Network, networking
… these words are in everyone’s mouth.
For me, the mere fact of hearing them gave me heart palpitations. And when I could not escape these kinds of events, I was rather like sticking to the wall like a chameleon in camouflage mission, hiding behind the decorations🌻 or speaking only to people I knew.
I was also that kind of people who when finally, she took her courage to start a conversation, took the wall in her face:
” – Could you remind me who you are?
– We met already blablabla …
– I see, you are the assistant. Well, good evening! “…
And boom! The great moment of loneliness that makes you even more disappointed and miserable than before.
Impossible for someone who works in communication! Effectively. Even if, actually, communication does not equal spokesperson or public relation.
From hell to love story
…some networking techniques! How did I go from abhorrence (to adoration? noooo exaggeration!) to ease with networking meetings?
Here are my tips:
I read a lot.
From “how to make the small talk” to “introduce yourself in 3 and a half minutes”, all the guides went there. Although I did not really find a recipe in these books, certainly all this information ended up infusing in my little brain.
I moved.
Warning! You put away immediately zour suitcase. I’m not saying you all have to go away from home, huh 🙂.
Personally, it boosted me. I psychologically prepared myself to do some networking and, as a result, I have to say it helped me. I told myself that I was not the only one in the same case (freshly arrived in this new country), which made me feel relaxed.
To make a clean sweep of the past, it feels good. And for that, it’s not necessarily to go to the other end of the world.
Do not put pressure on yourself.
If you have signed up for a party and are finally in a grouchy mode or feel destabilized or preoccupied with something that happened during your day: DO NOT GO! You will not release anything good and because of this, you will not attract the right people. But keep in mind that you have to push yourself a little, huh?!
Meet the right people
This is the most delicate. It’s like in friendship or in love, sometimes your instinct speaks to you: follow it! Obviously, it does not help to avoid disappointments and bad choices. Most of the time, it helps you meet great people.
Benefit of encouragement
No need to cheer up all the cheerleaders in the world. If your entourage supports you in your choice, it will help you.
Personally, I was fortunate to have two people (who will recognize themselves if they pass by here 😉) who told me, during the defense of my last degree work: “You are intelligent, you know your job, now it’s time to trust yourself. “Electroshock!
Since then, I’ve done a lot of work on myself, which I’m still doing right now. And I feel much better, thank you.
I continue to learn at each networking event, whenever I try to network and yet I do not have a specific user guide.
But what I do know is that you can network even by going to buy your bread or, for me, my cheese naan. You just have to be yourself.
How is networking for you, hell or love story?
Share your adventures with me!
par Delphine Berclaz