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Five tips on how to network like a pro, even if you aren’t one!

Posted by Heather Sechler on October 1, 2018

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Find networking events that you are passionate about!Some people love to network. Others do not. I fall into the category of not enjoying networking as much as some of my other colleagues. But I do have five tips for those of us who do not enthusiastically sign up for every single networking opportunity!

  1. It is important to find events that you are passionate about. I have found that it is much easier to navigate a room with ease when I am surrounded by individuals who share similar professional common interests and goals. I recently attended an opportunity to network with Pearls for Teen Girls. I have never felt so comfortable at a networking event. I realized it was because I was surrounded by individuals who were interested in taking time out of their schedule to attend such an event. We had similar interests and it seemed so much easier to approach individuals and introduce myself.
  2. Do not sit with colleagues at events when you are truly trying to network. You are forced to strike up a conversation with the people at your tables whom you might not know, which allows for more conversation. Find networking events that fit into your work day/life balance
  3. Show up for the entirety of the networking portion of an event. It allows you more time to feel comfortable with the surroundings and to identify individuals you might be interested in networking with.
  4. Find events that are interesting to you and fit into your work day/life balance. Over extending yourself professionally and personally will make the networking seem more like a burden than it needs to be.
  5. Lastly, networking should be looked at as something you enjoy and are passionate about. Don’t force it!

Written by Heather Sechler

Heather brings 11 years of recruiting, client development and management experience to her role as Branch Manager for Goodwill TalentBridge. Her background includes recruitment process outsourcing, on-site talent acquisition, traditional contingent staffing and direct placement. She has worked with clients across industries, but has focused heavily in the healthcare and banking/ finance sectors. Heather’s outstanding client development skills have been essential in forming strong partnerships and creating effective talent acquisition solutions for the organizations she partners with. She manages a team of Recruiting Consultants to provide our clients with effective recruitment and retention strategies. Heather is a graduate of Marquette University Business School, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources.
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