What if You Hate Networking?

Networking is essential for your career, but what if you hate networking? Here’s a great article listing ways to be authentic yet effective:

Prepare. Find out who is attending an event so you are not surprised. At a minimum, when you check in, look at the table containing name tags of attendees. Prepare some ice breaking topics or open-ended questions.
Have a purpose. If you serve on the committee throwing the event, you have a job to do and are not awkwardly standing around.
Be a good listener when you mingle. If you despise networking, chances are you’re an introvert. Introverts are generally good listeners; so, use this to your advantage – people love to talk about themselves!
Network in different ways. You don’t have to throw yourself into a huge event, or meet people one on one. You can email or call someone you are interested in meeting – be sure to raise who you and what you know in common. You can also contribute to publications or speak at at roundtables.