Key Takeaways

[Rebecca_Dobkin]

I definitely fall into the large group of people who have historically hated networking. Networking events in my line of work generally involves a ton of alcohol and a lot of unwanted flirting. As a non-drinker, I always feel like a fish out of water. But these articles gave me a lot of ideas on how I can do better. Firstly, I can go do different kinds of networking events, on any subject that might interest me. That way, I’m not stuck in a room full of drunk lawyers and drunk PI’s (most of whom are retired police officers). Second, instead of going in without preparation, I can plan ahead. I can decide what and who I want to learn about and develop some questions I can ask. I really liked the idea about thinking of what to ask people at events instead of what to say. I’m also not great at following up with people I meet. I need to start reaching out within a few days of getting contact info. And all this made me think of the people in this group that I want to know better. If I want to know you all better, then I need to do better at showing it. Which means I need to step out of my comfort zone. It’s really hard doing this fellowship virtually. We miss out on so many great opportunities with each other, so we need to work extra hard to create such opportunities. I’m going to start bugging you guys for one-on-one coffee meet-ups. And I encourage you all to reach out to me if you want to meet at a coffee shop and just get to know each other.

[Andrew Garcia]

Networking plays a critical role in my day-to-day life. From getting in touch with colleagues, to simply having a healthy balance between my social and professional life, communication and networking is critical. The biggest takeaway from the assigned literature was the concrete information on how to strengthen these networking skills. These skills go far beyond our line of work, and they serve as great tips to use as our methods of communication continue to evolve. One of the articles highlights the importance of in-person communication but it also highlighted the continued reliance on technology. This is extremely true today, as we continue to navigate our professional and personal lives in the midst of a pandemic. These readings truly are helpful, and I hope to incorporate the information in my everyday life.

[marinatrejo7515]

As someone who has not done much networking, this session’s informational packet was quite useful. I found myself gravitating toward the article, “Mastering the Three Dreaded Networking Moments” because the article opened up by reassuring readers that when it comes to networking events, everyone is in the same boat. In this day and age, I often find myself second-guessing myself in situations such as networking because I automatically assume everyone knows what they came there for and knows how to get. However, this session’s reading material has shown me that even though networking is paving the way in this day and age, there is still a lot of underlying dynamics occurring simultaneously. My biggest “aha” moment definitely had to be while reading “How to Build Your Network” and understanding how individuals become more well-rounded by networking on not only a professional development level but, also on a personal one. By creating these connections via networking, one is simply not gaining a new contact but rather skills and ideas that contact brings with them; every interaction moving forward allows you to grow on a professional and personal level.

[Author]

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