Networking. You either love it or you don’t. If walking into a room full of people you don’t know in order to find common ground and build future professional connections in hopes of securing future employment makes you want to run for the hills, you’re not alone. But the fact is that most jobs are filled by networking, making it a crucial endeavor for landing the job you want.
If you want to build connections and reach your career goals, networking is a must. But it doesn’t mean spending your evenings working the crowds. Your prospective connections are people with lives and interests just like you. Connecting with them over shared activities and experiences of daily life can cut the stress factor and make networking actually fun.
Check out these 9 networking goldmines to step out of the ordinary and strike up conversations and connections.
1. Airplane
When you’re sitting in such close proximity to someone for a few hours, you can either awkwardly pretend they don’t exist, or strike up some good old-fashioned conversation. The long hours could be the perfect time to get to know someone on a deeper level beyond the obligatory small talk of networking-designated events. This is a winning way for
introverts and extroverts alike to build connections.
2. Social media
Social media has a bit of a rap for single-handedly destroying human ability to connect with others face-to-face. But with
more than 467 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is changing the way people connect—in a great way. In fact,
74.1% of users find it helpful for researching people and companies, 72.8% reconnect with past business colleagues, and 41.4% utilize it for their job search.
3. Conferences and events
Gathered together for a common purpose of learning and growth, it’s easy to break the ice and start chatting with like-minded attendees.
4. Toastmasters
Master your networking by addressing a crowd—and listening to others too. As you stand up to give your grand speech or 30-second snippets, make it meaningful by connecting it to your professional life and goals. Listen to others as they speak, and tune in to their pain points, their goals, ambitions, and profession. Then break past the podium to get to know them on a more personal level. Your next
mentor, client or employer might be slated as the next speaker.
5. Uber/Taxi
If you’ve ever utilized driving services like Uber or taxis, you’ve likely happened upon or traveled with out-of-town business professionals on their way to or from the airport. This is a great time to learn about their company and themselves. If they’re in an industry you’ve been eyeing, ask for industry tips, and for their perspective on industry trends. Exchange cards and stay in touch.
6. Meet-up groups
Getting to know people by having fun is a great way to bond and stand out from the typical networking crowd. It’s an opportunity for you to let your hair down and be yourself, and connect with others on a human level. Book clubs, hiking clubs, movie clubs. Everything is fair game, because people are involved.
7. Get togethers
If you’ve been working or learning alongside a group of people you want to get to know better, invite them out for a relaxed hang-out. You never know where your next connection might be—and that makes going out and living life a whole lot more exciting.
8. Classes
Go where the people are. Try taking a cooking class, art class, dance class, foreign language class—anything that gets you around others and communicating. Your dance partner could be a great person, and might even be a step toward your future.
9. In line
Standing in line is a fact of life. Stand out from the crowd by demonstrating intent, interest, and initiation. Redefine the drudgery of queues by striking up conversations and livening up the environment for yourself and others.
Sure, not every person will be the key to your dream job. But every person is an opportunity to learn about others, listen to others, and become a more effective communicator—and maybe a friend.
