Starting Your Career: How to Successfully Network in Business

Networking Misconceptions:

1. That kid in school whose father does x has it made with contacts; his career is set.

My first two years in college were spent at a private school in Southern Florida, I don't have to say the school's name, but you know their football team. I used to see kids like this. They would walk around with a sense of accomplishment and have the coolest cell-phones, blah, blah.

They would have their parents credit card and have a private party at a club in South Beach, do drugs and thought that daddy would take care of them. These people never did anything. Maybe they went and worked at their dad's accounting firm and, subsequently are resented by the entire staff.

The reason why so many lottery winners end up back in the trailer is because they didn't work for the money, therefore they don't appreciate it and they never taught themselves money management. Therefore, their TV lost 50' in size and their home grew wheels again. Happened to a woman in New Jersey twice.

Moreover, remember when you were on your parent's allowance and they used to be able to control what you did? Imagine a life-sentence of that. Don't be jealous and think that networking with these people will get you anywhere.

2. It's the #1 Way to Get Ahead.

John McClane put it best, "Sorry Hans wrong guess, would you like to go for Double Jeopardy where the scores can really change!?"

The only way to get ahead is hard work and a consistent drive to learn new things. Nobody is going to hire you because you know someone. Unless it happens to be a situation where your uncle is a 3m year client for a firm and he pressures this company (which is quite wrong in the first place) to take you in. Is that really how you want to get a job?

People only want to hire people who are going to make them money. Knowing people only helps if you bring something to the table. If you're not going to work hard or have a bad track record, network all you want, but it's not going to work like some say.

Also, unless this is a career fair where you're set up to speak with reputable firms or an alumni party where there are interesting people, you're wasting your time. With a 9.5% unemployment rate, who do you think is attending these cocktail hours? Yep. People who need jobs. You can rest assure that not one person in that room will tell you the name of a company which they are interviewing with. Not one. That is, unless it didn't work out and the job is through. They probably would not even tell you if they knew a certain company may be hiring in two months from now. I wouldn't either if I were them.

Other networking events that you will be invited to be will full of bad salespeople who are annoying and who are trying to sell you catering services. Yes. They may it at the right time and you may need 50 salami sandwiches, but that's the most you are going to achieve at most.

Let's put is this way, if networking was so easy to find employment, I would be out of business.

3. You should say this phrase at networking events

"It's all about who you know." This is the #1 stupidest comment that nobody who could ever become close to successful will say. Think this way and you're toast.

Networking Tips:

1. Don't just network with people for jobs.

Network with people because you can learn things from individuals with different backgrounds. Network with people because you enjoy the company of others. You learn a lot more that way. For instance, I have contacts of people who are very successful in their field, but I don't ever ask them for anything but their opinion on some matters. What if I called them every three days to help me staff someone. Regardless, we can do our own job, but do you think that he or she would answer my phone calls?

2. The only people who are going to stick their necks out are very good friends or family.

Realize that the random people whom you meet at networking events are not going to go out of their way to help you find a job. That is your job. It's the people whom you now network with. They are your friends, they are the ones that will help you.

3. Don't have more than one drink (if that) at a networking event.

I used to not realize it and it's why I don't drink anymore, after one drink (no matter how much you think you can tolerate it) your ability to be truly engaged in a conversation and have interesting things to say, drops dramatically. You will never notice it and I never did, but now that I don't drink, observing people, at two drinks, conversation tends to get a little spotty. If it's your buddies, that's fine. Though, if they are not close friends, lay off the drinks.