Today we listened to Rob Cullen. Rob spoke to us about networking. This speech included information on how to network, what networking is, and differences between online and in-person networking. It was great to hear him talk about such a difficult thing for some people. I know I am shy, which makes networking very hard for me, but some of the tricks that he showed us will be helpful in future networking experiences!
From listening to Rob’s speech I noticed a few differences between networking in the United States and in Ireland. Many things are similar to the networking that we are used to. These similarities include greeting each other with a firm handshake, which Rob made sure to demonstrate for us. Another item that he mentioned that I have seen occur in many networking events is the difference between open and closed circles. In a closed, tight-knit circle, people should not join the conversation as the people in the circle are not looking to add more members until they complete their conversation. People should be welcome to join open circles though. In an open circle, people are welcome to join and add more people to the conversation. Something that was different between the cultures was the nature of networking. During networking events in the United States, usually the ones I have attended include more talk about jobs and companies. In Ireland, initial networking seems to be only about walking with each other and gaining more of a friendship than a colleague relationship, as you are looking more to find items in common with one another and work towards a coffee time together.
After listening to Rob today, I plan to take away a couple of his techniques. First, I want to be aware of closed and open circles. I know I have most certainly joined a few closed circles during networking events when I should not have. I will work on this technique and try to spot out more open circles in the future. In addition, another technique I will use includes finding more connections instead of being direct about jobs and companies. For example, instead of reaching out after the networking event and asking if they have time to review my resume or recommend me, I can ask about the TV show or movies that we have bonded over during the initial meeting. Overall, I learned a lot from the speaker today, and look forward to using some of these tips at my next networking event!