Post on 23-Jul-2020
NETWORKING FOR INTROVERTS
Diana SanchezKarin Iwasaka
Student Affairs Professional Development ConferenceJanuary 10, 2019
Are you introverted or extraverted?◦ Picture
What are your perceptions of INTROVERSION?
POSITIVE◦ Good listeners◦ Keen observers◦ Curious
NEGATIVE◦ Shy, socially awkward◦ Poor communicators◦ Dislike being around people
Unleashing the Introvert’s Secret Power
1. Good listener: ask questions
2. Be a keen observer
3. Put your curiosity to work
What are your perceptions of NETWORKING?
POSITIVE◦ Relationship building◦ Connecting with people◦ Mutually beneficial
NEGATIVE◦ Draining; exhausting◦ Superficial; using people◦ Intimidating; anxiety provoking
◦ Network: A group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experiences for professional and/or social purposes
◦ Networking: The ongoing process of building and maintaining reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationships.
◦ Porter Gale’s Transformational Networking: “The new form of networking is not about climbing a ladder to success; it’s about collaboration, co-creation, partnerships, and long-term value-based relationships.”
Networking Defined
Benefits of Networking◦ Job search strategy
◦ Professional growth
◦ Expanding opportunities
◦ Relationship building
◦ Support from others
◦ Sharing resources
Networking Strategies for Introverts
◦ Prepare in advance◦ Develop conversation starters◦ Set reasonable expectations ◦ Join someone standing alone
or in a small group ◦ Go with a friend/colleague, but
spend some time apart
GROUP-BASED
Networking Strategies for Introverts
INDIVIDUAL◦ Determine your networking purpose◦ Conduct informational interviews◦ Volunteer for roles to build ongoing
connections◦ Utilize social media (e.g. LinkedIn)◦ Loose ties: sustain your relationships
Remember to always…◦ Build on your strengths (curious, reflective, observant)◦ Be an engaged listener and ask thoughtful, open-
ended questions◦ Create meaningful connections◦ Follow up within 72 hours (preferably within 24 for
informational interviews)◦ Set time aside before and after meeting with others
to recharge
Connecting is an ART
A: Associate – find common ground quicklyR: Reveal – share a story about yourself and encourage the sameT: Task – identify a future “to-do”
References◦ Taking the Work Out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections that Count
◦ Karen Wickre (2018, Touchstone, New York, NY)
◦ Tips for Networking as an Introvert◦ Tiffany Waddell, National Association of Colleges and Employers (http://www.naceweb.org)
◦ The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World◦ Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. (2002, Workman Publishing Company, Inc., New York, NY)
◦ The Networking Challenge◦ Lisa Hinkley, National Association of Colleges and Employers (http://www.naceweb.org)
◦ Networking for People who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected◦ Devora Zack (2010, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco, CA)
◦ How to Keep Networking from Draining You◦ Jordan Valencia, Harvard Busines Review (https://hbr.org/2018/05/how-to-keep-networking-from-draining-you)