1

Care

ers

Effective NetworkingRC201

Dr. Tracy Bussoli

2

Care

ers

What will we cover?

• Why Think about why we need to create and maintain contacts

• How Learn some rules/tools to help create and maintain contacts

• Do Some Practice

In small groups

• Why is it important to create contacts/build a network?

• From the perspective of working in research………. or beyond.

Four Groups – Each group write down your ideas on the wall.

4

Care

ers

Why do we need to create contacts?• Build partnerships/collaborations with other external research

groups, business and industry • Getting you your name out there – more likely to be recruited if

you are a known person• Get to know experts in your field – seek advice on publication,

funding etc.• Create partnerships with internal departments – now how to find

support for research funding, avenues of research funding• Find new employees for your team/research group• Find out what the competition is doing – e.g. are people working

on similar areas in direct competition with you?• Raise the profile of your University/Organisation• Help others with their business challenges or research ideas• Increase your knowledge of your marketplace or specialist area

of expertise

Learning from others

In pairs:

Tell your partner about a person that you think is good at networking.

What do they do and how does this add to their success?

Report back to whole group

6

Care

ers

Activities of networking

• Finding people• Talking to people• Following up• Maintaining links

Care

ersFinding people

8

Care

ers

Finding people• Start with people you know e.g.

supervisors, academics, friends and family

• Who might they know? Think ‘connectors’• Use professional bodies/ industry

associations• Conferences and events – internal and

external• Online - use academia.edu, Linked-In,

Facebook, Blogs…..

9

Care

ers

Finding People…..get out there

Don’t spend all your time at a PC waiting for people to come to you.

• In person…at meetings, chance encounters, on the phone 80%

• Electronically…..email, linked-in, etc. 20%

10

Care

ers

Because….• A tweet: forgotten in

microseconds• An email: forgotten in two

minutes• A telephone conversation:

forgotten in half an hour• A face to face meeting with a

follow-up thank you…..six months!

John Lees – How to get a job you’ll love

In small groups, share your experiences of finding relevant contacts online –

What has worked? What is less effective?

12

Care

ers

Finding People Online• Names on publications• Professional bodies• Academia.edu, Linked-in,

Facebook, twitter• Forum/discussion boards of

professional bodies/linked-in.• Networking Events (find out who

is attending beforehand) • Queen Mary Alumni (linked-in)

13

Care

ers

Search for People

14

Care

ers

Searching for Companies

15

Care

ers

Joining Relevant Groups

16

Care

ersTalking to People

17

Care

ers

Talking to People

At a conference…….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09LZXo8sQ9k

18

Care

ers

Preparation: Think about them

• What is interesting about them?• What questions might they have

answers to?• What do they need or value?• How could you benefit them?• What could they do for you

without effort?

19

Care

ers

Preparation: Think about you

• Connector team-builder – networker – resource finder

• Creator inventor – designer – innovator

• Influencer persuader – salesperson – campaigner

• Pioneer entrepreneur – trailblazer – risk-taker 

• Researcher investigator – explorer – enquirer

• Adviserconsultant – guide – counsellor

• Inspirer visionary – motivator – example-setter

• Communicator educator – explainer – spokesperson

• Problem-solver trouble-shooter – analyst – fixer

• Implementer achiever – worker – pragmatist

• Strategist decision-maker – goal-setter – navigator

• Organiser planner – anticipator – coordinator

• Mediator negotiator – agent – intermediary

• Nurturer developer – carer – helper

• Evaluator auditor – judge – monitor

• Something else?

What do you want people to remember about you?

What stories will help them remember?

20

Care

ers

Script elements

• Intro: Hi, my name is...• Label/hook: I’m really interested in...• Request: I was hoping I could ask you

a couple of questions about...• Appreciation: ...was really helpful

because...• Follow-up: Could I contact you

another time if I have more questions?

21

Care

ers

What type of questions should I ask?

• Open questions

• Start with What, Where, How, When and Why?

22

Care

ers

Questions

• I have read about your research on X. I was wondering if .……….

• How did you move into researching X?

• What would surprise someone from outside the field?

• What motivates you in this role?• What challenges do you face regularly?• What one bit of experience or skill

would get you noticed in this area?• What other questions would you ask?

Talking to People

• Half people are number 1 and half are number 2.

• In three minutes, number 1 has to find out as much about number 2 looking for things that connect you.

• Then reverse the process.

• Each pair in the room then feeds back a few things that connect them

24

Care

ers

Following up and Maintaining Links

25

Care

ers

Following up and Maintaining Links

• Drop people an email to follow up – good to meet you, thank you for advice, send them the reference you promised etc.

• Add them to your linked in account

• Contribute to group discussions on linked in and/or forums where these people contribute

• Could you offer them something else…..give a talk at their laboratory, form a collaboration, some useful information, another useful contact etc.

26

Care

ers

Building relationships

AllianceAdvocacyAssistance

AdviceAnswers

Networking Scenarios

• On your handouts, you have four scenarios that involve elements of networking.

• In groups, choose 1 scenario and discuss how you would approach this.

• Member from each group feeds back.

28

Care

ers

So, what’s stopping you? • Shyness or

embarrassment?• Fear of failure?• Making a fool of

yourself?• Moral objections?• Lack of confidence?• Lack of contacts?• Lack of time?• Don’t know how?• Something else?

London Closed Because of Snow by Lars Ploughmanflickr.com/photos/75062596@N00/3246533121/

Why networking is so hard• Look at the list of reasons for ‘Why

Networking is so Hard’

• In your groups, take it in turns to choose one reason from the list that resonates with you.

• The rest of the group devise some reasons to challenge this thinking

30

Care

ers

Resources• Networking for Introverts: http://

www.slideshare.net/sachac/the-shy-connector• Personal Networking: how to make connections count,

Mike Cope, Pearson Education, 2003• Vault Guide to Schmoozing, Mercer Lerner, Ed Shen, Mark

Oldman, Hussan Hamadeh, Vault 2002• Networking for job search and Career Success, L Michelle

Tullier, PhD, JIST works, 2004• www.quintcareers.com/networking.html• http://www.slideshare.net/neilfws/what-can-science-netw

orking-online-do-for-you-presentation• http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/advanced_search/r

esults?v:project=ezpubproj&render.function=xml-feed&sources=ezpub&query=networking

• http://academia-101.blogspot.com/2006/03/networking-and-other-academic-hobbies.html

• http://aclinks.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/networking-on-the-network/