Don't Get Drunk: And Other Networking Tips

We all know that networking events are one the most important ways of making connections that can benefit your career for years to come. However, a lot of people don’t understand the most basic truth of these events – sure it looks like a party, sounds like a party, even smells like a party – but it isn’t a party. You’re on the job.

As Miss Manners would say “Etiquette is Important,” and this article by Caroline Levchuck details the four most common mistakes people make at networking events.

I’ll let you head to that article if you’d like, but I’ll spend a few pixels laying out what, in my opinion, are the best and most crucial points.

1. Don’t Get Drunk: Just because the bar is open, doesn’t mean that you have to try to prove something. This is a professional event, not a social one, and you don’t want to do something that will not only alienate contacts, but might wind up on YouTube.
2. Dress Appropriately: Dress conservatively for the event. Show people that you are a professional (i.e. – don’t wear flip flops and a puka shell necklace).
3. Do Your Homework: Don’t arrive with nothing to say. If you do this, you’ll either be too quiet and you’ll go unnoticed or you’ll end up babbling incoherently. Either way, you’ll finish the night with a rolodex as desolate as an Old West ghost town.