Your First Networking Event

So.  You're walking in to your first 'networking' event.

Are you ready?

Before you walk in, let's be sure you're fully prepared:

A pocketful of business cards.
With your decent email address, your name, phone number, LinkedIn profile, and minimal other details.  A simple, clean card that communicates what you are pursuing.

My college student business card featured a simple color palate, no photos, no extra adornment.  When in doubt, pick a color that you like, and a simple shape for one corner, and you should be set for professional, not sophomoric.  My card shared my name, email, LinkedIn, phone, and school association on one side, and my name, phone number and purpose on the other.

When I was nearing graduation, my purpose was "content creator and consultant" because that's what I wanted to be.  Short, simple, and -- my favorite -- alliterative.  It communicates quickly what I was looking for, and what I was driving to specialize in.  A few words that crystallize what you are aiming for will serve you well when chatting with other professionals.

An appropriate outfit.
Depending on the event, the definition of 'appropriate' may vary.  Most business networking events will indicate the level of dress that is appropriate.  You may have to make your best guess based on some clues.

Networking at a conference: assume business professional.  
For men, a matched suit and tie, with real dress shoes.  For women, a sheath dress and jacket, or a matched skirt or pants suit, and heels.

A cocktail hour/evening: assume business casual.
For men, slacks and a button up, or khakis and a sport coat, tie optional.  For women, a cocktail dress, an unmatched skirt or pants suit, or a sheath dress with no jacket.

A social hour/afternoon/immediately after work hours: assume business casual to casual.
For men, jeans may be acceptable with a button up, tie not required.  For women, a blouse and jeans, a dress or skirt, or something dressy but not professional.

A weekend lunch meet up: assume casual.
For men and women, jeans are definitely appropriate.  Depending on the weather, even shorts may be acceptable.  Sneakers and a tee-shirt are usually acceptable.

As a small side note, I highly recommend pulling back long hair when attending events for networking.  Not only is it more professional to have your hair away from your face, it also keeps it out of the way of the name tag that will be affixed to your jacket later.  Many conferences will make name tags in holders for you, but many social hours will use 'hello, my name is' stickers.  Getting your hair stuck in your name tag is just lame, let me tell you.

A goal for the night.
This is imperative.  Most people walk in the door with no idea who they want to talk to, what they are going to say, and what they want to express about themselves.  In your mental replay after the event, you'll regret the moments you missed.

Especially if you are a student, look for professionals, not other students.  Student-oriented events usually publish a list of the industry pros who will be in attendance, or at least the companies that will be represented.  Do your homework beforehand, and research those companies and people in advance to give you an idea who to look for and what to say.

If you're stumped about how to start, here's a list of great conversation starters to practice: http://bit.ly/2npxutb

Alright.  You're ready to go through that door.  Let's go inside.  Be sure to check in, and make sure you get

A name tag.
If you write in your own, write your first and last name neatly and clearly.  If there is room, add your affiliation to the bottom.

Be sure to affix your name tag to your right chest.  Most people intuitively put it on their left chest, but there is a good reason to put it on the right.  You shake hands with your right hand.  The person you are meeting will look at your hand first, then up your arm to your name, then to your face.  Do as much as you can to help this person attach your face to your name in their memory.

A firm handshake.
Don't be aggressive, and certainly don't be passive.  Grip their hand firmly, with the meat of your palm firmly engaged with theirs, and give it a stern shake.  That's really all there is to it.  In American and most European business situations, that will be sufficient and appropriate.

In a previous life, I was a debater, and a hand crushing handshake from a woman was often a good way to assert my mental dominance over the poindexters in debate.

You are not here to assert your dominance.  You're here to meet people and make a good impression.  A good handshake is the first one.

An elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch is the shorthand term for a brief intro about yourself that you could deliver during the time it takes to ride the elevator.  Long before you start a conversation with a professional, practice your 30 seconds of "tell me about yourself."  Put yourself in the mind of a pro who is giving you the time of day, and think about what they would want to know about you that would keep their interest.  At the minimum, be sure to say your name, what school you're currently attending or job you currently hold, and what brought you to this event. Then, you know, chat a little.

My favorite thing about networking is that it is expected that a conversation should not exceed 10 minutes.  Less than 5 seems like you're trying to escape a bad chat (so big hint if someone suddenly sees someone across the room).  Most excitingly, you can have the exact same conversation with every person you meet.  Sure, each convo will vary a little, but you can use the same one-liner with everyone.  Repeat what seems to engage more conversation, and trim the non-starters.

When it's time to end, end it quickly with a polite exit.  I suggest something like, "well, here's my card, is it OK if I add you on LinkedIn?"  Exchange cards, say thank you, and tell them you hope to see them again later in the event.

Ta da, you're in and out and on to the next in 6 minutes flat.  The first one will be awkward, the second will be slightly better, and by the end of a night working the room, you should have collected a batch of business cards and at least a few good connections for LinkedIn.

Avoid connecting with people on LinkedIn while at the event, but be sure to send the request soon after.

Alright, you made it through, time to follow up.  Wait, what is 'follow up'?

A post-game plan.
Follow up is king in the networking game.  Set aside half an hour or an hour the day after your event to find everyone on LinkedIn, and to send an email thanking them for making their acquaintance.

Say hello, remind them of your name, and the event where you met.  Let them know that you sent them a request on LinkedIn so they should be on the look out for that.  Say thank you for your great chat about X, and tell them that you look forward to chatting again soon.  (If you can't remember something specific that you talked about, ask them how they enjoyed the conference, what they thought of that speaker, or something else that is topical to the context in which you originally met them.)

Just like networking in person, you can send almost the same email to everyone.

If you can do all that, you're ahead of 90% of the other students, young pro hopefuls, and wallflowers at most networking events.  As you get better, you can bring in more personality, but to start, lean hard on polite and earnest.  These are qualities any prospective employer will respect.