CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY

FOR PHD STUDENTS

NETWORKING WITH CONFIDENCE

Trinity Careers Service, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

1
Today’s agenda

• Introductions
• Learning Outcomes
• Open discussion on networking
• Skills development and practice part 1
• Coffee break
• Skills development and practice part 2
• Q&A and feedback

Before we delve into the workshop, I’d like to give you a quick overview of
my plan for the session which is outlined in this slide.
I hope to make the session very interactive and open, so there are self and
group reflective exercises throughout.

In a minute we will do some quick introductions around the room, then

have an overview of the learning outcomes, before really exploring what
networking means to us all.

Once that’s done we will start the process of developing skills, how to use
these and getting in some practice.

After an hour, we will take a 20 minute coffee break, before resuming to

focus more on the practicalities of different opportunities to network.

We will finish up at about XX (insert time) which will give us an opportunity

to reflect on today’s work and answer any outstanding questions.

Is everyone happy with that? (pause)

2
Introductions

Let’s do some quick around the table introductions.

Introduce yourself, telling everyone what do you hope to get from todays
session /why did you come?

Would you like to start? (Choose a natural start point, take notes on
students thoughts on this session – record on flipchart for reflection at end
of session.)

(Resume with) Thank you very much everyone. A really interesting mix of
people here today. As a quick summary, I heard that most
people….(summarise main themes from introductions.)

3
Learning outcomes

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

1. Recognise the importance of networking in the context of your
professional development
2. Evaluate a range of opportunities to network
3. Develop confidence, through learning how to meet new contacts
and how to introduce yourself in networking contexts
4. Build effective relationships through the application of a range of
skills and strategies

My plan is to deliver a number of expected learning outcomes from today’s

session which we will marry back to areas you have outlined while
introducing yourselves..

Many people struggle to understand the importance of networks and often

neglect to develop skills for success in this area. Networking is an effective
tool that is often misunderstood, and so at the end of today’s session, you
should be able to:
recognise its importance in a professional development context;
evaluate networking opportunities and know how to make networking a
more natural exercise;
have developed the skill of confidence, and:
know how to apply the skills of effective networkers in building
relationships.

4
Reflection by yourself

Task: Describe your view of Networking

• 1 minute - every word/phrase that
describes networking
• 1 minute to pick your top 3
words/phrases

I’d now like to concentrate the first part of this presentation on looking at
that big question of “What is Networking?”

So firstly a quick 2 minute self reflection exercise.

I’ll start the clock shortly and in the first minute I want you to write down
every word or phrase that comes to your mind when you think of
Networking.

In the second minute I want you to consider your thoughts and phrases and
pick out the top 3 or 4. Consider do they present a negative/neutral/or
positive picture?

Is everyone clear with what we are doing? Great, so let’s get started.

(Facilitator note: Timings at 1 minute and 2 minutes to complete.)

5
Reflection in groups

Our networking thoughts

Were they:
• Positive – Negative - Neutral?
• Same/different to most people?

Facilitator Note – 5 minutes for discussion, 5 mins for summary &

comments.

Having completed some self-reflection, I’d like you to now form small
groups of 4 or 5 people (or stay within pre-existing groups) and discuss your
thoughts on and experiences of networking.

Discuss: Were your overall thoughts positive, negative or neutral? Were

other people thinking much the same thing or had you very different
views?

When finished I’d like one person from each group to summarise your
discussion - (** facilitator can write key words from each group on a
flipchart page – review at the end of the session.)

6
Networking
Uncomfortable
Difficult
Fake
Contrived
Cringe inducing
Awkward
Building knowledge
Personable
Enjoyable
Sharing information
Building personal connections

Presenter Note: animation on slide will drop in words one by one

Usually, when I conduct this session, I hear a range of thoughts and feelings
much like what you have produced here today.

The themes I see frequently are represented in this slide (** presenter,
ensure these words float in one group at a time, name them and
acknowledge that they are normal feelings **)

I feel it’s really important to be open and honest at this stage about our
thoughts.

Networking can have a “bad” name. There are overtones of pushiness,

demands, fakeness and yes we can feel uncomfortable with the idea. But I’d
like to propose the idea that networking is for everyone and suggest a new
framework for your use in the rest of this workshop.

***** Note: Facilitator could also share their own experiences and
preconceptions of Networking during this slide. Students find it useful from
a validation perspective and sharing increases openness.*****

7
So, what is networking?

"The action of interacting with others to exchange information and

develop contacts"

• It’s not asking people for a job

• It is building two way relationships which could possibly lead to a job

in the future

• It is a great way of finding out information about your sector of

interest

Think: giving NOT getting

Networking is an unfortunate term because it implies connections but ignores the

importance of true relationships.

Networking for me is about connecting to people on a personal level. It’s a quality-led

relationship and I like to position it as “socialising – with a work slant”. It is not
demanding or about expecting benefit in return but a human-to-human endeavour
where we can share commonality either in-person or online.

