/9918578/Banner

/9918578/Banner_2

/9918578/Mid

section

articleId

product

orgType

parrefer

accountID

Consulting

Banking

Accounting

Fintech

Internships

Rankings

Internship Rankings

Intern Resource Center

Explore Internships

Vault Law Home

Practice Area Resource Centers

Regional Resource Centers

Summer Program Resource Center

Vault Law Culture & Inclusion Survey

Vault Law

Guides

Events

Financial Services

Technology

Grad School

Work Relationships

Productivity

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Social Impact

Remote Work

Negotiating

Changing Jobs

Workplace Issues

Blog

Resume Samples

Cover Letter Samples

Interview Tips & Questions

A Day in the Life

International

Career Readiness

Explore Professions

Research Industries

Search Companies

Career Advice

Employers

Schools

&lt;p&gt;Today, networking is essential for anyone looking to advance their careers, and it’s normal to feel uncomfortable when putting yourself out there in your professional life. When it’s your career and livelihood on the line, it’s easy to feel intimidated by having to network in ways that feel authentic and effective for you. And particularly intimidating are networking events. So here are three tips that will help you get what you need out of your next networking event.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Go in with the right intention&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rather than thinking about networking as you trying to get something (like a deal or job), think about it as an opportunity to share who you are. If you do that, you’ll find that you act very differently than if you were desperately trying to sell yourself.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, say that you set a clear intention on making connections—great! That’s a healthy and effective intention for a networking event. An unhealthy intention would be to enter the networking event only to get a job offer.&#160;That would put a lot of pressure on you—to the detriment of other opportunities. If you did that, you might miss out on the types of conversations and people that may not have a job offer for you right now, but who could be great partners in the future as you develop long-term relationships with them.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remember that when you bring an open and curious energy, that magnetizes people to you. They’ll want to speak with you, ask you questions, and share things about themselves. Basically, the networking will happen with more ease. You’ll not only enjoy yourself more without being so anxious but you’ll also be showing the best of yourself in your relaxed state.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As for how to get into that curious and comfortable state, it helps to get a sense of the environment you’ll be stepping into so you have ideas about the people you might like to connect with, ask questions about, and share your own work with. This is addressed in point #2 below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Do your homework beforehand&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If it’s possible, scope out who’s attending the event before you arrive. You can ask the organizers if they have any information about registered names or businesses. Or, if there’s a social media events page, you can easily find the profiles of the people who have RSVP’d.&#160;This will give you an idea of the type of companies and businesses you can expect to see, giving you some time to do research into specific businesses that you feel drawn to.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not only is having a heads up on the community of people attending beneficial for you but also having this opportunity to set up meetings with people before the event is a way to start the networking and connecting process early.&#160;Basically, the event can then just be a continuation of a conversation you’d already begun, thus putting you one step ahead of the others in the room.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Focus on giving rather than getting&lt;/strong&gt;&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you focus on giving more than getting, it completely changes the way you communicate in a networking setting. When you freely share your ideas, knowledge, and your own connections, people will feel drawn to you. It shows that you’re not there to compete with others but solely to connect. The truth is, a competitive mindset repels people; the conversations are exhausting to hold.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Think of it this way: giving out your own contacts, linking people together, introducing others, and referring people to those you&#39;re&#160;talking with&#160;is a win-win situation for everyone. It will inspire people you speak with to do the same for you, and it will demonstrate your capacity to be a team player with pure intentions—now that’s the type of person we all want to work with.&#160;&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you can remember these simple tips and follow them before and during your upcoming networking event, you’ll find that you’ll be closer to getting what you need—and you’ll also enjoy the event a whole lot more.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Natalie Fisher is best known for helping professionals land their dream jobs and achieve explosive salary growth (even with little experience).&#160;If you’re looking for a deeper dive on networking and how to access endless opportunities in your job hunt, sign up for the &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://nataliefisher.lpages.co/endless-opportunities-workshop-registration&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Free workshop HERE.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Natalie Fisher

Article

How to Write a Networking Email That Gets a Response Every Time

Small Talk: Why It Matters and How to Do It [Infographic]

3 Simple Networking Tips for International Students That Generate Results

4 Tips for Using Instagram to Network

The Library