Or should I say making meaningful connections that remember you is the aim of networking then what’s really the best way to achieve that?
- Going to Say Hello
- Wearing an Outfit that would make you outstanding
- Exchanging contacts
- Sharing your ideas/experiences /interests and listening
- Doing something Meaningful/Remarkable normally
I’ve always been the kind of person who doesn’t gravitate towards networking with the top people at events except I have a good question to ask or a suggestion/contribution. Taking a selfie wouldn’t qualify as a core networking activity so I could do that for fun.
I thought I was the only who felt the whole drive for networking was a bit one sided, more of go out and say Hi which is true and important till I found the missing additional component in this article by Adam Grant
Good News for Young Strivers: Networking Is Overrated
It’s true that networking can help you accomplish great things. But this obscures the opposite truth: Accomplishing great things helps you develop a network.
Of course, accomplishments can build your network only if other people are aware of them. You have to put your work out there. It shouldn’t be about promoting yourself, but about promoting your ideas.
The best way to attract a mentor is to create something worthy of the mentor’s attention. Do something interesting, and instead of having to push your way in, you’ll get pulled in. The network comes to you.
People would gravitate to you more when you are doing something meaningful/remarkable.
If you make great connections, they might advance your career. If you do great work, those connections will be easier to make. Let your insights and your outputs — not your business cards — do the talking.
Networking should be about sharing your experiences/ideas/interests and if you can’t reciprocate in some way then you won’t be remembered which is really the aim of networking, to be remembered.