Scholars have shown that networking is an important career self-management strategy

associated with success (Blickle et al., 2012, Hirschi & Dries 2019, Wolff & Moser 2010)
and is positively related to many career outcomes. The main benefits are access to
knowledge through contacts.

And this can help you with things like:

• Recognising the demands of the work you are after

• Profiling the sort of people who are successful in this work
• Exposure to the environment in which your career interests operate
• Provide you with a group of like-minded people for collaboration and validation

But there are barriers to networking (for example, low self confidence, lack of focus,
coming out of your comfort zone, lack of preparation) and we will work on overcoming
these during this session.

8
How can it help me?

• Get feedback and opinions on your research, and open you up to

other research

• Develop contacts who can provide you with support and advice

• Learn from other people

• Create collaborations

• Hear about opportunities

• Increase your confidence

In 2017, LinkedIn released the findings of a study they ran on the value of networking.
The headline finding was that ‘80% of professionals consider professional networking to
be important to career success.‘ https://news.linkedin.com/2017/6/eighty-percent-of-
professionals-consider-networking-important-to-career-success

Networking also has many ancillary benefits. These can include:

• Access to a wider pool of ideas through chances to discuss your research and discover
others.

• Growth in your self-confidence as you grow your status and enjoyment of being
among your peers. It can also raise your own profile.

• Development of your emotional and creative intelligence though added support and
advice, including the support from mentors and champions.

• Can create otherwise unknown opportunities for collaboration and opportunities.

Remember the old adage that “no (hu)man is an island”? Well, it turns out that the
saying holds a lot of truth. There’s no denying that anyone with a stellar career has not
achieved it on their own. Instead, their success in large part is thanks to the wider
network that they nurtured and leveraged as they took each step to greater heights in
their career.

9
Your network

Exercise

We may not yet realise it, but we all have our own network of contacts who support us
in many aspects of our life. It’s a good idea to realise who these people are and what
roles they have in our lives. Let’s conduct a short exercise so I can show you what I
mean…

On a piece of paper, draw a picture of your own network so far – from every walk of
life - take 2-3 minutes to do this. I suggest you put yourself in the middle of a circle and
name those people who are in your life.

Consider who is in your network. What types of people have you included, what role do
they have in your life?

10
Your network

Exercise continued

It’s often difficult to quantify our network. Here are some of my considerations about
my network, perhaps you too had some or all of these categories of contacts or did
you not consider them? Why?

Look again at your network picture and consider if you can identify any network gaps.
Areas where you consider you should have networks and don’t.

Facilitator Note: ask participants to now form back into groups of 4/5. Discuss the
pictures they have prepared and identify any common themes. Encourage them to talk
about their “network gaps” and how they could go about developing them. Quick
presentation/report from each group. Once exercise finished you can add in the next
piece of script before moving on)

Some of your relationships might be very close contacts that you would be
comfortable picking up the phone to. Others may be lesser known - perhaps you might
consider trying to connect with them virtually or thinking about who could make an
introduction.

After this workshop, I suggest you further develop your own personal picture and
consider how you can develop these relationships going forward. But lets look now at
“How to Network”.

11
Networking as an introvert

I’ve often heard people say “but I couldn't possibly network, that’s not in my personality,
I’m too introverted” or words to that effect. I’m sure there are people in the room today
thinking just this.

We often confuse networking and sociability – we think the most sociable person is the
best networker – but this is not necessarily so.

Introverts can be really great networkers because they do it with authenticity, with
decency and integrity, and that comes across well, just as the inauthentic networker who
is always looking for someone better to talk to, also comes across as a bit insincere.
Have a look at Susan Cain’s book ‘Quiet’ if you are interested in reading more about the
many qualities and capabilities of introverts.

With the tools to get started and some strategies for different situations, everyone can
network to good effect.

12
How? Prepare

So how do we network?

There are a number of important considerations before we begin and the next few slides
will deal with the how you can reflect on and make the most of opportunities.

Your comfort zone will be in the areas you know – namely: what you want, who and
where you are. I find it useful therefore to put a bit of preparation into areas such as:

• My Agenda
• My Story
• My Questions
• My Conversations
• My Connection Points

And consider each in the unique Context of any networking opportunity. By this I mean
reflecting on the opportunity – is it in-person or virtual? Is it a small gathering or a big
research conference?

You can’t underestimate the importance of preparing SMART goals before engaging in
networking. During the next few slides, I want to focus on knowing our purpose, having
an introductory plan and some conversation performance areas.

13
 Your agenda. Ask yourself…

• Who do you need to talk to? Target people/organisations?

• What do you want to achieve or find out?
• Where do you hope it will lead you?
• How could you contact them?
➢ looking up their profile
➢ networking at events
➢ asking connections
➢…

Before attempting to network – online or in-person - it’s important to resolve in your mind the
question of why. Why are doing this? What’s your agenda? You could also consider the
preparation skills from the Presenting Your Best Self at Interview online session and use them in
this context to help decide your agenda for any prospective meeting.

Understand why you are attending a networking event/meeting and think about its context – is
it a small intimate gathering or a larger event, what is its delivery method and how the agenda
and topic relevant to you.

