I used to be very against the idea of networking, and especially opposed to networking events. To me it felt phony and wrong to purposely approach someone with the intention to gain something, even if that something is career advice or a networking contact for a job.
I used to be anti-internship as well, but all it took was one good internship placement to change that. Knowing my perceptions could very well change through experience, I tried to keep an open mind when I signed up for The Alumni Networking Event at The Lodge, despite my nerves and hesitation.
Alumni from all colleges and universities in the Buffalo area were invited, as well as current undergraduate and graduate students. For $20 every attendee received two drink tickets, a professional photo and access to a buffet of Hors d’oeuvres. Each nametag had a sticker, which distinguished those who were looking to hire, those who were looking for jobs and those who were simply there to mingle and meet people. The Lodge is one of the swankiest and hottest bars in downtown Buffalo at the moment, which was perfect for an event like this.
Two rum ‘n cokes and three hours later, I was surprised at how I was able to enjoy and benefit from this experience while staying genuine and to true to myself. With my first networking experience completed, I’d like to inform future networking-event attendees, who may be just has hesitant as I was:
You can be yourself.
This was something I once thought was absolutely impossible at a networking event. I thought that by deliberately placing myself in a room where everyone’s sole purpose is to network, I would surely lose who I am in an attempt to score a job. I quickly learned the opposite is true. After about 15 painful minutes of not speaking to anyone but my roommate, I decided I was going to loosen up and just be myself. The funny thing is I thought that choosing to be myself meant networking-suicide. I had no idea how to talk business-y or how to frame a conversation to make someone want to hire me, so I thought every conversation I had would fail. Three conversations into the evening I realized that being myself was not only more comfortable, but served as an indicator for whether or not I was talking to the right people. Throughout the evening, four different people came up to me and complimented me on my glasses, which I almost didn’t wear out of fear that I would not fit into some ideal professional image. One of those compliments turned into a half hour conversation, and a great one at that. I believe this conversation went so well because we had a common interest. Granted, the common interest wasn’t work-related, but if we can bond over a cool pair of glasses, who’s to say we can’t bond over a cool job opportunity?
I learned that attending a networking event doesn’t mean you have to become this formal business-person for a couple hours and talk with a vocabulary you’ve never used before. Ultimately all of us just want to work with people that we get along with, so you might as well do yourself a favor and be your truest self right off the bat. Act the way that is natural to you, and if someone doesn’t like it, then they’re not right for you, and if someone does, well, that could be the very person that connects you with the job of your dreams.
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