Networking Tips For The Awkward, Introverted, And Experience-Challenged
Learning how to network with people at work or others in your industry was complicated when remote work and return-to-office mandates weren’t even a thing. Now you can add yet another level of pressure related to networking: the vital need to connect with high-status professionals — as, per Harvard Business Review research, this is something that really benefits women’s career advancement. Networking can feel intimidating and complicated, especially if you’re an introvert, a bit awkward, or a newbie to working altogether.
The good news? Anyone can develop good networking skills. Whether you dread small talk or feel unsure about how to go about this, try these customized strategies for networking success:
The Awkward Networker: State The Obvious With Humor.
Instead of trying to suppress who you are and the unique ways you relate with others, lean on lighthearted acceptance with confidence with a touch of appropriate humor. Entrepreneur and actress Issa Rae took her awkwardness straight to the bank and unapologetically continues to show up as her true self.
“Now I love it. I embrace it. It’s what makes me me,” she told Glamour.
A simple honest admission like, “I always feel a little awkward at these events…” is a great ice breaker. Experts also recommend doing your research and having a few go-to, open-ended questions ready, like “What’s the most interesting thing you’ve worked on recently?” or “How did you get into this field?” This helps to avoid awkward silences or weird conversation killers.
And practice makes for more comfortability: Try networking at smaller events and then gradually pushing boundaries with larger ones.
The Introverted Networker: Go Digital And Try The ‘Peanut-Butter-And-Jelly’ Method.
If you find networking to be energy-draining, these tips are for you. Experts recommend building conversations and setting yourself apart as a subject-matter expert by consistently updating your LinkedIn. Bernadette Joy, CEO of Crush Your Money Goals and a self-proclaimed introvert, swears by this.
Kim Kaupe, agency founder, educator and podcast host, recently shared her “peanut butter and jelly” LinkedIn strategy on Launch Your Business podcast. First, you authentically connect by addressing a person by their first name—that’s the “peanut butter.”
“The jelly is that cool, interesting thing that that person is doing,” she said. “And then the bread is appreciation and gratitude. So appreciation could be something along the lines of it’s so great to meet you. I’m really excited to keep learning from you and then some sort of gratitude such as thanks for sharing that last post. Thanks for having such great points on that podcast, I’m really excited to keep learning from you.”
The Career-Gap Networker: Unapologetically Own Your Story.
Having a career gap can add an element of self-imposed shame to networking for some, but the key is to confidently own your story. Whether your gap was due to a pivot into full-time stay-at-home motherhood, a rough life transition, a freeing digital nomad adventure, or a plight for more knowledge, take a cue from self-made millennial founder Madeline Mann.
“I know how to spin a gap into gold,” she said in a YouTube video. “Don’t cower or share shame or embarrassment about it. If you’re confident, they will be, too.”
Allow concise but engaging details of the gap to be valuable additions to any conversation, allowing you to connect to like-minded people or to showcase skills that make you a well-rounded interesting person to get to know.
The Entry-Level Networker: Get Into Collaborate-And-Serve Mode To Build That Power Circle.
When you’re just starting out, add happy hours and service projects to your calendar along with those alumni events, conferences, and informational interviews. It’s a great time to build that power circle by networking across as well as up, collaborating with other bright and capable professionals, and serving for a cause to get to know senior professionals on a personal level.
Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King’s early coworker bond expanded into friendship after an act of kindness on Oprah’s part, and the rest is 48-year-old friendship history, with lucrative partnerships on award-winning projects and lifetime achievements. Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla, co-founders of The Little Market, initially met in college then reconnected during a service trip to Africa.
If you’re any one of these types of professionals, networking can be a fun and empowering experience year after year with these tips.
