Go to a Networking Event and Don't Be Annoying

I recently asked which city would be best for a This is an IT Support Group meetup. You should go and vote or reply back to this email with what city is nearest to you. I’m looking at planning at least one next year 👀

Last week I went to a free “Web Tech” happy hour. The setup was super simple: a closed-off space in a local brewery, a pile of name tags and sharpie and some tickets for free drinks.

COVID kinda killed these types of events but I think they’re coming back. This one was put on by a company in the area who wanted to recruit tech workers.

It went well and I met some interesting people, including the guy who owns Towing.com here in Cincinnati. Who knew you could make a living that way?

I thought I’d write about some tips to make the most of a Networking Happy Hour and how to not be annoying (I’m still not sure if I am).

Why Attend a Networking Event?

LinkedIn has made networking cringe and the word has become uncool and corporate. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Networking can actually be “cool” and doesn’t have to be polo-clad dorks putting on phony plastic perceptions for their own financial gain. (I’ve totally been that guy).

Networking and community are about shared interests and making friends who share those interests. Sometimes they can lead to jobs, business deals or financial gain, but I don’t think that should be the primary motive. Just a side effect of making friends.

There’s other reasons to network too, like learning new things.

Where do I find a networking event?

How can you even find a networking event to attend? It’s easy.w

Check these sites:

• Meetup.com

• LinkedIn events

  • LinkedIn has an events page and it’s where I found the event I went to.

• EventBrite

• Local Chamber of Commerce

• Professional Organizations (like this community and others).

Look for words related to tech you work on, eg: IT, Software, Web, Tech, Technology, AWS, Cisco, Python, EPIC, ServiceNow, whatever.

You could even go to events that aren’t exactly related to your area of expertise. Maybe you want to learn about that subject or maybe the title doesn’t matter that much. I’m not a web developer but I went to a web tech event and met people who weren’t web developers too.

Sign up, get the email, go to the thing.

Just Say Hi

Being social can kinda suck. It’s awkward and everyone is afraid to reveal things about themselves or be judged.

Here’s my tip to get over it:

The first person you make eye contact with, walk up to, extend your hand and say “Hi my name is <X>”.

They’ll introduce themselves instead of saying “ew get away from me”. They’re here for the same reason you are.

If you’re like me, you’ll feel immediate relief. The hard, awkward part is over.

You’re now in a conversation.

Continue the Conversation

You should probably have a little pitch of who you are and why you’re at the event, which probably includes what you do for work or what your goals are. I’d keep it pretty brief and be sure to reciprocate.

Wait for them to ask you or just ask them “What brought you here?”, “What do you do for work?”, etc.

You can continue to ask questions and people love this. Don’t talk about yourself all the time, it’s annoying. Conversations are actually easy, just ask a question and sit back and listen and people will remark that you “are such a good conversationalist”. Maybe check out that book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Absolute banger and a classic.

Connect

Exchange LinkedIn, Phone Numbers, Twitter accounts, whatever if you hit it off or have a reason to stay in touch. If not, no big deal.

Work the Room

You probably won’t talk to everyone in the room, but you should make an effort to move around and meet a lot of people. Unless maybe you found your next business deal or job or something important.

Practicing finding a way to end a conversation. You might get stuck in a conversation you really don’t want to be in and there’s no reason to do that IMO.

Do the same thing as before, walk up to random person, extend hand, “Hi I’m <X>”. Easy.

Leave if it sucks.

Related to the conversation event, if you’re not enjoying the event, head out early. No need to waste your time. But hopefully it was worthwhie

What else?

Networking doesn’t have to suck. It can be enjoyable, profitable and lead to new friends and connections. I’d encourage you to check out a local event near you. It’s great to get out and “touch grass”.

What else would you recommend? How do you network?

-Stetson

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