Contribution by April Clark, AAF Omaha Board Member and Membership Co-Chair
Its summertime and the livin’ is easy, right? Many of us already have BBQs, pool parties and outdoor happy hours filling our calendar. But while these events are meant to help us relax, it’s important not to overlook the importance of networking at these casual happenings. Below are some helpful tips from Recruiter.com to become a networking success this summer.
Don’t…
- Be overt in your networking attempts, or in their face. People are there to have fun, and often to forget about work.
- Wait until a crisis hits; effective networking should be a continual process.If you’ve never cared about building a network, you’ve been placing yourself in dangerous territory. What happens if you suddenly lose your job to downsizing or are terminated? If you haven’t built a network of connections, you’ll have a much harder time reaching out to people who can potentially help you in your job search process.
- Ask for a job, ask for advice.
Do…
- Ask questions about others. People love to talk about themselves. The best way to get people to feel as though they trust and know you is actually when you know them.
- Read the room, make wise decisions about whether talking business or about your job interests is really appropriate in the setting. Networking is most effective when nuanced.
- Practice describing what you do or aspire to do in a sound-bite. If you have a chance to drop it in conversation, great! Then allow others to ask more questions and move on.
Hopefully these tips will help you become a networking master at your next summer event. Stay up-to-date with the latest summer events that AAF is working on. To learn more, click here.
