Networking in Person

If you are like most people, the thought of a networking event doesn't sit well in your stomach. At first, I was the same way. I was scared, afraid that I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation or that I would make an absolute fool of myself. Through experience, I can say I've gotten fairly efficient at good ole face to face networking. Although I can't hold your hand when you are at an event, I can share with you some tips that will make you stand out as well as be remembered after the event. There is no particular order, just tips of the trade.

• Dress to what the event calls for. Make sure to check, double check, and triple check what the advertised dress code is for the event. I've shown up in suit when I shouldn't have and jeans and a polo when I shouldn't have--both of which were embarrassing. I'll post something in the future that outlines what the different levels of dressing up are and my take on them. 

• Put a name tag on your right pectoral. I think it is worth it to invest in a permanent name tag because it gives the sense that you are prepared and that you are not a rookie, but a paper one will do if that is all you have. Make sure to write your name in big letters so people can make it out from afar. If you have a "common" name (not to sound rude here...), you should put the first letter of your last name to differentiate yourself. Here is the kicker, something everyone overlooks--put the name tag on your right pectoral (obviously on the outside of your jacket, polo, what have you). When you go out to shake someone's hand with your right arm extended, your arm leads visually straight to your name tag. Recruiters and seasoned professionals can spot rookies by looking at the placement of their name tag. 

• Smile and look friendly. This goes without saying. If you want to meet people and have genuine conversations, you have to be approachable. If this isn't you, then you should stand in front of a mirror and practice your smile so its not too big (like a 5 year old going to the carnival) or not too smirky (like a straight-up creep). 

• Don't go crazy on the food and drinks. For you college kids, this might be a little weird. I know it was for me. I go to an event with a free open bar and all my friends, and you tell me that I can't drink? Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Over time I developed a methodology that allows me one drink for the entire event and one time to the food table. Be on the lookout for people you want to talk to at the bar or near the food because its easy hunting out there to start conversations. 

• Don't get into a "talking circle" if it is too big. Popular people at networking events get a bigger gravitational pull. The more people around someone, the more you will probably think, "I need to see what they are talking about." Don't do it. It is hard to get a word in when there are so many people and you can do nothing more than nod politely and smile. Get out of a group that is getting too big and go start up more intimate conversations. 

• Give a business card before asking for one. This is dependent on if you have business cards. If not, I would recommend getting them through an inexpensive source (you can Google that all day). At the end of most of the conversations in a networking setting, I always extend my business card out to the person I am talking to first, and then wait until they give me one of their cards. I find it off-putting and rude to straight up ask for a business card because it puts them on the spot. There are many cultural norms when giving business cards to a person you just met. In American culture, hand the business card to them with the hand you shook their hand with (your right hand). In Eastern Asian culture, for example, you give an acquaintance your business cards with two hands extended and make sure that it is in pristine condition. 

Hopefully you can take one thing from this list of tips and apply it at your next event. Just remember that networking is no more than talking politely (not too hard, right?). The hard part is getting over your fear of talking to a complete stranger that could potentially make or break your future career. Take things slowly, always look approachable, and be genuine. Simply put, be a people person (or at least fake it as best you can). 

Always Be Yourself and Never Lie

This post goes out to all the college graduates who think that the first job they get should be at an executive level. We all have been there, thinking to ourselves, "I could run this place and make so much more money than they are now". If you get cocky, it never looks good no matter which way you slice it. Here is a story to prove it.

One of the things you'll hear most when going into interviews, looking for careers, or just talking to people is, "always be yourself". You have no idea how many times I've heard this from my parents, family, friends, professors...and well, pretty much everyone I know. Sadly, even with everyone telling me to "be myself" and "not to be fake" I had to learn it the hard way a many years ago.

Let me set the stage. A 16 year old high school kid is looking to make a few bucks or two to buy a car and take out a girl on a nice date. Never having worked a day in his life, he doesn't know where to begin. Driving around with friends, looking for anywhere that has a "Hiring- Inquire Within" sign, finally he sees a small breakfast joint.

