Networking for Nerds: Find, Access and Land Hidden Game-Changing Career Opportunities Everywhere

7 Networking at an Event

No matter your profession, you'll be attending tons of events throughout your career. And hopefully after reading this book, you'll be inclined to seek out and participate in even more. Below are the strategies to optimize your time and energy before, during, and after an event to ensure you receive the maximum ROI.

Pre-Event Strategies

Recognize that everyone is there for the same reason. No matter what kind of networking event it is, everyone is there with the same objective in mind: You all want to network and meet new people who could potentially progress your career and business in new directions. I make it a point to remember this before I step into any room with a bunch of people. I use it as a confidence booster, because even today after years of hardcore networking, I still occasionally have butterflies in my stomach when I enter the unknown environment of a networking reception. So to counteract this, I concentrate on remembering that everyone is there to meet people and they are probably having a case of the willies too.

Know what kind of an event it is. It's always a good idea to know what kind of an event you are attending. Is this a conference-sponsored mixer, designed to connect early-career professionals with potential mentors? Is it a local “wine and cheese” for leaders in any field? Is it a glow-in-the-dark golf tournament to raise money for charity? Is it a “speed-dating” type of an event with prospective employers? Whatever the affair, ...