1. Careers
Effective Networking
RC201
Dr. Tracy Bussoli
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2. Careers
What will we cover?
• Why
Think about why we need to create
and maintain contacts
• How
Learn some rules/tools to help create
and maintain contacts
• Do
Some Practice
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3. In small groups
• Why is it important to create contacts/build
a network?
• From the perspective of working in
research………. or beyond.
Four Groups – Each group write down your
ideas on the wall.

4. Why do we need to create
Careers
contacts?
• Build partnerships/collaborations with other external
research groups, business and industry
• Getting you your name out there – more likely to be
recruited if you are a known person
• Get to know experts in your field – seek advice on
publication, funding etc.
• Create partnerships with internal departments – now how to
find support for research funding, avenues of research
funding
• Find new employees for your team/research group
• Find out what the competition is doing – e.g. are people
working on similar areas in direct competition with you?
• Raise the profile of your University/Organisation
• Help others with their business challenges or research ideas
• Increase your knowledge of your marketplace or specialist
area of expertise
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5. Learning from others
In pairs:
Tell your partner about a person that you
think is good at networking.
What do they do and how does this add
to their success?
Report back to whole group

6. Careers
Activities of networking
• Finding people
• Talking to people
• Following up
• Maintaining links
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7. Careers
Finding people

8. Finding people
Careers
• Start with people you know e.g.
supervisors, academics, friends and
family
• Who might they know? Think
‘connectors’
• Use professional bodies/ industry
associations
• Conferences and events – internal and
external
• Online - use academia.edu, Linked-In,
Facebook, Blogs…..
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9. Finding People…..get
Careers
out there
Don’t spend all your time at a
PC waiting for people to come
to you.
• In person…at meetings, chance
encounters, on the phone 80%
• Electronically…..email, linked-in,
etc. 20%
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10. Careers
Because….
• A tweet: forgotten in
microseconds
• An email: forgotten in two
minutes
• A telephone conversation:
forgotten in half an hour
• A face to face meeting with a
follow-up thank you…..six
months!
10 John Lees – How to get a job you’ll love

11. In small groups, share your
experiences of finding
relevant contacts online –
What has worked?
What is less effective?

12. Careers
Finding People Online
• Names on publications
• Professional bodies
• Academia.edu, Linked-in,
Facebook, twitter
• Forum/discussion boards of
professional bodies/linked-in.
• Networking Events (find out who
is attending beforehand)
• Queen Mary Alumni (linked-in)
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13. Search for People
Careers
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14. Searching for Companies
Careers
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15. Careers
Joining Relevant Groups
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16. Careers
Talking to People
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17. Careers
Talking to People
At a conference…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=09LZXo8sQ9k
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18. Careers
Preparation: Think about
them
• What is interesting about them?
• What questions might they have
answers to?
• What do they need or value?
• How could you benefit them?
• What could they do for you
without effort?
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19. Careers
Preparation: Think about you
What do you want people to remember about you?
• Connector
team-builder – networker – • Problem-solver
resource finder trouble-shooter – analyst – fixer
• Creator • Implementer
inventor – designer – innovator achiever – worker – pragmatist
• Influencer • Strategist
persuader – salesperson – decision-maker – goal-setter –
campaigner navigator
• Pioneer • Organiser
entrepreneur – trailblazer – risk- planner – anticipator – coordinator
taker • Mediator
• Researcher negotiator – agent – intermediary
investigator – explorer – enquirer • Nurturer
• Adviser developer – carer – helper
consultant – guide – counsellor • Evaluator
• Inspirer auditor – judge – monitor
visionary – motivator – example-
setter • Something else?
• Communicator
educator – explainer –
spokesperson
What stories will help them remember?
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20. Script elements
Careers
• Intro: Hi, my name is...
• Label/hook: I’m really interested in...
• Request: I was hoping I could ask you
a couple of questions about...
• Appreciation: ...was really helpful
because...
• Follow-up: Could I contact you
another time if I have more questions?
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21. What type of questions
Careers
should I ask?
• Open questions
• Start with What, Where, How,
When and Why?
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22. Careers
Questions
• I have read about your research on X. I
was wondering if .……….
• How did you move into researching X?
• What would surprise someone from
outside the field?
• What motivates you in this role?
• What challenges do you face regularly?
• What one bit of experience or skill
would get you noticed in this area?
• What other questions would you ask?
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23. Talking to People
• Half people are number 1 and half are number 2.
• In three minutes, number 1 has to find out as
much about number 2 looking for things that
connect you.
• Then reverse the process.
• Each pair in the room then feeds back a few things
that connect them

24. Careers
Following up and
Maintaining Links
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25. Following up and
Careers
Maintaining Links
• Drop people an email to follow up – good to meet
you, thank you for advice, send them the reference
you promised etc.
• Add them to your linked in account
• Contribute to group discussions on
linked in and/or forums where these people
contribute
• Could you offer them something else…..give a talk
at their laboratory, form a collaboration, some
useful information, another useful contact etc.
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26. Careers
Building relationships
Alliance
Advocacy
Assistance
Advice
Answers
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27. Networking Scenarios
• On your handouts, you have four
scenarios that involve elements of
networking.
• In groups, choose 1 scenario and
discuss how you would approach this.
• Member from each group feeds back.

28. So, what’s stopping
Careers
you? • Shyness or
embarrassment?
• Fear of failure?
• Making a fool of
yourself?
• Moral objections?
• Lack of
confidence?
• Lack of contacts?
London Closed Because of Snow by Lars Ploughman
flickr.com/photos/75062596@N00/3246533121/ • Lack of time?
• Don’t know how?
• Something else?
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29. Why networking is so
hard
• Look at the list of reasons for ‘Why
Networking is so Hard’
• In your groups, take it in turns to
choose one reason from the list that
resonates with you.
• The rest of the group devise some
reasons to challenge this thinking

30. Careers
Resources
• Networking for Introverts:
http://www.slideshare.net/sachac/the-shy-connector
• Personal Networking: how to make connections count,
Mike Cope, Pearson Education, 2003
• Vault Guide to Schmoozing, Mercer Lerner, Ed Shen,
Mark Oldman, Hussan Hamadeh, Vault 2002
• Networking for job search and Career Success, L Michelle
Tullier, PhD, JIST works, 2004
• www.quintcareers.com/networking.html
• http://www.slideshare.net/neilfws/what-can-science-
networking-online-do-for-you-presentation
• http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/advanced_search/r
esults?v:project=ezpubproj&render.function=xml-
feed&sources=ezpub&query=networking
• http://academia-101.blogspot.com/2006/03/networking-
and-other-academic-hobbies.html
• http://aclinks.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/networking-
on-the-network/
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