Share your thoughts about professional networking - you could win a £50 voucher or Workfest tickets! NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Workfest 2016 is coming up soon (14th May) and to get us all in the mood, we’d love to hear your thoughts all about professional networking.

So, networking - what do you think? Do you hate small talk? Maybe you struggle with self-esteem and confidence in a professional environment? Or do you bound into professional events and work the room like a pro? How useful do you find sites like LinkedIn? Share your troubles, tips or joys with networking below - we'd love to hear about them, and we'd love to see you at Workfest!

This one-day event is packed to the rafters with advice for women in - or returning to - the workplace, with a range of workshops and one-on-one sessions hosted by self-made entrepreneurs and career experts. It could be just what you need to kick-start your career, as attested to by these Mumsnetters from last year:

"I felt truly inspired and motivated...I have 'the fire in my belly' to move forward and reach my goals."

"The day was much more than I had hoped. I was and still am in awe of the speakers and gained so much positive energy."

"One of the best value conferences I have been to in a long time."

Tickets are available here

Add your comments to this thread and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win their choice of a £50 store voucher or a pair of Workfest 2016 tickets.

I really struggle unless there is wine flowing. I tend to go for the enigmatic, terribly intellectual approach. Don't really know what it means to network and luckily am senior enough not to have to now!

I hate networking. I did it as a necessary evil when I started my business and needed clients but as soon as I got a fairly good client list then I stopped all the breakfast meetings etc.

Very few people care about the other people in the room, it is all a rather artificial 'what can I sell you' or 'what can I get from you' type of affair.

Not a fan I'm afraid and very glad not to have to do much of it these days at all.

Years ago I was given some brilliant advice about networking by an ex boss who said: go into a room and find three people you can help professionally.
That way, you don't feel shy chatting and asking questions, as the goal in the back of your mind is: what can I do for you, not what can you do for me. You come across as a positive person and people remember you because you helped them. they'll also be predisposed to help you make useful contacts in the future.

I've used it ever since and it has taken all the embarrassment out of networking. I actually enjoy it now.

I dislike it, but what I find hardest is that some of the informal networking is hard to break into if you have to be home for the children. I find it really challenging and haven't come up with a solution that works for me.

I'm naturally an introvert and so hate being in a room full of people I don't know! However when I do make myself start talking to people and networking I find it very encouraging.

I work in a very small industry/ profession which is filled with introverts so networking is quite easy.
But I'm involved in a volunteer event at the moment, and thats hard work for me as I'm having to drum up lots of interest. Networking via social media is new for me (as we have people that do it for us at work), and its interesting learning how to engage people via Twitter. I'd love to learn more about it

I don't like it at all - I find it all a bit excruciating and am really bad at making small talk with strangers.

I hate networking but have to do a lot of it to promote my business effectively. I am a very nervous person and I hate having to speak in front of people (especially when you have normally just eaten a breakfast or lunch!)
I started with some scary network events and then moved on to women only networking which are a lot worse in the long run as they all constantly talk about womens empowerment and don't achieve a lot.

I've forced myself to do it recently, to raise my profile (ugh) at work as I work in a very isolated position and don't know many people. I'm an introvert and hate doing it but just this week I've been brave (for me) and contacted someone by email for some advice, and also asked a colleague for an introduction to someone senior.

But that has totally taken it out of me and I need to lie down in a darkened room for a week now...

I really enjoy networking and find it easiest when I spend the first 10 or fifteen minutes identifying the two or three people I want to speak with and thinking about what I want to say to them. If it's a "lunch and learn" type event, then I aim to start the conversations with an open question about the talk, so as to give the other person a chance to speak first.

I'm self-employed so networking is a vital part of my marketing. When I first made the leap from corporate life I was horrified at the thought of networking and had never found it easy within the company I previously worked for. Now I'm really comfortable with it and actually quite enjoy it. Tips for face to face networking are turn up early if you're nervous as it's easy to start a conversation with one or 2 others hanging around before everyone gets into groups. If everyone is already in groups, look for open ones that are easy to join. Be natural, remember others will be nervous too, be friendly, open and approachable. Treat it like any other social event. Ask what someone does if you don't know what to say. A good icebreaker as well is asking if they've attended one of the events before. Online networking on LinkedIn and Twitter is mainly about showing your expertise. The same rules apply though about being friendly, open, approachable and not all sell sell sell.

I like meeting new people, and enjoy chatting, so try not to think of it as 'networking' as that makes me feel all stressed and uncomfortable. I found the tips on this blog really helpful - particularly to turn the 'what ifs' into positive scenarios.

My general motto is 'fake it till you make it'. Even if I'm a blubbering mess inside, you won't notice by looking at me. And that gives me the confidence to approach a potential business contact.

