Brown Bag – Effective Networking [Event Recap]
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Networking: How to Use It Successfully to Further Your Career
Date of Event: Feb 12, 2015
Speaker: Dr. Grace Lee, a successful entrepreneur and academic
Networking is an important aspect of our careers and personal lives. It builds a network of people that can provide us with opportunities we may not have been exposed to, as well as allowing us to return the favor. This month’s speaker Grace Lee, a successful entrepreneur and academic, shared her knowledge and experiences on how to take networking and make it a tool for success.
Grace started the session by introducing us to the glowing introduction, a new way to introduce ourselves that avoided the lack luster introductions we may have experienced (or even given!) in the past. It focused on “painting a picture” of who you are as well as describing what you do. Grace talked about the importance of putting thought and planning into your glowing introduction, as it is a key part of making a successful connection. She then went on to describe what makes a savvy networker, and reasons why people value networking. Next, Grace explained the importance of keeping our personal and business networks separate. She explained that it is key to have a mindset difference and to know what people’s expectations are in the two networks.
Grace reminded us that we are all CEOs of “Me Inc.” (our own personal brand), and that we are in charge of promoting and marketing ourselves to others. She described what it means to be proactive, and the difference between being a reactive person and a proactive person. Grace brought up some new ways to think about networking, some of which may have seemed ruthless or shameless when it was first stated. But, as Grace told us, these techniques are a norm in the business world and she personally has had success using them. Lastly, Grace went over some challenges we may face while networking, and gave us some tips as well as interactive demonstrations on how to overcome these challenges.
Overall, it was a wonderful session, where personal stories and experiences were shared by Grace and the attendees. There was lots of valuable information shared that caused us to think more about our strategies for networking and how we could hone our skills to be more successful at it.
Grace has generously shared her slides presented at the Brown Bag. Thank you Grace!
Written by Lauren Muttucomaroe, SCWIST Brown Bag Coordinator