Write down who you need to talk to, and why you want to talk to them.

Consider also, what do you want to find out? Or where would you like this to lead?

In other words, it’s important to know your purpose - and in doing so you can increase your
satisfaction levels afterwards.
Another way to look at this is to consider your SMART goals. Be specific with the why, what and
who. Write it down and look at your goals.
Are they measurable? Achievable and realistic? Have you considered timeliness?
For example “I’m going to an evening lecture in Trinity on immunology. I want to meet
Professor X to discuss his take on the effect of climate change on our response to disease and
see if there are any points of collaboration. Is it reasonable to expect he will have time to talk
to me after his lecture? 3 minutes to introduce myself and arrange a follow up discussion
would be realistic and achievable - if I’m willing to take the step to begin a conversation.”

14
Your story

Armed with an understanding of purpose, you now need to think about yourself – how do
you present yourself in different contexts?

This can often be the most difficult part of any event – how to introduce yourself to
strangers.

Your goal should be something like:

1. Introduce yourself to the people in your core group – these can simply be the people
near you in a lecture or virtual breakout room. Try and find a connection point. Are
you a scientist working on a technique they might find useful? Did you once work
with one of their collaborators, mentors or trainees? Your aim should be that they
remember meeting you.

2. Ensure that people in this core group know what specialty and industry you are in.
Does your research expertise lie in cancer or neuroscience? Do you plan on having a
career in academia, health care, industry, government or big pharma?

Preparing a “story” (or if you like a “statement of purpose”) in advance will greatly help
you settle in and take that first networking step.

Let’s look now at how we might prepare our own stories.

15
Sample story
Q. So, tell me a little bit about yourself…

• “I’ve just completed a PhD in the School of Psychology at Trinity

College. My speciality is Cognitive Reasoning, with specific focus on
the cognitive processes underlying human deductive reasoning…..

• I devised a series of experiments with adult participants which

examines how people detect inconsistencies between assertions and
the inferences they make to resolve them.”

Your story will vary according to the situation and question.

Here is a sample in answer to “So, tell me a little bit about yourself…” (A question often
posed if you meet someone at a conference, for example).

This is also covered during the Presenting Your Best Self at Interview session. How did you
prepare for an interview introduction and do you need to expand or alter your answer in
different situations such as a networking event?

Aim to cover, who you are / what you do in about 30 seconds.

16
 Sample story
Q. What do you want to do?
Q. What would you like to do in the future?

• “I would like to use my understanding of integration issues,

developed through my Masters programme, to work with an
NGO focused on intercultural issues, preferably at a policy level.

• I really enjoy researching best practice, analysing reports and I’m

a good writer.* I’m hoping to find opportunities in the EU as I
speak French and German”

*Indicate key skill/area of expertise

If your pitch is very much for work, take for example at an employer fair, you might want an
answer to: “What do you want to do? What would you like to do in the future? What are you
looking for?” You could use this opening to position yourself by reflecting back areas of
matching in your answer. Consider:

• Defining the level of position you are seeking

• Covering how you can benefit the employer
• Indicating your greatest skill/area of expertise

Ask yourself “What value can I add?”

17
 Let’s practice our own story

Imagine you’re going to an event where

you don’t know anyone:

• Jot down 3 key points about yourself,

and how to want to position yourself
at this event. Something that
everyone you meet should know

• Prepare your story

• Practice with your neighbour “So, tell

me about yourself…”

You already introduced yourself today in the context of what you want from this session. Let’s
now look at how we can develop this into a story that will engage people and spark interest.

Exercise (10 minutes)

To start you thinking about how you will introduce yourself, I’d like you to develop and practice
your story.
• Take a few minutes to write three sentences which describe what you are passionate about.
Describe highlights and/or achievements. Practice in your head to get comfortable.
• For example, a story might be:…. “Hi my name is X, I’m a researcher with the School of
Education at Trinity College Dublin. I specialise in curriculum development and I’m hoping to
move into a learning and development role in industry.”
• Try out your story with the person sitting next to you when you are ready.
• Presenter: After 3 minutes, prompt people to begin sharing with their neighbour(s).
• After another 3 minutes move on to asking “Would anyone like to share their story? Choose 2
or 3 people as examples and ask the rest of the group what they thought – comment yourself
on how interesting the story is, or ask a follow up question – show how a conversation starts.”
• Then ask the students how they felt about creating and articulating their story.

18
Your questions

Now we know why we are going somewhere e.g. a networking/mentoring event, and
have practiced our story, lets take a look at moving the conversation on and finding
answers to questions we may have.

Again this needs some advance planning to get the most out of our time.

Think about:

• What do you want to find more out about?

• How are you going to bring these questions into conversations?

19
 Starting conversations

Connect with people

• Make it about the other person

• Listen and ask questions

• Find similarities

• Ask for advice

Even with some preparation work done, it can still be intimidating to develop conversations
with strangers and begin to build a relationship. I find the best way is to look for obvious
cues as conversation starting points.

