Everything You Want is on the Other Side of Fear

Networking is one of the greatest skills a person can learn and possess to advance their interpersonal communication skills, career development, and professional success. Networking is essentially building your social capital and starts off by simply introducing yourself to someone and letting them know more about yourself, such as what your career goals are, any thoughts about their work, any business ideas, projects you’re working on, or you can ask questions to learn more about them. It also helps you find opportunities or solutions to a problem and can help create long-lasting relationships by building a connection to someone you will be able to rely on if you ever need help. In the beginning, networking did not come easy to me, I am naturally a social butterfly, but for some reason when it came to networking, I would shy away. However, as I started learning more about the benefits that it can offer, I gradually started becoming more confident and mustered up the courage to introduce myself to people who I found intriguing and would love to learn more about.

A 30-second elevator pitch is a memorable description of who you are, what you do, what skills you have to offer, or what your goals are. Typically, this can be used when you're networking to quickly spark up a conversation. The last step would be to hand them a business card with your contact information or ask if they are willing to share theirs and follow up by reaching out in a timely manner. For instance, during the various meetings we had in D.C. with professionals and community leaders such as Andrea Delgado, Norma Flores Lopez, Evangelina Alvarez, Roger Rosenthal, Kendra Moesle, Delia Garcia, Reid, and others, I had to essentially give a 30-second pitch about myself in the beginning and afterward I would try to speak to them a little more about the work they do. Overall, networking has and will always be important because you never know who you may run into that can help advance your goals or projects much further. It’s a great way to continue practicing being impressionable, amiable, and also gives people you meet a better sense of who you are and builds credibility. As the saying goes, sometimes “it’s not about what you know, it’s who you know.”