Asking myself “why should I network?”

The beginning & doubts

To be honest, I have never shown much interest in networking until recently. I mean why should I network? I am busy with work. I have assignments to complete and tests to study for. Why on earth would I want to add more to my plate? Why should I take the little free time I have to network out of all things? This is a reinforced thought that was firmly implanted in my brain for the longest time. While my feelings were valid, there was always a tiny feeling I had that closely resembled doubt. I would question if I was really making the best decision for myself. Along with not wanting to spend my free time networking, fear was also a factor that reinforced the narrative constructed in my head. Meeting people could be uncomfortable and awkward and what if I said something stupid? What if they rejected me?

What changed my perspective on networking was the fact that I was in my fourth year and hadn’t branched out in the way I wanted to. The present me didn’t align with the future me that I had envisioned. As for the fear I had, I remembered a quote that my friend had told me once about dating.

“You don’t lose anything by shooting your shot. If they reject you, you stay in the exact same position that you are in now. So really who cares.”

Now dating and networking are obviously different scenarios, but the saying remains true for both.

Make sure to check out the 10 Networking Questions Guideline that I have created under freebies to use for your virtual coffee chats 😊📃❔

My first “virtual coffee chat”

If you know me personally, you know that I would never willingly walk into something unprepared. While I would love to be spontaneous, my type A personality doesn’t often allow me to be. And there was zero chance that I would start networking without a plan.

I reached out to another student, Abril Lacoma,  I met during a group project. I knew that she had experience in reaching out to people on LinkedIn for virtual coffee chats. In fact, Abril successfully got the roles that she wanted by networking instead of cold applying. I asked if we could meet up for advice on how to run a virtual coffee chat myself.

Here is the advice she gave:

• Look at the mentor’s LinkedIn profile to see what you have in common since this is a good way to build a relationship.  
• Include what you have in common in the LinkedIn connection request.
• Prepare 5-10 questions but keep in mind that the coffee chat might deviate from the topic as the mentor answers the questions.
• Ask about non-career accomplishments that they have on their profile.
• Have the coffee be 30 minutes maximum and respect the time as you can always ask for a second coffee chat.
• Always send a follow-up thank you note within 24 to 48hrs.

My key takeaways 

All of the advice was useful for my second virtual coffee chat! I felt like it really helped with the flow of my meeting. As she predicted, the questions were more of a guideline than a structure. Sometimes the conversation will go off-topic as the mentor answers the questions and sometimes you will think of new questions on the spot.

Want to save an hour of your time and prepare for your own virtual coffee chats? Check out the 10 Networking Questions Guideline.

Don't want to be sad and unemployed? LOL jk! Check out my other virtual coffee chat on startups here!