Survival Skills: Three Ways to Survive a Networking Event

Posted on Tuesday, November 14th, 2017

Ah, networking. It’s a key aspect of any job hunt, and often a necessary part of professional life. And while there are varying methods of networking, ranging from grabbing a coffee to speed dating (yes, really), one of the most accessible methods remains traditional networking events.

There are pros and cons to networking events. The pros are that they happen frequently in every industry, and are often full of people that you’ll want to talk to. The cons are that they are full of people, and making meaningful connections in that environment can be both difficult and intimidating.

Luckily, there are some ways of mitigating these cons. Here are three survival skills for successfully navigating a network event.

Skill #1: Figure out what you want.

There’s nothing worse than going into a networking event without knowing what you want from it. You’ll end up directionless, milling around with no purpose. Your conversations will be similarly rudderless, and it will be much harder for you to identify whether the event was a success.

This is why it’s so important to take the time and figure out what your goals are, before you go to the event. Are you looking to find job leads? Meet people from companies you’re into? Learn more about how to get started in the industry? Come up with a key question you’d like answered, and finding purpose and success at your networking event will be much easier.

Skill #2: Plan your questions before the event.

Once you know what you want, you can start coming up with questions to get you there. By planning these out ahead of time, you’ll be able to get much more value out of conversations at the networking event.

For example, let’s say your goal is to find out how to get started in your industry. You could plan questions such as:

  • How did you get started in this industry?
  • What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in this job?
  • What kinds of skills do you think are in demand?

Putting together a list of questions beforehand gives you the ability to direct the conversation and ask insightful things of your contact.

The most important aspect of this step, though, happens at the event itself: listening. Always be sure that you listen carefully to the answers you get. It can be hard, especially when you’re nervous, to dedicate yourself to listening instead of planning what you’ll say next. But active listening is a really important skill, and your contact will be able to tell if you’re fully engaged. So ask, and then listen.

Skill #3: Follow up with your connections.

So, you go to a networking event and meet some really interesting people. They give well thought out answers to your questions and offer insights to your industry. They seem engaged and willing to help you out. What do you do?

The first thing to do is to make notes. After a conversation with someone, take a few minutes to find a quiet place and write down some notes about them (the back of their business card can be a good place for this). Because these events can be overwhelming and busy, this is a good way to remember what you talked about with people.

Then, a few days after the event, reach out to people you connected with. Thank them for the conversation, mention some particulars from it, and—if appropriate—follow up for an informational interview. This is a great way to get the interview, because the ice is already broken for you—you’ve already met this person, and they’ll likely be quite receptive to meeting with you again.

Networking events can be intimidating, but the potential benefits are huge. Knowing how to get through a networking event successfully can you bring you awesome opportunities and connections.

If you would like to learn more about the Algonquin College co-op program, please visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at coop@algonquincollege.com or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623. You can also follow us on Twitter @AlgonquinCoop.


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