Networking as an Introvert

As an introvert, I was always thinking that I'm too bad at networking. I was never comfortable attending networking events organized by the business school and pretending that I like small talk with people whom I meet for the first time in my life. The whole idea of small talk seems awkward to me. Nonetheless, I was pushing myself to attend these networking events and meet new people. You never know where this encounter can lead you, right?

In fact, meeting hundreds of new people is not networking. Real networking is about maintaining existing relationships, and this is where introverts like me can use their power of relationship-building. We may meet fewer people but go deeper with them and keep them in the network over time. And the truth is, I’m actually good at networking.

Several years ago, my ex-colleague was looking for an apartment to rent. Another friend of mine posted on her social media that she was looking for a roommate. I connected the girls, and voila, they started living together. I have succeeded in a few other deals on the Moscow flat-sharing market by connecting my friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.

Later, another ex-colleague asked me if by any chance I have contacts of chemistry tutors as her daughter needed to prepare for the entrance examination in the medical institute in Moscow. I asked my friend, who is a dentist, whether she knows any chemistry tutors. And she did – the one who had helped her to prepare for the same examination several years ago. I gave the contact to my colleague, and her daughter started taking classes with the tutor. One year and a half later, I received a message from my colleague saying that her daughter passed the exam with a score of 97 out of 100. And she had been admitted to the medical university with a full scholarship.

I could name a few more examples when I was connecting the right people at the right moment. And this is one of the advantages that introverts have – becoming connectors. We take time to get to know a person so that we have a good idea of what the person is like both professionally and personally. And this gives us a unique insight into what other connections would be useful to that person. These new connections may lead to a new friendship, or a business deal, or a transfer of some useful information. And that’s an excellent way to deepen the network.

There are many other insights in the LinkedIn learning course "Managing Your Career as an Introvert" by Dorie Clark that I have recently completed. I would recommend it to all the introverts in my network. Remember that you don't have to pretend to be an extrovert to be successful. Own your introversion and make it clear to your colleagues. Manage your energy properly and use your introvert strengths.

And as a reminder, introversion has nothing to do with shyness or social phobia. It’s just about a different way of being energized. While extroverts are getting energy from social interactions, introverts are spending it, so they need some solitude to recharge. A good illustration is given in the course:

When you've been out in the sun too long, you start to get thirsty or a little bit of a headache, and at that point, if you're smart, you know you should go inside because you've had enough. If you don't, you are likely to end up feeling ill for the rest of the day, and it is the same with social interactions for introverts.