Networking.<\/p>\n
Ugh.<\/p>\n
It’s one of those things that I’m not comfortable with, makes me feel awkward, but I acknowledge is absolutely necessary, like taking your shirt off at the beach.<\/p>\n
Even though I’ve struggled with it, I have had some success over the last few years. What’s below is a short how-to article I wrote for my grad program’s alumni association newsletter.<\/p>\n
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In 2009, my wife and I moved to Chicago so I could start work at my current job. After a few months of settling in, I decided I wanted to put myself out there and become some small part of the city\u2019s larger preservation community. At that time, my professional circle was limited to my immediate coworkers. I knew I needed to \u201cput myself out there\u201d but wasn\u2019t sure where or how to start.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered some advice my mom gave me. Advice which I ignored for years but that I now (grudgingly) admit was spot-on.<\/p>\n
In any case, I (who totally self-identifies as socially awkward) was able to stumble my way through those four easy steps. Within a year of moving to the area, my professional circle was exponentially larger, I was invited to join my local preservation commission, was asked to join the board of a foundation that runs a historic house museum, was asked to present at the statewide preservation conference, and (far and away most importantly) met some great people and got my name out there.<\/p>\n
In no way, shape, or form am I now \u201cMr. Connected\u201d. \u00a0But I now know several Mr. and Mrs. Connecteds and am more than comfortable shooting\u00a0 them an email if I need to be put in touch with someone. In my mind, that\u2019s just as good.<\/p>\n
It worked for me, it can work for you too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Networking. Ugh. It’s one of those things that I’m not comfortable with, makes me feel awkward, but I acknowledge is absolutely necessary, like taking your shirt off at the beach. Even though I’ve struggled with it, I have had some … Continue reading