Be open that networking can happen anywhere, and not necessarily at a professional event. I sat next to a famous Disney animator and movie producer on a plane! We chatted about industry trends over time.
Be open that networking can happen anywhere, and not necessarily at a professional event. I sat next to a famous Disney animator and movie producer on a plane! We chatted about industry trends over time.
This is a great first step for shy people. Start with: coworkers, former colleagues, classmates, professors, friends of friends, guest speakers you’ve spoken with, your dog sitter… You get the idea. Here as a sample message to get you inspired : Hi Paul! I wanted to reach out and see how you're doing. I noticed you started a job at Quipp -- congratulations! I'm interested in the marketing field and would love to hear about how you transitioned into that role. Let me know if you'd be down to catch up sometime.
These groups will have meet ups, happy hours, talks, and even conferences you can attend to learn about the industry and expand your network. It’s much easier to talk to someone this way than cold-calling them.
Here are some lists of groups to join for:
You can use these notes later when you are writing an email to them. For example, if someone gives you a book recommendation, or you find out you have a mutual friend; you can reference that in your message to them.
Informational interviews are conversations where you learn about someone. They are not interviewing you for a job, they’re simply to learn and know more people in the industry. Read all my favorite tips about what to do for your next coffee date.
If someone made an introduction for you, that person has most likely given the other person a heads up that you’ll be contacting them, so do so. It is very rude to leave them hanging and it makes your connection look bad.
If you know someone that could be helpful for another person, offer to make the intro. Be specific in the intro about why they should be connected and how you know them. Be proactive and it will come back to help you in return.
If they still haven’t after that, move on. You could word it like, “Just following up to see if you’d be interested in chatting. I’d love to learn more about the XX industry…”
Avoid phrases like, "Sorry to bother you.” or “Sorry I know you don’t know me”. Do not give them another reason not to talk to you. Don’t apologize for your existence, in a message or in person.
These can be a great conversation starter and show you are proactive and are thinking of them. You can also tag them in posts on Linkedin if you feel shy about messaging.
It shows you're engaged and supportive. This also helps boost their posts in the algorithm.
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