netWORK IT!
Posted by PRGirlz Alumni on April 1st, 2009
As Kerri mentioned in her latest post, last week was Third Tuesday Toronto. For those of you who don’t know, Third Tuesday is a free monthly meetup for people interested in new trends in and applications of social media in business. It usually includes a guest speaker who comes and talks about their experiences with social media and communications in their business. At each Third Tuesday I have attended I have certainly learned a lot from each of these speakers.
Beyond the speakers, there is another element to theses meetups — a HUGE opportunity to connect and network with the other attendees. Joscelyn, a former PR Girl, wrote a post about networking 2 years ago, and I think it is about time this topic was brought to the forefront again.
Networking has always been a bit of a scary word for me. Like Jos, most people who meet me would consider me to be a shy person (but change their mind after they get to know me 
). That said, being on the more timid side, I find it a lot easier to stick with the people I know rather than make the effort to meet new people. It’s not that I don’t want to network and meet new people, I do! It’s just that I find it incredibly intimidating; especially in a “work” type setting.
Something that really got me thinking was Alex Milroy’s comment on Jos’s post. She made a couple suggestions, one of which was to approach the person who is standing alone.
My first instinct was to think “I would be too nervous to do that!” But on the same note, it made me realize that I am always hoping someone will approach me!
So, what are your thoughts on networking? I for one, am determined to get out there and start to meet all the interesting people at these events! Any tips for a shy gal such as myself?
April 2nd, 2009 » 3:22 pm
Hi Janna – good for you for getting out there! It really does get easier the more you do it.
One trick I use is to set a target number of new contacts before the event. Like “I am going to meet five new people at this event, learn something interesting about each one, get their business cards, and after that I can relax.” Keeping your goals finite will give you momentum, and a sense of accomplishment when it’s all over. And before you know it, you’ll actually be having fun!
June 11th, 2009 » 5:07 pm
Hi Ladies,
I definitely think that networking is a skill that develops over time. I am currently a public relations certificate student at Humber College, where both professors and guest speakers have stressed the benefits of having a strong network of contacts. Developing a network seems daunting to me at times as I am only beginning my public relations career- but it is something I try to work on regularly.
Those within the pr world have access to a wide variety of methods for networking. Initially I only considered face-to-face discussions as a way of meeting other pr professionals; however social media has provided us with a very effective tool for making connections.
I think the combination of social media and in-person networking is a powerful method that can be used to benefit all aspects of one’s pr career.
I’m actually heading to an event shortly here in Toronto for the launch of a new networking organization for young professionals called “S-Drive”. Wish me luck!