People you don’t know that well may reveal features about their interests or background just
by what they’re wearing. For example, someone wearing clothes with sport team logos gives
you the opportunity to ask about their fan allegiance, which can make for interesting
conversation, especially if the team is from another city or country. Unusual or particularly
artistic jewellery is another conversation-starter. Making the conversation about the other
person helps to break the ice. You can then listen and ask questions, find similarities or ask
for advice. All of these things can prompt deeper discussion.

And remember, don’t be scared by silence. A quiet interlude in an otherwise lively

conversation doesn’t necessarily mean things are going badly, or that you’ve become
uninteresting. Sometimes a little break can give each of you a chance to refocus.

20
 Simple steps to build rapport

• Make eye contact

• Use the person’s name

• The smile and handshake

• Be genuine and honest

• Search for common ground

Building rapport (or understanding and trust) can be difficult, especially if there are cultural differences
or even language difficulties (no matter how slight).
If you have good rapport with your neighbours, they won't mind if you kick your ball onto their property
every now and then. Rapport allows you communicate with trust and sympathy and it is important to
build rapport with your clients and colleagues so they begin to accept and process your suggestions.
Sometimes rapport happens naturally. We have all had experiences where we ‘hit it off’ or ‘get on
well’ with somebody else without having to try. This is often how friendships start. However, rapport can
also be built and developed consciously by finding common ground, and being empathic.
When we first meet someone new, we start to try to build rapport. We make eye contact, smile and
observe the social greeting norms of our culture and circumstance. We make small talk to try to find
things in common to build that shared bond. This makes both building a relationship and more general
communication much easier.
Tips:
• Look at the other person for approximately 60% of the time. Give plenty of eye-contact but be careful
not to make them feel uncomfortable.
• When listening, nod and make encouraging sounds and gestures.
• Use the other person’s name early in the conversation. This is not only seen as polite but will also
reinforce the name in your mind so you are less likely to forget it!
• Smile!
• Try to ask the other person open questions (the type of questions that require more than a yes or no
answer).
• Avoid contentious topics of conversation. It is much easier to stick to the weather, the last speaker
and travel arrangements than risk falling out over politics.
• Use feedback to summarise, reflect and clarify back to the other person what you think they have
said. This gives opportunity for any misunderstandings to be rectified quickly.
• Talk about things that refer back to what the other person has said. Find links between common
experiences.

21
 Coffee and chat - 20 minutes

http://e.ggtimer.com/

We’ve 20 minutes scheduled now for coffee and conversation. But in the true spirit of “there’s
no such thing as a free lunch”, I’d like you to get started on some “networking” too.

This is a great chance to practice together. During the break, move around the room and
practice your story with at least two new people. Try to keep a conversation going and ask
others to join in. (Facilitator - join in if you can!)

We have 20 minutes so we will restart at XXX (time). Begin timer count down.

22
Return and recap

I hope you found that break a useful time to get to know other people. Would anyone like to
share how they felt about meeting new people during the break, or what their experience
was of developing conversations? (Hear from 2 volunteers.)

So let’s recap what we’ve covered so far:

The main theme of why you came today and what you want from this session is:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (per original conversations)

So far we have covered:

• Our thoughts and feelings on networking
• How it can be useful to our careers
• We’ve looked at who we have already in our network and network gaps
• How to get ready for networking and we prepared our stories
• Ways of starting conversations and building rapport, and
• We have practiced and made contacts amongst our group

Now we are going to move on to the different types of networking opportunities that may
present themselves and look at some tips to navigate them.

23
 Conferences and Events

I presume most people have by now attended some sort of “networking” event? Maybe it was
a conference or other organised in-person or virtual event?

Reflect now - how did you feel before attending? Did you meet or speak to anyone? If a
virtual event, did you participate in a breakout room? How did you find this?
(facilitator: pause, ask for volunteers to express their thoughts, summarise)

Remember, networking starts at home. Having prepared yourself and researched other
attendees as potential collaborators, employers, funding sources or future conference
programme organisers, you will be more comfortable about your role there. There are lots of
strategies you can apply to help survive a networking event without inducing anxiety.
We will look at both in-person and virtual networking in the coming slides.

24
Approach: Before, During, After

Before
• Research Identify Prepare

During
• Confident Introductions Approaching
Attend side events and gatherings Keep notes

After
• Review notes Continue conversations

We recommend a before/during/after approach :

Before:
Research the event. Call or contact the organisers to find out as much information as possible and
identify speakers and attendees. Casually reach out beforehand if appropriate, for example by
following speakers on social media.
Get to know what the event will be like. Ask questions such as: How many people do they expect to
attend? What is the format and dress code?
Identify your personal strategy and set goals for the event as we’ve already discussed.
Prepare your specific ‘attention-grabbing’ statements to answer the questions “Who are you and
what do you do?”