I never was the person who thought that one job was more important than another, to some extent. But, when I found out that I was about to apply to be a cook at this small neighborhood joint, I thought I was hitting the jackpot. Hear me out here. The only way this place made money was by selling food, so as the cook I would have been creating the sole product that made money for this restaurant--how awesome would that be! The only problem was that I had been a vegetarian my entire life and to tell you the truth I had no idea how to make anything remotely breakfast-y, let alone anything meat-related.

Fast forward to the interview. I was nervous, sweaty, and pretty much crapping my pants because I had told the owner that I make breakfast foods all the time at home (strike 1). When he brought me in front of the grill and told me to make him 2 eggs and some bacon, I swear I was having an out of body experience. Being an avid Food Network channel watcher, I grabbed an egg with one hand and figured, "How hard can it be to crack an egg like an expert?" (strike 2). I smacked the egg on the side of a bowl with one hand and before I knew it, had raw egg everywhere.

"Okay", I thought to myself, "I'll redeem myself with the bacon". Mind you, this was the first time I had ever touched raw meat before, so I had no idea what I was doing. I slathered about 1/5 of a stick of butter on the grill then put the bacon right on it (strike 3). It was a shit show. I looked up and the owner was laughing at me.

All in all, I thought I was above the job. I learned the hard (and very embarrassing) way that even what you consider the a "menial" or "low-level" job requires dedication, hard work, and staying true to yourself. I got cocky, and I made an absolute fool of myself. I have never again have I fell in that trap to date. Always be yourself and never lie.

Secrets to be Successful

This is it. My secrets to be successful. If you follow these four rules, you'll be the next Bill Gates, the next billionaire, the next leader in your industry. Now if you believe me, maybe you should get off the computer, take a deep breath, and get some champagne to celebrate your future wealth and success. For you that don't believe that following these four rules will make you the next billionaire, congratulations because you (most probably) are thinking correctly.

Everyone defines success in their own way--making $$$, the title, vacation houses in Tahiti, having a huge family, etc. I define success as having completed what you want to have completed. Broad and generic, I know. I have always followed these four rules that I think capture the essence of success in your career (think of them more as guidelines if you aren't a rule person). Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Have fun and smile.

• If you are going to your job everyday, dreading every minute, every second of the day believe me when I say that, that is not success. Although you think you may have to "pay your dues" to get to the level you want to be, you should be able to enjoy yourself when doing it. I'm not telling anyone to quit their jobs if they dread going into work, rather to find the small things in your job that you genuinely enjoy (if you can't find anything that you enjoy in your day job, you should start looking for a new job this second). You should be enjoying yourself in order to be successful, clear and simple. Also, a smile goes a LONG way, mentally for yourself as well as the way people view you. 

2. Be an action oriented person.

• Every leadership book or blog I've read have mentioned that successful people are so because they are do-ers. They get things done. You can plan all you want (I'm a big planner), you can talk the talk, but you need to be strong where the rubber meets the road, where things get done. Whether it be through influence or simply completing an action yourself, by physically doing something in your work, you can confidently state that you made a difference. What do you think looks better on a resume--1) Created proposal to increase first pass yield by 30% in the next 12 months, potentially saving $30,000 of rework costs per year, 2) Increased first pass yield by 30% in the next 12 months, saved $30,000 of rework costs per year. The answer: Number 2. Number 2 looks better on a resume. Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk. 

3. Learn something new everyday.

• This one is the most simple rule. If you come out of your day thinking, " I didn't learn anything" or, "That was a waste of a day", you are doing something wrong. You should always be learning, in failure or success, in boredom or excitement. 
• Something you could potentially learn today: only use bullets if you have more than one bullet, especially in a presentation. Apparently I can't apply my learnings. 

4. Networking is necessary.

• People are always afraid of the word networking. Networking, in its purest form, is being a people person. Being pleasant, approachable, and able to hold a genuine conversation. Any person you have ever met could potentially be the person that boosts your career to the next level. I know people that went in to an interview that didn't go well, but they got the job because the interviewer heard from the company's janitor that he/she was a nice person--no joke. You never know when someone you know can pull in a favor or two to help you out, but you should be open to do the same.  

So however you define success, you can be successful if you want to be. You need to apply yourself, follow some rules (or guidelines for you rebels), and enjoy.