Do you feel out of place at networking events? What about feeling cringy when reaching out to other professionals on LinkedIn.
If you are proactively trying to expand your network, it’s not uncommon to feel awkward putting yourself out there. That particularly applies today as we emerge from the pandemic after hiding behind Zoom. The pandemic has made introverts out of all of us. Don’t want to come off too strong. Don’t want to impose. Don’t want to ask for too much. But you still need to get yourself out there.
The benefits of a strong professional network are self-evident. But if you feel as through networking is dirty, you are probably going about it the wrong way.
There is hope for the introvert networker.
As we let go of our lockdown mentality and start growing our connections again, here are five networking tips to consider:
1. Avoid Hit-and-Run Networking.
2. Go for Long Haul Connections.
3. Offer Value.
4. Show Up.
5. Follow Up.
During the month of October, I will go through each of these so you can become an expert networker again.