During the event:

Make confident introductions. An easy way to introduce yourself to a group is “Do you mind if I join
your conversation?”
Try to first ask about the other person or interject a question based on what’s already been
discussed.
If it’s a virtual networking event, you may be assigned to a virtual table but can move around and
choose to join vacant slots at other tables if you have identified people you wish to talk to
Ask questions during the formal sessions. Show your knowledge and areas of interest. People will
remember you and some will seek you out afterwards.
If approaching a speaker, have something relevant to ask e.g. ‘I thought X part of your paper was
really interesting, in particular I wanted to ask about...'
Make sure you attend conference meals/informal gatherings - it’s so much easier to start a
conversation over food when people are more relaxed. ‘The food is lovely here’ or similar are great
starting points.

25
Exiting the conversation
Say something like “It seems as though it would be worth following up with a more specific
discussion. Would you be open to meeting up after the conference?”
If they agree to a meeting see if you can schedule it right then and there with your
smartphone and ask if they have theirs.
Or you could offer to contact the person on LinkedIn…
Or to make a graceful exit. “I have to make a quick call”, or “I’m going to get a drink of water
if you’d excuse me?” or “I just spotted someone else I need to speak to, lovely to meet you..“

After meeting with someone:

Take time to write notes on the back of (their) business card or by using the Contacts App on
your phone. Check out the more advanced features of phone apps where you can assign
groups, make notes and scan business cards. Similarly if attending a virtual event, take notes
of who you have met and follow up with them afterwards.

After the event:

Review notes you have made
Send a follow-up e-mail as it relates to conversation or connect via social media – remind
them that you met them at the event and what you spoke about.

Some other good tips include:

Arrive early. Arriving before the venue is noisy and full of people lets you get accustomed to
the sights and sounds of the room before they become overwhelming. You can also scope
out places to retreat to if you need a moment of solitude.
Arrive with a friend or colleague. Not knowing anyone can be uncomfortable. Walking in
with a friend guarantees you will know at least one person in the room who can introduce
you to others.
Have strategies to re-energize mid-event. Give yourself a networking time limit and then go
somewhere to regroup in solitude. Or consider taking a break to peruse the books on the
shelf or examine the artwork. Sometimes you just need to be seen and not heard.

25
 Who to approach at an in-person event

 Groups of 4 or more
 People who look pre-occupied e.g. on phone
 Two people chatting, engaged in private conversation

✓ Small group, not too close together

✓ Remember your best approach and exit strategies!

I’m not saying any of this easy or comes naturally, so I think we should also consider whom we
might approach for conversation, and how, in more detail.

It’s difficult to break into larger groups and be included, as there will already be many
competing conversations and ideas. Try to focus on a smaller amount of people - 2 or 3 for
example.

Keep any eye out for what looks like a deep or private conversation between people and try
and select a group that looks less involved.

Or ideally find another person who is alone and can become your wingman/woman! It’s fine to
admit you know no-one and ask them did they come by themselves too.

26
Virtual networking

Even if you don’t realise it, you’ve already attended virtual networking events. Online
webinars using zoom or MS Teams are a common virtual event, as are livestreaming
events on Facebook, Instagram and even LinkedIn. Or maybe you’ve attended a virtual
Careers Fair, Open Day or other event at your University?
According to the B2B growth marketing hub markletic , 55% of event organisers say they
plan to invest more in virtual events in 2021 . (www.markeletic.com. (60 incredible
Virtual Event Statistics – January 2021 Research). And while most research to date has
focused on in-person networking, research that has been completed on social networking
considers it to be key to networking for introverts (Johnston Osburn, 2018. Stewart 2015)
We can define virtual networking as:
“a way for individuals to connect to other people, via phone or computer, from anywhere
in the world.”
In fact, virtual networking is like participating in any other video call, but with multiple
people who are focused on learning and getting to know one another, be this in a
conference, seminar, via social media or other methods.
So in reality , it’s just like an in-person networking event or conversation, and while the
same rules of preparation, and strategies for introductions apply, we do need to be aware
that virtual events have not yet matured. According to EventMB Research (The Virtual
Event Tech Guide 2020 https://www.eventmanagerblog.com/virtual-event-tech-report )
the biggest challenges are engagement and lack of technical knowledge among
participants.

27
Let’s look now at some of the ways you can network virtually and overcome these
challenges.
Importance of networking – in person and not just digitally. The personal still
matters. Make connections online, but continue them offline

• Pick up insider information about jobs, sectors and organisations which will help
you prepare applications and interview answers &/or lead you to unadvertised
jobs
• Gain confidence in talking about yourself.
• Learn from other people's experience, such as from those who have applied for
similar jobs.
• Friends, family and colleagues may alert you to vacancies.

And of course, Networking is for life!

27
 Virtual events and conferences

Allow you to:

• Attend events that may not have been open to you in the past
due to cost or other constraints

• Meet people from a broader spectrum of thought, place, ideas

• Share your research with a wider audience

With online networking, you have a wider reach than you would at an in-person event. People
from all over the world can participate in a professional, like-minded group, giving you the
opportunity to meet and network with people in your field that you might never meet
otherwise.

Web conferencing platforms have provided an invaluable method of connecting in a COVID and
post-COVID era. Not only are they great for hosting and attending webinars and online
conferences, they can also be utilised for more personalised and exclusive meetups. Examples
of platforms you may have used include Zoom, MSTeams, HopInTo or Remo. All allow for
interaction via polls, quizzes, group chats, virtual whiteboards, breakout rooms and virtual
roundtables.

