentively to the people I meet, rather than puking all over them about what I do. I always try to establish a genuine connection and that has helped me a lot in my 10 years in business!
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