Networking post pandemic - how do we move on from here?

Networking is an activity that is very much stigmatized, although my home town Brussels is a place where it is more easily accepted as a fact of life - as necessity to get somewhere, or even as something positive.

If you don't see networking not as a superficial activity where people are handing out business cards obsessively and try to force themselves or their business on others, it can be something positive for you and the potential people you meet. Basically it's about building connections, which can be practically useful to either side, but it doesn't have to be. It can just be interesting or pleasant to connect with someone, have a conversation, without it immediately leading somewhere. But as with many other long term goals and activities, many of these connections in the long run do make a positive difference and open doors for you, even ones you didn't know were there - or that you were looking for.

During COVID - and I realize I put this in past tense here, even though part of the world is still in lockdown - networking was, like many other activities, turned upside down. Gone were the breakfast meetings, the coffees, the lunches and drinks, as well as the events and conferences. This is part of what makes Brussels Brussels. Suddenly, we had to move our work online, and more awkwardly, also build those connections online. And this went more smoothly for some than for others.

Some of us didn't have so much trouble reaching out to people over email and have a first - not super formal - meeting over Zoom or Teams. But for others, their second nature skills in maneuvering at a conference or casually walking into someone they were supposed to reach out to, were lost. They were uprooted. Of course, it opened new opportunities, because the possibilities of online networking were endless, and we could build connections no longer limited by geographical and practical considerations. Last year, I met two Austrians on Lunchclub in one week, without having been to Austria or having the specific ambition to meet new Austrians (no offense). It was a nice, random, experience!

But now, we are in limbo. As it has become apparent that some people have completely returned to normal (whatever 'normal' may be - here it means the behaviour they displayed before the pandemic), including kisses on cheeks and handshakes when meeting, others are still very much online. So we now need to find a mode for ourselves in which we do our work, and, meet people and build connections. And we also need to explain to our surroundings what our modus operandi is in this respect.

In Brussels, it's clear that many people are still working from home to a significant degree (2-3 days per week). There are also many people here who have one leg in an EU member state, one leg in Brussels. Often, these people now spend more time than they used to in that member state. And visit fewer events and drinks in Brussels. Their time here has become more 'functional'. Some of us will recognize this - it's when you only go to the office when you have to, and spend the bare essential time there, before heading back home again.

As with other habits that have changed because of the pandemic (notably - holidays and flying patterns are still not back to normal, as well as hygiene standards in general), we will have to see where we end up with respect to networking. But it's important to not neglect it. Building connections is a vital part of a successful career - and life.

So my main message is: make a structural effort, spend an amount of time on it structurally. See it as a long term investment, and one that can be fun and interesting along the way. Don't think that you don't need to, because you're not looking for a job or other commitments currently. And until we know where networking will end up and where the new normal is, make an effort both online and offline.