{"id":617,"date":"2016-08-24T12:19:27","date_gmt":"2016-08-24T16:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/?p=617"},"modified":"2016-08-24T12:19:27","modified_gmt":"2016-08-24T16:19:27","slug":"4-rules-to-network-successfully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/2016\/08\/24\/4-rules-to-network-successfully\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Rules to Network Successfully"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>by <a id=\"ContentPlaceHolderDefault_SectionContent_AuthorLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.vault.com\/contributors-network\/capitol-standard\/\">Capitol Standard<\/a> |\u00a0in\u00a0Vault Blogs|Vault.com<\/p>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/widgets.pinterest.com\/v1\/urls\/count.json?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vault.com%2Fblog%2Fnetworking%2F4-rules-to-network-successfully&amp;callback=window._ate.cbs.rcb_9z8n0\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/\/www.linkedin.com\/countserv\/count\/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vault.com%2Fblog%2Fnetworking%2F4-rules-to-network-successfully&amp;callback=atajsshctcbuZKIm\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/\/graph.facebook.com\/?id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vault.com%2Fblog%2Fnetworking%2F4-rules-to-network-successfully&amp;callback=_ate.cbs.rcb_grf80\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/osd.js\"><\/script><script src=\"\/\/m.addthis.com\/live\/red_lojson\/300lo.json?si=57bdc884936c3cb2&amp;bl=1&amp;pdt=892&amp;sid=57bdc884936c3cb2&amp;pub=vaultaddthisuser&amp;rev=v7.4.5-wp&amp;ln=en&amp;pc=men&amp;cb=0&amp;ab=-&amp;dp=www.vault.com&amp;fp=blog%2Fnetworking%2F4-rules-to-network-successfully%2F&amp;fr=&amp;of=0&amp;pd=0&amp;irt=0&amp;vcl=0&amp;md=0&amp;ct=1&amp;tct=0&amp;abt=0&amp;cdn=0&amp;lnlc=US&amp;pi=1&amp;rb=0&amp;gen=100&amp;chr=utf-8&amp;mk=networking%3B%20job%20search%3B%20career%20advice&amp;colc=1472055429225&amp;jsl=139265&amp;uvs=57bdc8848b5a0a98000&amp;skipb=1&amp;callback=addthis.cbs.oln9_136441583579327340\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/\/m.addthisedge.com\/live\/boost?pub=vaultaddthisuser&amp;callback=_ate.track.config_resp\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/plugins\/ua\/linkid.js\" async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/www.googletagservices.com\/tag\/js\/gpt.js\" async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n if ((-1 == document.cookie.indexOf(\"NoMobile\") || -1 < window.location.hash.toLowerCase().indexOf(\"showmobile\")) &#038;&#038; -1 == window.location.hash.toLowerCase().indexOf(\"frommobile\")) {\nif (\/iphone|ipod|phone|mobile|mini|silk|iemobile\/i.exec(navigator.userAgent) &#038;&#038; !\/ipad|tablet\/i.exec(navigator.userAgent) || -1 < document.cookie.indexOf(\"YesMobile\") || -1 < window.location.hash.toLowerCase().indexOf(\"showmobile\")) document.write('<plaintext>'), document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function () {\ntry { window.stop() } catch (d) { } var b =\ndocument.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0], a = document.createElement(\"script\"); a.src = \"\/\/az690879.vo.msecnd.net\/7298\/MobileScript.js\"; a.id = \"wompScript\"; a.onerror = function () { var a = new Date; a.setTime((new Date).getTime() + 6E5); document.cookie = \"NoMobile=True; expires=\" + a.toUTCString() + \";\"; window.location = window.location.href }; b.parentNode.insertBefore(a, b)\n })\n } else if (-1 < window.location.hash.toLowerCase().indexOf(\"frommobile\")) {\n     var c = new Date; c.setTime((new Date).getTime() + 6E5); document.cookie = \"NoMobile=True; expires=\" +\n     c.toUTCString() + \";\"\n };\n\/\/ ]]><\/script>4 Rules to Network Successfully|Vault Blogs|Vault.com<script src=\"\/scripts\/jquery.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/scripts\/jquery-ui.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/scripts\/jquery.qtip.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/scripts\/main.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/scripts\/placeholders.jquery.min.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/scripts\/featuredSlider.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"\/scripts\/NewsletterSubscribe.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/cdnapi.kaltura.com\/p\/1067292\/sp\/106729200\/embedIframeJs\/uiconf_id\/26015071\/partner_id\/1067292\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/partner.googleadservices.com\/gpt\/pubads_impl_94.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><script src=\"\/\/s7.addthis.com\/static\/layers.3eb871aaabd6372967d1.js\" async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/translate.googleapis.com\/translate_static\/js\/element\/main.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"UTF-8\"><\/script><script src=\"\/\/s7.addthis.com\/static\/menu.1d0464078c391d128d82.js\" async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/translate.googleapis.com\/translate_static\/js\/element\/37\/element_main.