Networking

Networking isn't rocket science. Many people think that there is some big secret to networking, or that networking feels fake. The fact is you already have a network. A network is simply the people you know, and then the contacts of the people whom you know. Think "six degrees of separation" in which, the theory goes, no more than six people separate anyone on the face of the earth. For example, I am two degrees of separation away from Barack Obama, because I know someone who was a health policy analyst in his office when he was a senator.

Your immediate network consists of your friends, family, co-workers, classmates, and everyone else you know. So, how do you use the network you have to investigate career choices? Let's say that you're interested in a career in science writing, but you don't know any science writers. How do you go about meeting one? Start by talking to people you know about wanting to talk to a science writer. If none of them know a science writer, ask them if they know someone who might know one, and if they do, would they mind informally introducing you to that contact of theirs. For example, you might ask if they know any sort of writer, or if they know a scientist who might know a writer.

Okay, let's say that using your own network of contacts didn't get you anywhere. What next? Look for trade organizations that have meetings where people in that profession gather. In many cases, you can attend as well, and have conversations with people who can give you advice. In keeping with the science writing example, there are two major science writing organizations in the US: The National Association of Science Writers and the American Medical Writers Association. Check to see if there is a local branch in your region that holds meetings open to the public, and then go to one. Ask questions of people there and ask if you can do an informational interview with them. If you feel very shy about approaching people, you can start a conversation at a social event by admitting feeling awkward at these things and that you never know what to say to people. Ask people questions about themselves and try to find commonalities. The most important thing is to be yourself and be inquisitive.

Building a network takes time. It does not happen overnight. I know a scientist who wanted to move into science education who built his network over a two-year period before he got a job that was a great fit for him. He did it by starting with his own network to find additional contacts in science education, attending meetings that science educators attended, doing informational interviews, and making it very clear that he was interested in pursuing this field as a career. He did all of this despite being a very shy and introverted person, but he knew what he wanted and overcame his shyness to meet the people he knew he needed to meet in order to find a position he really wanted.

A note on social networking: It is best to make personal connections first, and then connect with your personal connections online. You can also use social networking to identify contacts that you and a person you'd like to meet have in common, or to research commonalities between you and the person you will be meeting. I personally prefer LinkedIn to Facebook because it's more professional-based, although the lines between personal and professional are becoming increasingly blurred. However, you probably don't want the person who might be your contact for a future job to know about the massive partying you did last weekend, so keeping your professional and personal lives separate online is probably the best thing to do.