Networking Is Just Professional Small Talk (and You Can Do It)
Say the word “networking” to a college student or new graduate, and you will often get a wince. It conjures up lanyards, awkward name tags, and someone handing out business cards like Pokémon cards. The good news is that networking, at its core, is professional small talk. You don’t need to become a LinkedIn influencer, you don’t need to magically become an extrovert; you don’t even have to like it. You just need to be curious, introduce yourself, ask questions, and stay connected.
Why it matters: it really is about who you know
Let me tell you a story. When I was fresh out of college, I took a job as a nanny for a working mom who had an interior decorator. The interior decorator happened to be the president of a local nonprofit. Four people, three introductions, and I was one conversation away from a foot in the door in my community’s nonprofit world. This connection did more for me than the hundreds of applications I was filling out for entry-level jobs (that somehow want 10 years of experience? You know the ones).
That conversation turned into a job, and I ended up working for that nonprofit for three years. The relationships I built there led directly to my later positions. None of it started at a formal networking event. It started because people talk to each other.
There is research behind this. A large study published in Science ran randomized experiments on LinkedIn’s People You May Know feature, involving more than 20 million people, and found that weaker connections increased job opportunities, though only up to a point. In plain terms, the acquaintance you chat with at an event can matter more than your closest friend, because they move in different circles and hear about opportunities you haven’t. The same study found that the value of weak ties varied by industry, so it is worth asking people in your field how hiring tends to work there.
Why it feels weird, and what to do about it
If networking makes you uncomfortable, you are in good company. Researchers at Harvard Business School, the Kellogg School of Management, and the University of Toronto suspected that professional networking often makes people feel inauthentic, and that this feeling can keep them from doing it even when they know it helps their careers. One researcher suggested focusing on what you can offer the relationship to ease that feeling.
“So change the question from “What can I get from this person?” to “What can I learn from this person, and how can I be helpful?” It is a small shift, and it makes the conversation much easier to start.”
Easy wins
Sit with someone new at events.
Follow up afterward.
Connect on LinkedIn.
Listen before you mentally draft your response.
Say thank you.
That last one costs nothing, and people remember it.
How to start the conversation
Listen, I know it is uncomfortable. Do it anyway. People love talking about themselves, so give them the chance. A few openers that work:
Hi! What do you do for work?
What is your favorite part of your job?
How did you get started?
What do you wish you had known at my age?
What projects are you working on?
Where to network in the South Bend-Elkhart region
You do not have to figure this out alone. Our region has young professional groups built for exactly this purpose:
YPN South Bend, a program of the South Bend Regional Chamber
Young Professionals of Elkhart, part of the Greater Elkhart Chamber
The South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership talent page, which lists these groups along with young professional networks in Marshall County and Southwest Michigan, plus regional internship programs
Check each group’s website for current events and how to join.
LinkedIn is weird. Use it anyway.
Add a profile picture. You can take a professional-looking photo by yourself, I promise.
Update your internship.
Connect with people you meet.
Send a short message when connecting, such as where you met and one thing you enjoyed talking about.
Keep it professional-ish.
