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)