Private/intimate professional networking using videoconferencing and private messaging groups

is a trend that is definitely gathering momentum during a time where physical meetups are
difficult while and virtual roundtables in particular are a great way to chat with core contacts in
a more intimate and interactive way.

The tricky part is being able to identify the people you need to reach out to , but again the
internet simplifies this process, especially through semi-social business networking websites.
These are especially useful, because they not only provide information on the person's business
background and credentials, you can also find other people connected to them.

28
 Connecting through social media
Academia.edu or Research Gate:
• Follow academics
• Keep up to date with new research of
interest
Twitter:
• Follow key people in your field and respond
to people’s tweets
• Share interesting content
• Follow employers and organisations you
are interested in
LinkedIn: We will cover this separately

Conferences aren’t the only spaces to network. You can also look to social media.
Not all networking has to be done in-person. It is acceptable to network online and to respond
only when you’ve fully formulated your thoughts. Consider joining a distribution list or amplifying
your voice on social media.
Indeed, connection through social media is as equally important as face-to-face - it’s a unique
place where all of our connections, both personal and through someone we know are
conglomerated together in one place.
There are of course obvious academic social media networks such as Academia.edu and Research
Gate which you are probably already familiar with. Seek out Academics you admire or would like
to connect with and keep up-to-date with new ideas in your area and other fields. Don’t forget to
publicise your own research. All these are great ways to raise your profile, learn from others and
stay relevant in your area.
Join communities in your research field for peer support and be part of a trusted circle . For
example Twitter is a great source of information and connections. I’ve found it great to use at
events and conferences by using the hashtag, and really you’d be surprised how you can find
another attendee you already know in this way. There are also “social bubbles” on Twitter
dedicated to academia and associated hashtags such as #phdlife, #AcWri (academic writing) and
#scicomm (sciencecommunicaiton)
The range of social media options and your choices to get involved can however be
overwhelming. I recommend you choose 2 or 3 strategically (consider which ones might be most
relevant to your research area? Which ones can you really commit to? Where can you be most
relevant with your knowledge and interest?) and focus on these. If you think traditional social
media is too generic for you, there are platforms such as Scientist aimed specifically at
researchers.

29
 Most useful social media for academic work

Effective use of academic and social media networks for endorsing publications, Digital Scholar Webinar 8th January 2020
Hosted by Enago Academy, www.engage.com

Lets now take a look at how academics use social media.

The first time I saw this report I was quite surprised that YouTube, Google + and Twitter had
such strong usage – especially Twitter. But yes ,serious academics do Tweet! Twitter offers a
quick and easy way to interact, gather information and collaborate with like minded people and
can make your research more accessible outside academia. If you don’t yet have an account I’d
highly recommend you get going.

Its is important also to note that across all platforms there was a mix of usage reported
between personal and professional use. This brings up the whole issue of blurred lines
between private and professional and is an area we also need to consider. Social media
started out as “for fun” but is now a critical part of how people in most walks of life
communicate and how work gets done.. There are ways in which you can try to safeguard your
privacy and control who sees particular content, but you to be vigilant. So, the more seriously
you can take your social media activities, the better. Following good grammar, spelling and
punctuation rules will help you stand out and create a good impression. The best way to ensure
success is to think carefully before you post, and constantly evaluate what you are posting and
your overall online activities.

30
LinkedIn and networking

• Untapped opportunity for

impact
• Sharpen your profile
• Reach out
• Develop engagement
• Keep up to date with potential
employer information and news

As I’ve already mentioned, in 2017, LinkedIn released the findings of a study they ran on
the value of networking. Remember the headline “80% of professionals consider
professional networking to be important to career success'‘?

Other findings included:

35% of professionals surveyed stated that a casual interaction on LinkedIn has resulted in
new opportunities for them.
61% of professionals in the study agree that consistent engagement and interaction on
LinkedIn can lead to new job opportunities.

And Although LinkedIn is one of the mainstream tech giants, it still represents an
untapped opportunity for many (most) professionals. Most people on the platform use it
purely as a directory. They create a profile... and that’s it. A slightly more engaged cohort
may like and share content that they find useful and informative on the site. But the
latest statistics show that out of 250 million active users on the professional social media
platform, just 3 million people actively create new content on LinkedIn. That is 1.2% of
LinkedIn users actually leveraging the potential of LinkedIn for their professional goals.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the balance of 98.8% of the other users are acting
much more like bystanders than active participants on the platform. As you can see there
is definitely space here for you to make an impact.

A LinkedIn profile is a must for a first-time networker. Even if you’re not ready for the
networking game yet, you can have an online presence. When you are ready, it can be
great for looking up and researching people you are interested in, and to discover
mutual connections or interests.

31
Eventually, you’ll want to reach out, i.e, send your potential contact a direct
message. Find something in common. The most obvious connections are a
University/College, work experience contact or a friend, but there are other points
of contact: maybe a cause you are both passionate about?

