What's networking good for?

I always thought that networking is fit for the type of people with great social skills, the type of people who could be in a crowded room without feeling awkward.
One past experience of a networking meeting for sales people, reinforced the belief but recently I attended social gatherings in my field (HR) and I completely changed my opinion.

It turns out that anyone can network if they don't try to accomplish too much in just one meeting.

So here's what I found out:
1. Go to a meeting where you will find people from your field, or learn some things about the industry where most of the people would come from. It is easier to have something to talk about like industry trends and challenges, what the top companies in the field are doing...

2. Dress code. If unsure, go for business. Better to look overdressed, than negligent.

3. Don't forget your business cards.

4. Put a smile on your face and a confident attitude. People want to hang out with people that are pleasant to be around and self-confident. Make sure you are able to summarize yourself in a few sentences: job, company, interests.

5. Set as objective to meet a few people, not just share business cards with the whole room- which is impersonal and none can remember you after 10 minutes. What you want to accomplish, is to remember the names and details of a few people and also be remembered by them. So be interested in their company, their job, their hobbies.

6. Don't be afraid to mention you're new to networking, feel weird or you don't know what to do. People are generally extremely understanding and helpful...and it's a good way to start a conversation. People would usually sympathize with you and share stories from their beginnings of networking and give you a few tips.

7. Don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry I forgot your name!" It happens not to remember the name of someone you've just met and is better to admit it, than to pretend you know their name, and spend the whole evening avoiding to tell their name and stress yourself.

8. If you're looking for a job, mention that but don't make it the main subject of the discussion. It usually comes naturally when you ask what's your discussion partner's job, they'll say something "and what do you do for a living". You can mention then, you're looking, or you're open for opportunities. Usually the person can recommend you to someone who either has a vacancy or knows someone that has... and there you are! You network. You got to know somebody who know somebody that has what you're interested in.

9. Follow up. After the meeting, send e-mails to the people you've got to talk to. This way, they'll remember you and you open a line of communication for the future.

I know it sounds simple, when in fact it is really complicated. You often find yourself in a room full of people and it might happen you don't know anyone, you're stressed, sweaty and feel inadequate and you wonder how come you convinced yourself to go to that meeting.

The secret is, to take it easy. You're not alone... there are others like you. Best thing to do ( other than turn around and leave, hoping that none spots you leaving) is to get in touch with the person in charge of the registration for the event. They'll start introducing you to some of the people they know, and you can take it from there.

And remember: is not about looking for a job, it's about getting to know people, that could help you find a job.

So, what's networking good for?
Lots of things, not necessarily in the following order
1. expand your network of people
2. meet new interesting people
3. learn new things
4. build relationships
5. find potential employees/ employers
6. increase the awareness of your company
7. get people to know you - build your own brand
8. promote a product/ service
9. find business partners
10. find new opportunities
11. get knowledge, advice from experienced people