After work today, I will be attending my first networking event since college. However instead of mingling with other college students and a few business professionals, I’ll be interacting with many business professionals in a completely different environment all while representing a company. Though this is my first professional event, I realized that networking shouldn’t be a new task. I was a member of a sorority in college and sorority recruitment taught me a few tips I need to rock a networking event.
First Impressions
It is a known fact that it takes seven seconds to make a first impression on someone. Usually in those seven seconds, one notices how you dress, if you make eye contact and whether or not you have a firm handshake. Failure to do any of these can make a person seem careless and uninterested. You want to talk to someone who cares, right? So show people you care and give them your undivided attention. Most importantly, always remember the names of who you meet because you never know when it may come in handy down the road.
Making Connections
During recruitment we are required to talk to about 5 different girls from completely different backgrounds. This is just like networking, talking to people from completely different industries. Though it is important to meet as many people as you can, it is more important to make meaningful connections with a smaller amount of people. It’ll make following up with people easier when you can reference conversations you had. And no matter how different an industry is from yours, you can definitely find something in common, you just have to find it.
Be Prepared
People go through sorority recruitment because they want to know more about the sorority and see how they can benefit from it. Like a networking event, people go to meet new others and see how they can benefit from those conversations. But in order to make those mutually beneficial relationships, you have to asks questions and be prepared for questions in return. There have been many times I was asked, “What is your philanthropy?” or “Why is your symbol a lyre?” I had to know these facts off the top of my head. While networking, you will have to know about your company and be able to answer any question that comes your way. You also don’t want to bore people with details so be able to make answers short and to the point.
What are some of your favorite networking tips?
