Really Bad at Networking/Creates Anxiety
Can I just say that I'm really bad at networking? Anyone else? I feel like I'm trading on friendships. It feels wrong. And networking in general creates such anxiety! Anyone got any tips for the network-phobic? How to approach it? How to feel like I'm not "using" my friends to get somewhere?
SARAH HALL
Journalist seeking remote position
96
05/14/20 at 3:46PM UTC
There is nothing I hate more than networking. (Actually there's nothing I hate more than talking to strangers, which probably means I should not be a reporter.) But that's where this whole quarantine thing has been helpful. I find it a lot easier to email people than to call or talk to them in person. Send a note to someone you met or someone you connected with through work or LinkedIn. If they don't answer (the biggest fear of the anxious) it's no big deal, because you didn't invest a lot in it personally. If they do, it'll only help you.
Patricia Osborne RandolphLooking to be supported and to support others
271
04/16/20 at 9:32PM UTC
I never thought of socializing with friends and family as networking; just bonding no matter what the topic of discussion. When I network with individuals in my career field I attempt to connect with a friendly greeting, then check the 'Emotions thermometer' (How is your day going?) before I start networking.
