Networking For A New Career Is Less Scary Than You Think

One daunting challenge to a midlife career change is rebuilding your network, especially if your chosen field is entirely foreign to you.

Most people are intimidated by the term networking, which can evoke feelings ranging from sheer terror to debilitating cringe. But there is more to this than sweaty handshakes and awkward small talk over ashy coffee. I’ll show you how I did it.

Networking 101: Ask Questions!

Asking people questions is the key to forming relationships because it puts you in a position of humility, curiosity, and openness. You have no agenda other than to learn, and that’s hard to resist!

I knew nothing about the television entertainment industry in the Discovery Phase of my reinvention cycle (Phase 1). Since I was in the information-gathering phase, I looked at local conferences because I didn’t want to commit resources until I knew this was my path. I found the Peachtree Film Festival right in Atlanta.

I attended a screenwriting class and then approached the instructor, Mark Brown, and asked him a simple question: “How did you get into this career?”

Just like that, I was networking. No awkward small talk is needed. No stale coffee. He invited me to watch him pitch A&E that same day! I learned more in that meeting than I would have in a year and made a valuable connection.

We’ll talk next about where to find networking opportunities, but in any situation where you are looking to gain knowledge and make connections, ask people questions about how they did it. Sharing stories creates connections.

MORE FOR YOU
‘American Primeval’ Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New Show
New Amazon Ransomware Attack—‘Recovery Impossible’ Without Payment
Bitcoin Price Surges After Leak Reveals Imminent Trump Game-Changer—$100 Trillion Predicted

Network at Local Conferences, Meetups, and Lectures

Google will give you multiple options in any industry, but the key is to dig deep to make sure your national or international organizations are reputable:

• Vet members in their directory to see if they have a following.
• Research the conference agenda or past years’ agendas, looking up guest speakers.
• Bonus points if the organization has an accreditation program, a peer-reviewed journal, or publishes its research.
• Look at who their sponsors are and determine if these companies are well-known and reputable.

Pro tip: Many conferences have chat portals for registrants. Reach out to anyone you’re interested in and ask them to meet for 15 minutes at the conference.

Get a Group: Join a Network

Professional groups are crucial for emotional support, learning, and networking. At these, you’re more likely to find a mentor willing to guide you through the new industry, as the ethos behind professional groups is giving back to the professional community. Many professional groups have fees, but you can always ask the organizer if you can just attend one session before deciding to join.

Network Through Family and Friends

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a game that proves that any actor in Hollywood, based on their projects, is less than six degrees away from being associated with Kevin Bacon. It’s a game of numbers, so you could substitute Kevin Bacon with literally anyone on the planet and find a connection, however tenuous.

When you’re networking offline, you’d be surprised at how many thought leaders in your new career (or maybe even Kevin Bacon) are six degrees from your mom, grandma, or neighbor. Reach out to your social and familial networks and find out who your people know. Even if a connection is four, five, or even six degrees out, it’s still a connection and worth a shot. As it turns out, I was only a few degrees from the Olsen Twins.

I was pitching for A&E, and things were not going well. I asked the executive what he wanted, and he said, “The Olsen Twins.”

I told him I would get him the interview, not knowing how on earth I would do it. I called every single person I knew. An acquaintance of mine went to college with the CEO of the Olsen Twins’ clothing company. After calling and begging for more information, I completed the interviewing business with A&E for many years.

Networking can feel awkward at first–it’s not easy being the new kid. But if you go into it with curiosity, humility, and many questions, you will find that people genuinely want to be helpful and share their expertise.