Squiggly Shortcut: An Introverts Guide to Networking

0:00Sarah:Hi, my name's Sarah and in this squiggly shortcut I'm going to be talking to you about how to network if you're like me and more introverted than extroverted. Now, if you are introverted, it doesn't mean that you don't like people. It's much more about how, where and when you re-energise. So if I've had a really full-on day, the last thing I want to do is see more people. I like my own company, I like the quiet and I like being by myself. and it definitely is tempting for me to stick to talking to people I already know and like and to build relationships I need for my day job but perhaps deprioritize the ones that I need for my development.

0:45Sarah:I get nervous meeting new people and you know you can always make excuses about why you can't do this, I haven't got time, I'm too busy but the reason people really matter in a squiggly career is other people are a brilliant source of learning opportunity and possibility. They can see things that you can't see. They know things that you don't know. And we talk about pulling possibilities towards you. And that has been so true for me with other people. So if I hadn't done some of what I'm going to talk to you about today, I don't think I would have had some of the amazing experiences that I've had in my squiggly career where people have said, well, this might be interesting or you should talk to that person.

1:29Sarah:So my top tip number one is if you said to me well who do you want to know I find that too hard. The first question I ask myself is what do I want to learn and then who can help me. I find learning a really useful filter for people for who should I be spending time with or who would I like to know. So ask yourself a learning question. Two, use your strong ties, people who you know really well and who support you and sponsor you already, to get introductions to new people. Ask for introductions. Do you know anyone who? So once you know what you want to learn or like why you want to have conversations with some other people, then you can say to previous managers, colleagues, people, friends, family, um you know one of the things I'd like to learn more about is dot dot dot or one of the goals I've got for my career at the moment or I'm hoping to get some experience in this area is something I've not done before do you know anyone who you think could help me do you know anyone who's had some useful experience in that area if people can help to make a connection they typically will and if you're introverted in perhaps the way that I am I find introductions a much easier way to get to know somebody new versus a kind of cold you know contact or a cold connection three my favorite way of networking is networking that doesn't feel like networking so I was reflecting when I was preparing for this I was like how have I created a network that's really worked for me and it's often where network isn't the first priority it's been through things like learning that I've wanted to do, volunteering in particular that I've got involved in.

3:20Sometimes I've created for myself or perhaps become part of. It's things like some of the non-executive things that I do now that I didn't do that for a long time. But it's often where it's doing something outside of your day job that means you're just going to meet new people and probably bring your skills and use them in a new way or in a different way to your day job.

3:42Sarah:But you'll automatically going to be surrounded by new people you are going to create new connections and for me that has been brilliant I am I am so glad I have done that it's obviously time consuming so it's definitely a choice about time and what that looks like but the time investment has always been worth it in terms of what I've then received back in return partly just enjoyment but also getting to know new people in new places so what could you do that you don't do today that isn't part of your day job that just automatically meets you'll get to meet new people that that for me is great then thinking about events we often automatically think networking equals events I have two tactics for events particularly events where I'm not going to know very many people either take one person or get to know one person that's it that's all I ever tried to do at an event now is sometimes I'll think well I'm going to this event anyway who could I take with me who you know means I'll get to know them a bit better we'll have a shared experience at that event so it's a really good opportunity to spend some time with that person who I might not normally or if I've gone by myself which for me is always my worst case scenario but I do still do that.

4:59I don't think you can use being introverted as an excuse to never do it. I just think if in this half a day or this two hours, I have one good quality conversation,

5:08Sarah:I create one new connection, that's it. That's all I'm all I'm trying to do, because I always do find that, you know, quite hard, quite energy zapping. And then my last top tip, which is something I've been thinking about, and I don't definitely don't have right at the moment, is think beyond what you're doing today who are your 10 possibility people so these are 10 people who you think could pull possibilities towards you if you weren't doing what you do today might be something connected to it but if it was me I if I'm imagining now that I don't run squiggly careers and amazing if with Helen and I was doing something different who are 10 people who I think could help me, help me to explore possibilities, who would be able to introduce me to people, who might even be able to offer me a job.

5:58So I was writing a quick list of this.

5:59Sarah:I'm really trying to hold myself to account of these not being people who would sort of just know me through the context of what I do today. And I got to five, five out of 10, which is not bad. It's a start, but it definitely made me think a bit about maybe some of the gaps that I've got, you know, and I've probably been a bit lazy because I love what I do, but things change. We know in a squiggly career, there's lots of uncertainty and change, and you're never going to lose out by creating connections and borrowing brilliance outside of your world today. It helps you escape the echo chamber trap, means you don't get stuck in your silos.

6:35And also, it's just always fascinating to talk to people who don't know your world and spend time in a completely different way. So just making sure that, you know, you're not too kind of limited when you're thinking about who is within your network. So I hope that feels useful. I think we want to make building brilliant relationships if you don't want to use the word networking. It needs to be a must do not a nice to do as part of your squiggly career because it will increase your opportunities like you're doing more of the things that you want to do but also it increases your resilience. So if things do change you've got the right people around you.

7:13and if you want to dive a bit deeper into networking in the AI skills sprint that we did and you can watch that episode or you can listen to that episode we did one of the episodes around using AI to make networking I think we called it easy but I would probably say easier if you're more introverted like me but I hope that's been useful if there's a shortcut that you need that you can't find you can email us we're Helen and Sarah at squigglycareers.com Thank you.