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"UTF-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<form id=\"ctl01\" action=\"\/blogs\/blog-post.aspx?url=networking\/4-rules-to-network-successfully\/\" autocomplete=\"off\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div id=\"ContentPlaceHolderDefault_VaultMainContentWrapper\" class=\"contentWrapper\">\n<div id=\"ContentPlaceHolderDefault_LeftContentDiv\" class=\"leftContent\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column blogColumn\">\n<div class=\"normalWeight blogArticleText translate\">\nNetworking can be unnerving, to say the least. Meeting new people &#8211; particularly ones you want to impress &#8211; can leave many of us sweaty palmed, blubbering, and just plain out nervous. If you <a href=\"http:\/\/fortune.com\/2015\/07\/07\/tom-farley-networking-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\">ask experts<\/a>, networking is one of the most important parts to a successful job search. Here are four crucial ways to make sure every networking opportunity goes well:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be intentional\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before you start handing out your business cards, decide what you\u2019re trying to accomplish. Are you simply aiming to practice your \u201celevator speech\u201d and see how it lands? Are you aiming to meet peers in your industry? Are you trying to find customers or potential partners? Are you looking to expand your professional network? Are you simply fulfilling your boss\u2019 request to attend an event in his stead? By knowing what you\u2019re looking to get out of the networking event you\u2019re attending, you can set a strategy tailored to that goal. Networking for networking\u2019s sake can be a huge waste of time, so be sure to know what you\u2019re hoping to get from your networking exchanges (even if it\u2019s just more practice meeting new people).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Focus on quality, not quantity<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unrealistic to expect to meet more than a few interesting people at a party or reception. Even one solid connection is a big win \u2013 especially when you\u2019re meeting people outside of your industry. This is not speed-dating. Start with casual exchanges, and have longer conversations with the people whose interests, experiences, and needs complement yours.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Respond to needs you can meet<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If your new friend complains about struggling to find office space, be sure to connect them with the office broker you know. If they mention a workplace hassle, be sure to recommend the book you read on the subject that changed your approach. If they mentioned wanting to meet someone in the edtech space and you know someone great, introduce them. Listen for needs you\u2019re uniquely positioned to help with, and help \u2013 if you feel like the potential relationship might be worth building.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have a flawless follow-up<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is one thing that separates networking novices from rising stars: the quality of their follow up. Novices cast a wide net, but fail at follow through. They get business cards, but don\u2019t log them. They don\u2019t keep the promises they made in the initial networking meeting \u2013 to make connections, send on articles, etc. \u00a0Networking whizzes ace the follow-up phase by setting reminders and following up on commitments as quickly as possible. By getting things done right away and keeping their promises, master networkers demonstrate two of the rarest qualities you\u2019ll find in strangers: trustworthiness and generosity.<\/p>\n<p>Networking is like exercising a muscle \u2013 the more focused practice you have, the stronger you will be. Don\u2019t worry about how weak a networker you feel like you are today. If you apply these strategies, you\u00a0<em>will<\/em>\u00a0improve.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/widgets.pinterest.com\/v1\/urls\/count.json?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vault.com%2Fblog%2Fnetworking%2F4-rules-to-network-successfully&amp;callback=window._ate.cbs.rcb_9z8n0\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Capitol Standard |\u00a0in\u00a0Vault Blogs|Vault.com 4 Rules to Network Successfully|Vault Blogs|Vault.com Networking can be unnerving, to say the least. Meeting new people &#8211; particularly ones you want to impress &#8211; can leave many of us sweaty palmed, blubbering, and just plain out nervous. If you ask experts, networking is one of the most important parts [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2177,"featured_media":618,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1151],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-networking"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/files\/2016\/08\/Vault-networking.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}