Even Harvard Says Networking Events Are a Waste of Time 3 Things to Try Instead

Even Harvard Says Networking Events Are a Waste of Time 3 Things to Try Instead If you also recoil at the prospect of making small talk, chances are youre among the camp of people who consider networking events a soul-sucking, anxiety-inducing waste of time. As it turns out, you might not be off the mark, according to a Regardless of how you define networking, your success will be directly tied to your ability to interact with people looking to achieve many of the same things you are, Coburn wrote. The most basic problem with traditional networking events is that they are mixing bowls for professionals who are tzu siche for different reasons. Everyone there is focused on his or her own personal agenda, whether its signing a new client, creating awareness for their business, or connecting with someone in the hopes of developing a mutually beneficial relationship.Due to the fact that attendees of these events are all playing a different game, he added, in the end there are usually no clear winners.Too many professionals are quick to attend yet another networking event, when in reality, they should be spending that time focusing more on their existing relationships, he wrote. My definition of networking is any activity that increases the value of your network or the value you contribute to it.To that end, here are a few substitutes to networking events that are likelier to yield high-value returns1. Joining a club.When people gather for a reason beyond vague networking purposes, the connections they make are more likely to be genuine. Say you join (or host) a book club where you happen to meet a couple of professionals in your same field. Or maybe instead of reading, its a ansturm club you choose to link up with. Regardless of the specific activity, having something beyond the scope of transactional career needs to bond over will elevate these connections in the way a networking event couldnt.2. Rekindling connections you already have.To Coburns point, rather tha n pour all your effort into making new connections for the sake of their novelty, reallocate that time instead to reaching out to a connection you havent spoken to recently. A connection is only as valuable as it is current, so dont make the mistake of taking a one-and-done approach to building your network.3. Volunteering.A perfect antidote to the often soul-sucking nature of traditional networking events is volunteering. In spaces like these, youre likely to meet people with whom you share similar values. And in knowing that you dedicated time to a cause you care about, youll never walk away wondering what the point of your evening was.