The Key To Professional Networking Conversations
Want to know the key to professional networking conversations that lead to real career opportunities?
Let’s begin with some scaaaarry networking facts. 👻
Here are the results from a LinkedIn survey of people laid off during the pandemic*:
82% said networking is vitally important for finding a new job
73% said they had been previously hired through networking
51% avoided a social event because of how they felt about being out of work
When asked about how they feel about talking about being unemployed, 24% said they felt embarrassed, 23% felt uneasy, and 15% felt ashamed.
Bottom line: despite knowing that networking is vitally important, and even having directly benefitted from networking, people don't network when it feels bad.
Another example of the chasm between knowing intellectually what we should do and actually doing it.
Waiting for you in the middle of that chasm?! Feelings.
Professional Networking Conversations Begin With How You Want to Feel
Now, you might be saying, "Caroline, this doesn't apply to me. I'm not ashamed. I didn't lose my job."
Awesome. Tell me if you've felt weird or delayed reaching out to someone because you:
Worry that you're wasting someone's time (or your own!)
Don't want to seem desperate
Dread the superficial chit chat
Hate asking for help
Doubt your message or are questioning your capability
Fear rejection?!
The truth is that, left unchecked, our limiting beliefs and FEELINGS hinder us every step of the way—from who we reach out to (or don't), to what we say (or don't).
Mindset is KEY to effective, enjoyable professional networking conversations.
Like leading with how we want the conversation to feel.
Would you rather go into a conversation feeling like you’re walking into a formal interview? Or like you’d talk when you’re having drinks with your best friends?
So let me share one of my favorite success stories from someone I've worked with on two baller career moves.
From "Half-Baked" to "Empowering and Helpful"
"Rachel" joined my group coaching course right as she was leaving the start-up she co-founded.
So she had a lot of limiting beliefs around whether she was "ready" to network.
She kept worrying that her idea for her first solo start-up wasn't "fully baked." She didn't want to be out there talking to people when she wasn't clear herself.
Ugh. Do you feel the not enough-ness baked into the belief of “not fully baked?”
Once she challenged that limiting belief (and a bunch of others), she realized that her ideas were "baked enough" and started talking to people.
That dread and resistance turned into excitement and curiosity. (Feelings.)
And she discovered that the conversations not only helped her validate and refine her ideas, but they positioned her as an authority in her space.
Her contacts introduced her to other key contacts, she got speaking engagements, and one woman she'd been in touch with through informational interviews and "informal chats" even signed on to help get the venture off the ground.
In fact, she told me recently that she continues to receive job opportunities.
But she’s not looking because her start-up is THRIVING. (She exceeded her pre-seed round of funding target by $150k+, and I can’t keep up with her LinkedIn hiring updates.)
How cool is that???
I'm telling you, this networking thing is passive income for your career.
Not only did she get results, but she describes the conversations as "empowering" and says they help with creativity and momentum—how's that for a shift from "not fully baked"??
It starts with having the right mindset, which 90% of networkers ignore.
So if you're ready to:
Get to the heart of what's truly getting in the way of the career you want,
Master your mindset,
Develop clarity and confidence so you can get into consistent action,
Learn the framework that will help you have fruitful conversations you enjoy,
And turn all this into a habit you don't have to think about...
Join my 6-week group coaching course: Design a Career You Love
Like everything I do, it’s designed to transform your approach to career change, give you confidence and clarity, help you uncover opportunities you couldn’t see before, and build a team of advocates, role models, and mentors that support you beyond your next move.
Plus, the course is a lot of fun. And you'll expand your network just by joining like-minded professionals taking charge of their career.
Ready to turn your professional networking conversations into a career you love? Check out the details here.
In case you missed it, take this quiz: How Strong Is Your Networking Game? and read The #1 Networking Mistake People Make. Then check out How To Tell Your Story Clearly and Authentically.
Author Bio:
Before becoming a coach, Caroline had a successful career in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go in their careers.
Caroline wants people to recognize how much power they truly have to define their careers. The life and career you want is truly possible once you have the roadmap. Take the first step by downloading her free 4-step career roadmap.