4 Top tips for Networking

1. Warmth, then competence

Some amazing advice I got from Saadat Rahman was when you first meet someone, you want them to see your personal side first. Then show your competence. This will help you to build a stronger connection and stop you from coming off as obnoxious.

2. Focus on your current network

Surprisingly to me, I found out that focusing on your own network is the most effective of growing your network. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it as you it's the people you have a stronger connection with who are more likely to help you to build your network even further. Stronger connections are more likely to help you out so ensure you have a strong connection with them first!

3. Ask personal questions

Basic conversations end in basic relationships. All strong connections I've formed have been because of deeper conversations I've had with people. Don't tiptoe around more personal conversations as people are often very willing to talk about them too.

4. Prepare for dead conversations

As much as we might hate it, we'll always have dry conversations. The best way to try and counter this is be having some questions ready beforehand. You don't have to stick to them if the conversation starts flowing but if it does dry up at least you'll have something ready to talk about. It's best to try and relate and understand the person that you're talking to beforehand so you can direct the questions towards that.