Networking: things I’ve learned

Before I made the decision to go freelance, I’d never been to a networking event. It wasn’t ever something I’d had to do, and it wasn’t something I’d thought a great deal about.

But with the prospect of unemployment looming on the horizon, I decided it was time to dip my toe into the world of professional networking. Now, the first event I attended was definitely at the informal end of the spectrum and I was wholly unprepared. I went with a few friends, which made it easier to turn up, but then more difficult when it came to mingling. I also hadn’t managed to order business cards by this point - big error.

Despite all of that, I still managed to make one good contact out of that particular event, which for me was a huge win. With my confidence boosted, I went to a few more networking events and have found them incredibly useful. Here are a few of the things I’ve learned.

Always have business cards

That might seem incredibly obvious, but I found it really easy to procrastinate when I was ordering my first batch of business cards. Essentially, I was swamped by choice, didn’t really know what I wanted and as a result didn’t order any in time for my first event.

Now that I’ve got business cards, I’m never without them. I have them in every handbag, and in my wallet, because you never know who you’re going to meet. A chance meeting while you’re grabbing a cup of coffee or chatting to someone on the train could lead to work, and if you’ve got a card to hand you can easily swap details.

Of course, when you’re networking, you need to take a good supply with you so you don’t run out.

I wanted colourful business cards that would stand out

Make notes

The other thing that’s always in my bag is my notebook. Carrying a notepad everywhere is probably a hangover from my time in journalism, but it’s a great tool at a networking event. Picking up people’s business cards is all well and good, but when you get in touch with them you want to make it as personal as possible - if you’ve got 15 cards in your pocket, will you remember which person shared your love of cake? Or which person has the same hobby as you? Or who wanted help writing a brochure, and who needed a proofreader for web copy?

It’s easy to think you’ll remember everything, but you meet so many people at networking events it can be hard to keep track. I make little notes about everyone I meet throughout the evening - just their name and a couple of key points to jog my memory, so when I send them an email or LinkedIn invite, I can make it personal and hopefully reinforce the connection I’ve made.

Don’t just talk business

While networking is a tool for connecting businesses, most people don’t just want to talk about work. In fact, chatting about something a bit more personal can be a great way to help people remember you. One thing to keep in mind is that people like to buy from people, and whether that’s a product or service, it holds true.

If people to like you they’re much more likely to work with you. Of course, you need to deliver on a professional front as well, but if you can make a good personal connection with someone, you’re halfway there.

Smile

This sounds obvious, but smile. You need to be approachable at a networking event, and you need to jump in. Most of the people there will probably be nervous about it too, so don’t feel intimidated. It’s fine to walk up to someone and start a conversation - smile, introduce yourself and see where it goes.   

Find a wingman (or woman)

You need to be approachable when you’re networking, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go to these events with someone. If you know someone else who might also benefit from networking, go together. It will calm those nerves of walking into a room full of people you don’t know and if you work together, it can mean you cover twice as many people in the same time. Split up and chat to different people - if you’re talking to someone that you think could be useful for your friend to meet, introduce them.

Why having a dog helps me get creative

Working in a creative job is brilliant, but it can also be difficult. There are some days when you just don’t feel creative - it doesn’t tend to be something you can turn on and off at will.

There are definitely days where I struggle to engage with my work - where I write but the words don’t seem to flow. And there are other days where I wake up brimming with ideas and am able to fill page after page with no difficulty at all.

But what does having a dog have to do with my ability (or not) to write creatively? As it turns out, quite a lot.

Meet Franklin

Franklin (my dog) gives me a reason to step away from my computer for at least a couple of hours each day. Not only that, he makes me go outside, away from all the distractions at home.

Generally, our routine involves getting up first thing in the morning and going for a walk by the beach or along the cliffs. We’re normally out for close to an hour and by the time I get home, I’ve woken up properly and usually feel ready to get on with work.

