Magic Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone: Networking for Introverts

Are you the person that struggles to make professional connections? Maybe you feel that you missed out on opportunities that would have been ideal for your career growth?  While you may not believe it, networking is a skill that you can develop and leverage to maximize your career potential.

Professional growth isn’t about what or who you know - it’s who knows you and what they say about you that is truly important.

Making introductions happen can be a tall order or the introverts among us. You have to step outside of your comfort zone to find the magic. By developing and nurturing professional relationships you can create a supportive community that encourage you, guides you, helps you and reveals opportunities that you never knew existed.

Networking is more than building a list of contacts. It allows you to create long-term relationships that help both of you grow professionally. Think about it, the smartest or hardest working people are not necessarily the ones who advance, right? Why, because people tend to refer and hire the people that they are most comfortable with. Skills matter. Relationships matter more.

First let's eliminate the myth that extroverts are better networkers compared to introverts. It's simple not true. Extroverts may capture more contacts faster, but even the most shy and introverted people can learn to develop connections effectively. Networking is a skill that anyone can develop.

Believe it or not, introverts may be more effective at building connections. According to author Jamie Flinchbaugh, "Networking isn't about collecting names, it is about connection. Introverts don't bother with meaningless connections, only meaningful ones." A recent study from Lehigh University backed that assertion up when it found that regardless of age, gender, career stage, or level of extroversion or introversion, networking skills can be developed to accelerate your career. Here’s how:

• Establish your networking purpose. Understand why you are networking and what you want out of each professional relationship. Do you want to find a mentor, share experiences, learn new skills, broaden your knowledge base, uncover new opportunities, find different job, or something else?  The most meaningful relationships offer a combination of most, if not all of those needs.
  
• Focus on mutually beneficial relationships. Determine who you want to connect with and how you might benefit each other. Defining what's mutually beneficial will help you prioritize your contacts, so you reach out to the most receptive candidates first.
• Learn about the person and seek out commonalities. Before you reach out to someone, invest the time to research them. Find common ground such as mutual colleagues, friends, interests, groups or experiences. Learn what they've been up to recently. Gain some understanding of what's important to them. Social media and mutual connections are the best good place to research other pharmacy professionals.
  
• Plan your approach. What's the best way to reach out to this person? Leverage mutual connections, social media tools, and professional organizations. But also, don't hold back from reaching out directly.
• Think about what you'll say and how you'll say it. When you seek connections, you're really reaching out for help in solving a problem. Be open. Be genuine. People love helping other people. And, chances are your fellow pharmacy professionals share your feelings, frustrations and aspirations. Start with the people you already know. Share openly and ask if they know of anyone else the you should talk to.
• Be thankful. We're all short on time. It may seem obvious but following up with a 'thank you' note is an essential skill. Think of them as the gateway to more conversations in the future. Margaret Cousins said it best, "Appreciation can change a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary."

Anyone can become a successful networker. Lean into these tips to level-up your networking skills, build relationships and grow your pharmacy career to its full potential.