{"id":30214,"date":"2016-12-06T11:49:13","date_gmt":"2016-12-06T16:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/?p=30214"},"modified":"2016-12-06T11:49:13","modified_gmt":"2016-12-06T16:49:13","slug":"overcoming-my-fear-of-networking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2016\/12\/06\/overcoming-my-fear-of-networking\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming my Fear of Networking"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Several<\/a>
This could be me one day. Photo by Peggy Margo <\/a>via Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nNetworking makes me uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that I try to do it as infrequently as possible. That\u2019s why I decided to attend the Career Centre\u2019s Talking to Professionals workshop to learn more about how to network, and how to become more comfortable doing so. Since networking can sometimes be just as important in finding a job as your actual resume, I decided that it was time to overcome my fear.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe workshop started off with a study that examined how networking can sometimes make people feel dirty and selfish. The fact that networking made others uncomfortable too didn\u2019t surprise me; I think I grew into disliking networking because my friends and peers always expressed how sleazy it made them feel.\r\n\r\nThe workshop then launched into a bunch of tips aimed at\u2014hopefully\u2014changing how we looked at networking.\r\n\r\nFirst, we mapped out a \u201cnetworking constellation,\u201d that connected all of our current contacts to professionals we want to connect with in the future. There\u2019s a belief that everyone is connected by fewer steps or less. I \u201creached\u201d all of the people I want to connect with in the future in fewer than three.\r\n\r\n
\"Networking<\/a>
Networking constellation. Photo via Lyon College<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nWe then discussed resources for finding professionals to network with and for finding helpful information, like LinkedIn<\/a>, Ten Thousand Coffees<\/a>, the Career Learning Network<\/a> (CLN), and Career Cruising<\/a>.\r\n\r\nIn my experience, LinkedIn in a great tool for keeping in touch with old colleagues, and a good motivator for updating your resume. It\u2019s also a helpful way to meet other professionals in your circle (LinkedIn suggests people for you to connect with, and even labels them as a first, second, or third connections). By browsing other professionals\u2019 LinkedIn profiles, you can see what their career pathway looked like. If they\u2019re from U of T, you can also get a glimpse into what you can do with your U of T degree. I\u2019ve made some strong connections on LinkedIn, and I\u2019ve always valued seeing what my peers\u2019 career pathways looked like.\r\n\r\nTen Thousand Coffees is a network for connecting with other professionals for informational interviews<\/a>, relaxed conversations with other professionals. U of T\u2019s hub with Ten Thousand Coffees is set to launch in the new year,\u00a0which will be a great resource for connecting with professionals in the U of T community.\r\n\r\nAfter we learned what resources were available for connecting with professionals and setting up informational interviews, we crafted short biographies for introducing ourselves to professionals. These short personal introductions are also called \u201celevator pitches,\u201d thirty second introductions of yourself that can be done in the time span of an elevator ride. Some key things to mention about yourself are your:\r\n