While I’m out walking, my mind has been running through the things I have to do during the day and when I’m working on projects, I usually find myself thinking about them and how best to approach them. I’ve had some of my best ideas while I’ve been walking Franklin early in the morning.

Aside from our morning walk, we go out again around lunchtime and often once more in the late afternoon. I find it incredibly beneficial to get outside into the fresh air and to have a change of scenery.

My mind is free to wander when I’m walking - after all, I can’t be doing work and I don’t feel guilty about having a break because Franklin needs to go out. That complete freedom really helps me take a step back because it removes all the pressure. For that hour that we’re out, there’s nothing I can do work-wise, so I stop worrying. As soon as I stop worrying, it becomes easier to think creatively because I have time and freedom.

Of course, you don’t need a dog to take yourself off on daily walks - but ask yourself honestly, if you don’t have to go out, will you make the time every single day, come rain or shine? I know I wouldn’t.

I recently read this interesting article about how a good morning routine can make your days infinitely more productive, and how having breaks is really important. As I was reading it, the penny dropped and I began to understand why my dog walks help me so much.

It’s well worth a read, particularly the section about how people get creative insights, which explains how these usually occur during “indirect reflection” - or in other words at times when your mind is free to “loosely wander”. And that’s what having a dog gives me - time for my mind to wander.

Of course, that’s not why I have a dog. I welcomed Franklin into my life long before I went freelance (which is a whole other story) and certainly without thinking about how he’d benefit my creative process - I just love dogs and fell in love with him. But I really like knowing that he helps me in so many ways.

Franklin 'helping' me with my work

Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) - advice to live by

If you’re around my age, you may well remember a hit song from the late 90s - Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann. If you don’t, you should give it a listen, it really is excellent.

I don’t quite remember what prompted me to seek it out again a few months ago, but listening to it properly and paying attention to the lyrics, I found myself taking on a lot of the advice (even if advice is just a form of nostalgia, and dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth).

So, here are some of the little gems from this song that particularly resonated with me:

“Don’t worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.” - This one is so true. It can be really easy, especially when you’re making a big life decision, to focus on the potential negative outcomes, but you really don’t know how anything is going to turn out and trying to second guess it will only make you stressed, and hold you back from making changes that can really benefit you.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” - Defining what scares you is interesting, and incredibly  personal. Someone else recently told me that if you don’t get butterflies in your stomach before you do something, it’s not worth doing. Obviously that doesn’t apply to mundane tasks like washing up (unless maybe you’re scared of bubbles?), but it does fit into a surprising number of situations. I get butterflies in my stomach when I dive into rolling surf, but I also get butterflies when I’m meeting new people at a networking event - it’s a good test of how much something means to you.

“Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end it’s only with yourself” - It can be so easy to get caught up in what other people are doing, particularly with social media there to remind you exactly what everyone you’ve ever met is up to. But it’s good to take a step back and look at what you’ve achieved, as well as to think about where you’re going. The key is to avoid comparing yourself to people in very different situations. Even if they’re doing exactly the same thing as you, they’ll be on their own journey and you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, so give yourself a break.

“Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life.” - I’ve always maintained that there’s nothing wrong with changing your path. If you decide that what you’re doing now isn’t making you happy anymore, don’t be afraid to admit that and look for something new. Whether that’s a change of location, retraining to do something totally different work-wise, or something else entirely. When I was 14, I really wanted to be a Blue Peter presenter. By the time I was 17, I’d decided I’d rather be a war correspondent. And by the time I’d graduated and worked in journalism for a year or so, I’d decided I wanted a change again. It took me another few years to figure out that writing was still what I wanted to do, but just in a different form. I’m not sure that’s what I’ll always want to do, but now I don’t mind that I don’t know. I’m happy to change my path again later in life if that’s what I feel I want to do.

While I came across this advice by listening to a song, the lyrics weren’t penned to top the charts - they were written by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich. But how I found them doesn’t really matter, because I’ve genuinely found it useful. And if you take nothing else from this post, I hope you enjoy the song - and trust it on the sunscreen.