27.02.2024 Today’s Insights from Forbes: Hesitant to Network? “Just Do It!”
Some perceptions are hard to change, and one of these is that there is risk associated with contacting strangers about careers, otherwise known as “networking.” Ambitious international students like you may wonder: “What if they [the person I’m contacting on LinkedIn, for example] respond negatively?” As coaches, we at MCI may counter with: “What if you end up having a fantastic conversation that ultimately leads you to a hiring manager?…and maybe even a job?”
While there is no shortage of advice about networking in the public press, the article below makes an excellent point that is not often mentioned. Michael Melcher, author of “Your Invisible Network,” and a global executive coach, maintains that: “The biggest mistake people make [when networking] is that they over-qualify. They try to predict whether meeting any given person will be valuable, and they try to predict whether any given conversation will be useful. But actually, you can’t predict any of this. Some of your most valuable relationships will be unforeseen, and many people who you think will be useful won’t be. Therefore, you need a balance between being strategic and being open to serendipity, and between having an agenda in conversations and being curious about where the conversation will actually end up.”