Remember, the worst thing that can happen is you don’t hear back.

LinkedIn is also a great way to increase your awareness of what’s going on in

different industries, with potential employers or organisations in your field. Also
mention any CV & LinkedIn review supports in your Careers Service.

31
 Informal and everyday networking

• College clubs and societies

• School or department
committees and groups
• PhD student groups
• Alumni associations

If you find formal networking events draining, consider alternatives. Joining a club, society or
committee or hosting a speaker can be effective, especially if you make the most of your
strengths: are you great at idea generation, logistics or marketing?

Offer to host a speaker for your cohort group and capitalise on the opportunity to
communicate directly with the person through e-mail before the event, thereby avoiding
awkward silence. You might find yourself feeling more comfortable on the day of the event if
you have already made conversation over e-mail and are on familiar ground. If not, ask
someone who is more comfortable with face-to-face interactions and conversation to
approach the speaker on your behalf on the day of the event.

Join a college group, club or society. Talk to people as you socialise and seek out opportunities
to collaborate.

Find Trinity alumni/your College alumni to support you. Your College alumni
database/resource is a great resource for seeking out graduates who have already offered
their help so your audience is already warm to your request for collaboration.

32
 Guidelines for mentoring

• Mentoring can help you with many aspects of your

career journey

• To be successful, mentoring is typically:

• A one-to-one communication

• Working towards clear, agreed objectives

• Focused on your career

A good mentor can be an invaluable asset to your career. They could help you by giving you
advice on academic or non-academic work, provide information on careers sectors/areas of
specialisation, discuss career options or offer practical assistance with securing a role.

To be successful, mentoring is typically:

• A one-to-one communication. This can be an initial connection for brief advice or a
relationship built over a number of meetings
• Working towards clear, agreed objectives. Identifying SMART goals might be useful
here.
• Focused on your career. It is important to be clear about where the role of the mentor
begins and ends.

33
 Additional recommendations

WE REMEMBER
10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70% of what we discuss with others
80% of what we personally experience
95% or what we teach others
Edgar Dale

As we approach the end of today’s session I’d just like to talk a little about the importance of
listening, tips for remembering names and staying connected. All essential elements in
building your network.

34
 Listen to be heard

• We listen to obtain information

• We listen to understand
• We listen for enjoyment
• We listen to learn
• But we only remember between 25% &
50% of what we hear
https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm

Firstly listening.

A profound theme of Carnegies “How to win friends” book was that people like to talk about
themselves. This is networking gold. If you let people talk and share their stories, experiences
and opinions, they will remember they had a great experience with you. Equally, you then
don’t need to worry about what you are going to talk about and your genuine interest in
them will be apparent.

The most important skill in networking is to be a “world class listener” but we live in a world
where the only reason most people listen is to prepare what they are going to say next. The
best networkers are the ones who actively listen to the other person. This is an acquired skill
and takes time to master. Usually the reaction of the other person is “wow that was a great
conversation” because they got time to talk and tell you what they need. Listening is an
active process in which a conscious decision is made to listen to and understand the
messages of the speaker. Active listening is also about patience; listeners should not
interrupt with questions or comments. Active listening involves giving the other person time
to explore their thoughts and feelings; they should be given adequate time for that.

I’ve directed you on this slide to a great website with information on active listening which
you might like to check out after this workshop.

35
 Remembering names

• Choose to care
• Meet and repeat
• Ask for a business card if in-person
• Record key information
• Follow-up

We’ve already mentioned calling people by name as a way of building rapport and
connection. I find this hard to do at large events where you meet many people, so I’ve
adopted a “choose to care” philosophy. Remember that people show greater attention if their
name is used. So, I believe we need to actively work on remembering the names of the
people we meet and recommend the following to avoid awkwardness:

1. When you meet someone, repeat their name back “Hello Sarah, nice to meet you.”
Repeat their name in your head as you look at them and try to identify something that
will make them stand out. For example “Sarah with the yellow jumper.” Use association.
2. If they have an unusual name remark on it “Gosh that’s an unusual name I don’t think I’ve
heard it before” or ask them to spell it out. Say goodbye using their name.
3. Ask for a business card – especially if you have forgotten their name. Glance at it as it’s
handed over and repeat their name in your head. Keep it in your hand so you can glance
at it again if needed. Use the back of it to jot a few notes about the person afterwards. Or
use your phone contacts app for the same purpose. Try and put something personal in
the notes like “travelled from London for conference”. You can then use this later to say
“are you going back to London tonight” and show you care.
4. Follow up from the information you’ve collected, look them up online, remember why
they were interesting, and use this to connect in the future.

36
Your connectors

• Your business cards

• Digital alternatives

For you to connect you may need a business card. Your Department or School may already
have a policy on PhD business cards so ask them. If not, there are plenty of local printers who
can do them at a reasonable cost.

Consider though:

What does your card say about you? The look and feel of the card.. is it professional and
good quality?
Presentation? How are you going to present your information and what do you want to say?

Remember: You are using it as a method of connection/as a reminder.

