This Is How To Network Even If You (Ugh!) Hate It

By Stacy Morrison

Part 1 in our series on networking for Gen X

Somewhere deep in your heart, head and wallet, you know you should be doing more networking. Research proves that being a better connector improves your job satisfaction and bottom line.

But what if you loathe it? Walking into a conference room with a plastic cup of wine and rubber smile just makes you want to wretch.

Susan McPherson, author of The Lost Art of Connecting, knows your pain. She grew up as a shy kid with a serious case of FOMO. If she wasn’t going to be invited to events, she had to host her own. Eventually she got comfortable with working a room, but still knows the desire to dive under the boardroom table and avoid small talk.

Here’s her advice on how to network, even if you hate it, plus great tips on how to return to the workforce after you’ve been out of it for a while (which is a lot of us).

Get more networking tips from Susan in Part 2!

 

Originally Published May 13, 2021. Updated May 20, 2021.