How do I network?
>>964128
I'm going to bump this with a question of my own
If alumni don't respond, what's the chances strangers will? I have a feeling my alumni doesn't give a shit about us students and it shows
Bump. I'm socially awkward around people I don't know.
>>964128
Easy, just use your parents network. They don't have one idk. Some people get lucky and have successful parent who open a lot of doors for them.
>tfw have never had to do an interview before
>>964128
Persist. A lot. Kick the proverbial door until your foot is bruised and lodged firmly. Tap into ANY network possible, high school classmates, university classmates, teachers, any family. If you're a luck stupid prick you'll end up like >>964196 and not have to actually do much. Networking is hard, and I agree with you.
If you're awkward around people you don't know, research them first if possible, and cold call/email them first to build a relationship and attempt to meet in person, it's MUCH more beneficial.
>>964128
1) go to events where you know no one
2) talk to people you don't know
tip: talk to drifters. people standing around solo looking around. when you have a small group, use your body language and movement to spread people out so it doesn't get too dense, at which point you can move the group around and engage other 'open' pairs.
When the group gets too big, try closing a smaller circle and steer it away from the main cluster, or excuse yourself to the bathroom or get a drink or something and start anew.
You have to gauge who is useful to you and who isn't. Get their business cards/contact details and chat them up when you get home, or even when you're on the way away from the event when you're still buzzed if your phone still has a charge.
Maintain the contacts regularly, occasionally go to outings, and ask them if they know people who know people.
That is the art of the network. At least how I do it. And I have mad social anxiety.
by going to >>>/pol/
>>964245
Thanks for the post. Would you please share more details about yourself/career and more on the social anxiety? Any more tips/resources for improving?
Your insight is much appreciated.
>>964128
>hold Ethernet cord
>sneak up behind people
>shove Ethernet cable in anus
>???
>profit
The Social /Network/
I'll give some examples
1. In 2010 I volunteered for a political campaign and a couple of grassroots groups with a limited government ideology. One of those grassroots groups went around interviewing candidates. I stepped up to be on the interview committee. Most of us were strangers at that point, but that's how grassroots groups work - whoever volunteers gets a leadership role. I went to the first interview and the questions were shit tier. They were almost all softballs with a few that didn't even have anything to do with the office. So I rewrote them all, the group liked my rewrite, and they used my questions for all of the subsequent candidates.
The candidate lost and the grassroots group shut down by the end of 2010. But a year later I got a call from someone else who had been conducting the interviews with me, and who had also volunteered for the same political campaign. Apparently he had spent a lot more time with the candidate and ended up as the guy's personal assistant after the campaign was over (another example of networking. He just hung out at the campaign headquarters looking to volunteer for stuff.) In 2011 the candidate started a PAC and put him in charge (PAC Treasurer.) The now personal assistant/Treasurer remembered my work for the interview committee and called me up asking if I wanted a job as Director of Research.
2. In 2003 I got a call about a job from a vendor for a grocery store. There was almost no supervision. No time clocks. You see the boss about once a year (we were on our own, working a route.) They want people who had a reputation for working hard and were self-starters. They only hired people based on the recommendation of someone else. So they called me. I worked there for a while. It was shit pay to start - like 2 days a week, 5 hours a day, at $10 (later $15), but I was in college, so whatever. After 15 months I was promoted full time and put on commission. When I quit, my boss asked me for a recommendation to take my place.
>>965273
Interesting.
>>965202
>career
23 entrepreneur, somewhat (sustainably) successful.
>>965202
>social anxiety? Any more tips/resources for improving?
I don't think it does ever improve. You have to overcome it. It feels exactly like jumping out of an airplane without parachute for the first time every single time.
The way I help myself is that I think of people as a game of alphas and betas. When I start out, i'm a Tier 0 Beta. a T0B can beat a T0B if it upgrades to T0Alpha. It becomes alpha by virtue of simply making the first move. A first move is as simple as picking the target. If you've identified a T0B, you're now a T0A, but can only maintain that status if you act on that supperiority before someone else does. T0A beats T0B. Now that you've made a temporary wingman, you're a T1A/B. You now have a tiny parachute. T1 beats everything in T0. T1 + T0 = T2, etc.
I think that someone below me has no priviledge to judge me. That means I have to 'level up' as fast as possible so that I move other people out of the position where they could possibly act on my irrational phobias.
But the truth is, you probably have to figure out yourself what works for you.
>>965476
also, alcohol helps too.
>>964128
Forced yourself to smile, dress nice and be groomed well. Do this daily. Hopefully this helps.
>>965476
sounds like agar.io
1. Get a door to door sales job.
2. Get fucking good at it
3. Give a good impression to those you sell to.
You'll meet anything from millionaires/investors to celebrities to lawyers, etc. You being able to sell to them obviously give them a good impression and you can take it from there. Say that you do this as a part time job and then inform you of what you have studied and prior experience, etc. etc.
>>968190
>1. Get a door to door sales job.
>3. Give a good impression to those you sell to.
these two statements are mutually exclusive.
>>964245
To break the ice and start a conversation i just pretend im somebody else.
I used to work with this asshole of a store manager and he had a specific tone and posture he used to use when he was showing authority on both the customer face and the corporate face. It always seemed to work. So i imitate that behaviour until it becomes natural in the scenario im in.
sounds a bit autist, but the reality of social gatherings is to imitate what we've learnt and to use it as a tool.
I do this before i start on the points this anon has added. Artificial confidence is a start.
>>965202
start with "hi, im John" and put your hand out for a handshake. If you need to elaborate, make it "hi, im john from techworks" or "hi im john from capital management" etc.
i'd say 9 out of 10 times you'll get a "hi, im jeff from IT" or whatever back. Thats your springboard to conversation... "IT, great! do you have anything to do with the new POS rollout for small stores?" etc
before you leave the conversation to mingle with the rest of the room make sure you get a business card or email or whatever it is you are looking for, and tell them you'll follow it up. "i'll give you a call on Monday to talk more about those wicked widgets and how we can get them in my stores" etc.
