If you are not heavily involved in professional networking, you are probably doing yourself — and your career — a disservice.
Consider these observations from Lindsay Kolowich, writing for HubSpot:
“When done right, networking is an incredibly valuable investment of every professional’s time and effort. It helps us make meaningful business connections, get feedback, and advance our careers. And best of all, it pays significant dividends over time. So why does it seem so unpleasant sometimes? It can feel fake, it’s exhausting, and frankly, standing alone in a sea of unknown faces with nametags and cheese plates can be utterly painful.”
According to Kolowich, here are common networking mistakes that people make:
- “You’re waiting to build your network until you need it most.”
- “You aren’t keeping up your personal brand.”
- “You’re afraid to attend networking events by yourself.”
- “You don’t follow up with personal messages.”
- “You ask the same questions everyone else is asking.”
- “You dominate networking conversations.”
- “You’re overeager.”
- “You don’t venture outside your existing network.”
- “You don’t ask for anything, or you ask for too much.”
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