Venting about the 'always be networking' advice I got in Denver

I thought it was just empty talk until a guy I met at a conference 3 months ago called me about a job opening at his firm. What's the most useful networking tip you've actually used?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_holly2mo ago

Wait, you actually followed up with that guy from the conference, right? My best tip is to send one specific thing after you meet someone, like a link to an article you talked about. It makes you memorable without being pushy. I used to just connect on LinkedIn and that was it, but now I make a note to share something small and useful within a week. That's how a coffee chat last year turned into a freelance gig for me.

thomasm412mo ago

Forced networking feels fake and exhausting though, like @the_holly's tip could just add to the chore list. What if you just focus on doing good work and letting connections happen naturally?

jessel351mo ago

Yeah, that's exactly it. The whole "always be networking" thing made me roll my eyes until I had the same thing happen with a guy I grabbed coffee with almost six months later. @the_holly nailed it on the follow up part too, I always try to drop a quick message with something we talked about and it's paid off way more than just collecting connections.