Do's & Don'ts of Networking
Do's of Networking
- Do remember that networking can be formal and/or informal
- Networking can happen in a variety of settings - it is not always a planned interaction
- Do remember that networking is a two-way interaction
- Do use different methods and different places
- Professional organizations, community involvement, online communities, etc.
- Do be yourself
- Honesty is the best policy
- Do follow-up
- Keep yourself connected to your networking contacts. You worked hard to make the contacts, so work hard to keep them.
- Do be prepared
- Know yourself, the work you do, and the work you want to do in the future
Don'ts of Networking
- Don't rely on just one method to meet all of your networking needs
- Don't put all your eggs in one basket
- Don't divulge confidential information
- Don't act desperate (it's not attractive)
- Don't misrepresent yourself
- There's potential to hurt not only yourself, but the others in your network
- Don't overextend or try to do too much
- It's okay to say no once in awhile