I suggest you can also use the reverse of the card for more detailed information about your
research interests.

You can also consider digital alternatives to the traditional paper business cards . These can
be created on an iphone or android and can be customised, designed and shared with anyone.
There are no space constraints on a digital card so you can enrich yours with a photo, video,
social media profile or details of your research. HiHello is a good app to try as it also
incorporates a card scanner and contact management features.

37
 The importance of follow-up

When you're at a conference, it can become a blur of new people, new ideas, and new places.
When you're meeting tens of people over the span of a few days, it is extremely difficult to
remember every person. Even when you have a good rapport with someone, there's a risk you
won't remember each other's specific details once you both get back home.

The way to combat this natural forgetfulness is to make sure that you follow up with all of your
contacts after the conference. In the few days after you get home, make a list of everyone that
you spoke to or whose contact details you received. For each person, decide if meeting them
was a friendly chat sort of situation, or whether you specifically want to make this person a part
of your network. If you do want to network, now is the time to start sending emails to these
people.

Your follow up emails can be simple – even just saying hello and that you enjoyed meeting
them will help them to remember you – but it's even better if you use your email to bring up a
particular subject that you discussed together. Maybe you mentioned a paper that they hadn't
heard of but were interested in, or there was an upcoming event that you found you were both
going to attend. In these cases, you can attach the paper or mention the event in your email to
help solidify the communication relationship between you.

It's also obviously useful to connect with as many people on social media as possible, especially
on a platform specific to jobs like LinkedIn. Using these tools will help you stay connected with
people easily and have all your new contacts in one place.

38
Summary

• Preparation leads to interesting conversations

• Make meaningful introductions
• Try to make friends
• Be genuine – show interest, ask questions, smile
• Find a reason to follow-up
• Maintain the connection
• Say thanks

In summary, I’d like you to remember the following:

• Preparation leads to interesting conversations

• Make meaningful introductions
• Try to make friends
• Be genuine – show interest, ask questions, smile
• Find a reason to follow-up
• Maintain the connection
• Remember to say thanks

(Use this slide for the group to reflect internally for a minute – comment on specific areas if
they were deemed important during the session.)

39
 Q&A

Do you have any questions or anything else you would like to discuss while I pass around the
feedback forms?

(send around a feedback form to each attendee)

40
Further information and reading

• https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/8-things-power-networkers-do-
make-connections.html
• https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/career-quiz-networking-
type-personality
• https://www.edutopia.org/article/academic-use-social-media
• https://www.timeshighereducation.com/career/tips-academics-
blogging-and-social-me
• https://theacademicdesigner.com/2019/social-media-platforms/dia

To close, here are some websites and reading to consult that you may find useful.

I hope you will agree that you have all done some great networking here today and formed
relationships you will keep going both in-person and online.

Our next job is to apply our learning. What I’d like you to do today is find one event or thing
you can do in the networking space and join in. I hope it proves successful for you.

41
References - 1
• https://news.linkedin.com/2017/6/eighty-percent-of-professionals-consider-
networking-important-to-career-success
• Blickle, G., John, J., Ferris, G. R., Momm, T., Liu, Y., Haag, R., Meyer, G., Weber, K., &
Oerder, K. (2012). Fit of political skill to the work context: A two‐study
investigation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 61(2), 295–322
• Spurk, D., Hirschi, A., Dries, N. (2018) Antecedents and outcomes of objective
versus subjective career success: Competing perspectives and future directions.
Journal of Management, 45, 35-69
• Wolff, H.G., Moser, K. (2010) Do specific types of networking predict specific
mobility outcomes? A two-year prospective study. Journal of Vocational
Behavior, 77, 238-245
• 60 Incredible Virtual Event Statistics (2021 Research)
https://www.markletic.com/blog/virtual-event-statistics/

And references from this presentation

42
References - 2
• Osburn, J.J. (2018) Five ways introverts can rule networking Retrieved from
https://news.clearancejobs.com/2018/12/10/five-ways-introverts-can-rule-
networking/ Google Scholar

• Stewart, S. (2015) How technology and social media empower the introvert
Retrieved from https://knowledge-leader.colliers.com/editor/how-technology-and-
social-media-empower-the-introvert/ Google Scholar

• https://www.eventmanagerblog.com/virtual-event-tech-report

• https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm

• Effective use of academic and social media networks for endorsing publications.
Digital Scholar Webinar 8th January 2020. Hosted by Enago Academy,
www.engage.com

43
Post-presentation reflection

• Identify 5 ways you can make meaningful connections

Our final exercise is one you will do after today. We’ve discussed networking skills and
opportunities and hopefully developed the confidence to put them into practice. In the
next few days a useful follow-up exercise is to try and identify 5 ways you can make
meaningful connections. Please take the time to do this and try and put some or all of your
reflections into practice in the near future, so you can begin to grow and develop your own
professional network and realise its benefits.

44
Remember

Thank you for attending today. Remember networking is about building lasting
connections so slow and steady will win this race!

45
 THANK YOU
NETWORKING WITH CONFIDENCE

Trinity Careers Service, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

46