To a lot of people, networking sounds like this very structured, overwhelming process...or because of what we think it means, have even a slightly icky feel to it.

For a lot of us, the word causes anxiety.

When someone is telling me about their career exploration and job search & I ask them about their networking approach, the most common responses I get are:

‘Where do I even start?’
‘I know I should, but I’m not comfortable with it...'
'I’m not good at it.’

But it’s a key component of the career change process.

Why do I believe so much in the power of networking? Every job I got when I changed career paths was a direct result of a connection I had made. In fact, I can attribute every single job and consulting contract post-college (and I’ve had more than a few) to networking - even when I didn't know that's what I was doing.

If you're like me, and perhaps struggle with what I think of as the old-school/traditional networking approach [e.g., if you were to drop me into a networking happy hour or event, you’d find me holding up a wall - virtual or otherwise, totally awkward and uncomfortable - I am SO much better in 1:1 or small group conversations], try this:

(1) Find one person in your family/social circle/community - someone you know who is doing something you’re interested in learning more about
(2) And ask them if you can chat with them to learn more about their experiences.

That’s the gist of networking!

Cheers,

Vidya