Advice Archive: Networking for Introverts
May 23, 2019
Name/Age: Andea
Message: I’ve recently graduated from high school, on the way to college. I’ll be studying film, which from my understanding is a field that will definitely require me to network for a large part of my career. However, I deal with social anxiety on a regular and it’s gonna be really tough for me to network and get my name out there, which will be detrimental. I love film and I know it’s what I want do.
Hey Andea,
I totally understand your dilemma. I even struggle with this myself having a column and brand I want to build. My advice to you is to practice; start with small events, get your feet steady and baby step. Having a good friend or colleague with you if you can would help a lot as well, maybe in the beginning or at the bigger events- a friend to support you and to anchor you in when you feel like you’ve become too overwhelmed, at any moment. Choose the events wisely so you aren’t going to a million a week overwhelming and exhausting your social meter and you then realizing that you could’ve maybe skipped on or two because they were less important than others. Also I think it would help to set goals for the events you attend. If your goal is to meet specific people, target those people. If your goal is to just gauge different people and socialize, perhaps creating a goal for a certain amount of people you want to gauge at the event. Setting goals for networking events I feel will help your anxiety because you just aren’t there floating around in the sea of people talking. You can focus in on the goals you set, smash it and leave. Once you meet your goal, you can either leave or choose to stay longer if you feel your anxiety has died down a bit throughout your time there. It also helps because you don’t feel obligated to stay the full duration of the event, draining you more and more. Drinking helps with my nerves. ONE DRINK. Don’t throw back too many. MAYBE TWO. But that’s it. Only to quiet the nerves and to calm you- not for you to get buzzed, nor to get a little tipsy. The drink is just to soothe. Something dark always- whiskey is my choice. It always makes me nervous to give people this tidbit because I don’t want anyone to abuse this part of the advice lol it’s merely a cheat code that works for ME. You need to be of drinking age of course, aware of your limits and able to control yourself. If you have all three then this can be a tool in your arsenal maybe. If not, let’s pretend we didn’t see that part LOL. Invisible ink that bih. There’s also a book that I came across randomly that is very good and on this topic, it’s called “Hiding in the Bathroom: An Introvert's Roadmap to Getting Out There (When You'd Rather Stay Home)” by Morra Aarons-Mele. I’ve stopped reading it but since this exchange between you and I, I’m going to finish it this month. Definitely check it out! And let me know what you think.