I used to really struggle at networking events and would totally freeze up. I am slowly getting better at it and try to see them as just a way to meet people. We may or may not talk about work in detail, I might make a friend, I might just have an ok evening, I might have a great evening, I might meet someone I'd like to work with in the future, I might not! Once I took the pressure of myself to 'perform' it changed things for me. I read this Article a few days ago and it has some really helpful tips. I always assume everyone else is comfortable at these things and of course they're not! That had to be pointed out to me though. The author of this also says it gets easier over time. It really does.

claireemma86 - do you mean public speaking in front of a crowd of people? I loathe that! I find it excruciating!

If you are not a natural extrovert (I'm not), I would say, at events:

Get there early, when there are few people there. They will all be hanging about and it's easier to start chatting. Or talk to the organiser - how many people are you expecting, I've been looking forward to hearing X speak for a long time - just social chitchat.

Find someone on the periphery who looks as awkward and nervous as you feel. Ask them something about why they're here, what they do etc etc.

If someone you want to speak to is going to be there, and you don't know them, ask the organiser if he/she knows them and can point them out.

Women are often more approachable and friendly than men.

The only time I have failed in this was when I was invited, some years back, to an Arab country's National Day reception. I was the only woman there, and absolutely no-one wanted to speak to me. I had an awkward conversation with an academic who was hiding behind a pillar, gave up and went back to the office.

For work contacts:

Pick up the phone and ask someone's advice - X says you are the expert/go to person on this subject, and I hope you don't mind if I pick your brains. Most people will be flattered by this. You can try email as well, but a phone call is often more fruitful. If they are very senior, they (or their PA) may suggest you speak to someone else on their team instead. Thank them, and do so - this way you'll have an "in" to what they do anyway.

Invite someone out to lunch, if you have an entertainment budget, or for coffee. I managed to get to see a woman who was refusing to see me unless I came to her office (for various, political reasons, I wasn't allowed to go to her office; for various political reasons, it was in her interest to get me there) by calling her from the cafe across the street and asking her to meet me. She agreed, and we got a great professional relationship going.

LinkedIn:

Can be useful if you join work related groups and enter into discussions on what you're working on, identifying someone who could be useful/someone you might want to work with.

I've found Twitter to be fantastic for networking, I'm much more interesting on there than I am in real life! I've found it a great way to pick up ideas and contacts and have made lots of links via communities of jnterest via industry Twitter chats. I've also found it great at linking up with speakers and contacts from industry events via hashtags, even if I didn't speak to them - or if I did chat, it wasn't for long. It takes some of the " I must speak to them right here and now!" pressure.

As much as I love Twitter though, I don't really get LinkedIn. I have a profile but know I'm not using the site to its full potential - possibly because I get fed up with the coy "oooh someone's looking at your profile - pay us ££ for an upgraded account" emails.

Lots of good ideas here. I find informal networking to be most fruitful, which is really just keeping in touch with people and encouraging them to recommend you! It all depends what sort of business you are in and how many customers you need.

I did some networking training a while back and it was quite interesting. The key thing I took from it was to approach n event looking to make connections, not meet clients. There will probably be someone there that can recommend you or put you in touch with someone else.

Everyone there is just as awkward as you. Focus on people that don't look too scary, and check the delegate list when you arrive so you can try and target one or two people specifically.

Just chat - don't try and 'sell' yourself. Think about a 10 second intro to yourself/business/how you help other businesses, so when someone says "What do you do?" You have a concise answer. Also a 30 second 'elevator speech' which goes into a bit more detail. Focus on how you help clients, not what you do or who you are.

I don't go to many events but do try and attend the local Chamber of Commerce networking brunch events. I don't do breakfast events. Some Chambers are rubbish but luckily mine is good. You often see the same people there but I have made some interesting connections.

Ugh I HATE networking. It's like a memory test combined with a job interview combined with a wedding where you don't know any of the other guests. I want to run away and cower at the very thought.

I struggle with networking, I generally go into events reminding myself that I belong there too.

Having spent the first 10 years of my working life as a teacher, where networking was pretty easy on Inset or courses, I am now in the exhibition and hospitality industry. And networking is hard!
I can't get to the breakfast events which are so common, so feel a bit of an outsider at the other events.
I'm getting quite good at talking about our business, but struggle when asking about others. I have a huge fear of looking stupid and repeating myself!

I am pretty utterly crap at it in real life, a little bit better in an on-line setting, but I really wish it weren't necessary.

I'm terrible at networking. I find it false and most people don't enjoy it.

I am ok at networking but it has taken me while to get the hang of it. I'd just say be yourself, be prepared and remember the majority of people there will be feeling the same.

I think you have to your natural self. Trying too hard does not help the situation at all

I'm not on Facebook as I would prefer my life to remain private! I'm not particularly computer savvy anyway! To be honest I can be quite shy around people I don't know.