From Dreading to Loving "Networking"

I write this as I enter my final year of law school and reflect on my fascinating career experiences up to this point. There were things I wish knew back in college, and also things I strive to maintain going forward as a future attorney. I write this for anyone that can benefit from it - whether you're in school, seeking an internship/FT position, or a professional in the field.

When I entered college in 2012, I was a shy, naive freshman unsure about what I wanted to pursue - sounds like some people you know, right? It actually wasn't until the end of sophomore year that I started thinking about a legal career. By this point, my GPA had already suffered from taking the wrong courses and forcing myself through material I wasn't passionate about. Once I found my stride however, I realized I was far behind the game - my finance friends were already networking since the first week of freshman year and landing high-paying internships. My tech friends already developed sufficient technical skills to enter the Bay Area/Silicon Valley scene. My pre-law/health peers had high GPAs at their arsenal to entertain multiple internship/job offers.

Needless to say as a shy introvert back then, I was envious. I wasn't confident in my qualifications to immediately ask for help or reach out for potential internship opportunities. I didn't have many career mentor figures to look up to in college, and was blessed to find very few. I didn't know how to engage in small talk and worried if I'd get judged for my grades or lack of experiences when reaching out.

But I did know what I was interested in and thus realized I had to craft my unique path. After going through diverse experiences in corporate, tech, nonprofit, startup, and trade organizations working with law, entertainment, social media, and finance, I summarized some of the networking tips that helped me grow even more as a professional. In the past two years I've tried to maximize my law school experience by networking to the fullest. Surprisingly through this process, my new colleagues now find it hard to believe that I used to be a shy kid afraid of reaching out to people. Today, I love speaking and engaging with professionals, mentors, and mentees to hear their stories and learn from them.

1. Be genuine

• The most fruitful networking conversations I've had stemmed from me being myself. I never engaged with professionals intending on a fairy tale scenario in which they'd offer me a job on the spot, nor have I crafted fantasy representations of someone I'm not. Have a story about the goal you want to achieve and why you want it. Give them a reason why you seek their insight and advice. My smoothest chats and interviews (later turned offers) were the ones where I felt the most comfortable coherently explaining my trajectory, my interest in certain fields, and what I wanted to get out of the experience. Be yourself.
• Likewise today I receive many messages from both undergraduates and recent college graduates seeking career advice, and I usually love to pay it forward if they are genuinely seeking my help.

2. Be curious

• Before law school, one of the things that I was actively told to do while working at YouTube and Yelp was - "ask questions." The transition from working at a securities litigation firm to tech was massive, and I was in many situations where I literally didn't know what something was unless I asked. I began to adopt a certain mindset, in which I'd analyze, ask, and most importantly - collaborate. Through this process, I was able to better engage with my teammates, leads/managers, and even colleagues from other teams who visited my desk. From this point on, I tried to stay curious and proactive in any form of professional interaction - coffee chats, receptions, interviews, and the jobs themselves.
• Of course, be mindful of the limits of what you'd consider "this is a dumb question but..." depending on the situation and read the room. In Korean, we call this concept of awareness 'noonchi (??)' and I wish there was an equally apt English word for it.

3. Be social

• During college, this was the most difficult part. How do I keep a conversation going, what exactly was 'small talk,' and how would I manage at a networking reception with a bunch of other people? Thankfully upon attending countless happy hours and receptions before and during law school, I've realized being social does not equal being the loudest in the room. See the above - be genuine and curious. It takes practice and experience to be comfortable in such settings. Be mindful of what your goals are, maintain speaking etiquette, but also enjoy the experience.
• If it's a 1:1 coffee chat in which you're specifically asking for someone's time, show them why you had asked. What aspects of their career interest you, what advice are you seeking, and can you see yourself in their shoes? This is not a formal job interview - outside of the chat they may as well be strangers on the street. But you have asked for the chance to learn. Make the most of this experience, and be inspired.

4. Be professional

• Even though this may come across as common knowledge, we are all professionals that strive to be so. Be genuine, curious, and social but most importantly professional. Don't take a networking opportunity to make this entirely about yourself - respect people's time and insights. Often we say a conversation is like a tennis match - but here you won't be invited back to the court if you're not game-ready and maintaining proper etiquette.

With the pandemic this year, communication has become more vital than ever. I personally wanted to maximize my quarantine opportunities to connect with legal and entertainment professionals, and was gratefully inspired by those who have taken their time to connect with me and share their experiences.

Shameless plug - I am in the final few months of authoring my upcoming book "K-POP: The Odyssey." Writing this book on the global K-pop phenomenon required that I engage with and interview professionals across different industries. All of my expert consultants had a lot to contribute to my book because I really wanted to listen to their stories and let them speak. I see career networking no differently, and continue to seek inspiration for the unique professional path I'm crafting. I look forward to engaging with more mentors, mentees, and colleagues both on and off of this wonderful platform called LinkedIn.

Wooseok Ki is currently a 3L at University of Pennsylvania Law School interested in corporate transactions, intellectual property, and entertainment law. He is currently interning at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is authoring "K-POP: The Odyssey" to be published by New Degree Press in December 2020.