Networking Nerves
I’ve never really been great at networking, I’ve not purposely avoided it but it in the digital Industry I work in it is essential for bouncing ideas, getting inspiration and learning more about what can be done. I’ve attended a couple of small pub based events where I can grab a pint and settle my nerves but having a lack of belief in what I can do, my skills, and general self confidence a daytime event could prove to be difficult for me. I’ve come to Amplified 09 to overcome these nerves and apprehensions.
Amplified runs as a “Network of Networks” bringing a variety of people from different meetups like Creative Coffee Club and Social Media Cafe as well as lots of other interested parties together to discuss important issues in social media. THe usefulness of networking with like minded, industry related people and people from within other industries that can help increase innovation seemed to me like a great idea. Connecting people is important.
Connections are important, incredibly useful things. They stop us drifting, provide anchors, but also form new points for us to push off from
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I’ve chatted via email and twitter, via messageboards and IM to plenty of people in the past, it’s the face to face element of events like these that worry me. On friday I made my way to the Friday Social Media Cafe Event, aka Tuttle [http://londonsocialmediacafe.pbwiki.com/] for the first time on my own. Having only been once before with @jemimah_knight and only there for an hour or so listening in to conversations it was hopefully going to be a toes in the water session for me before coming to Amplified 09.
I did what I always do when meeting new people, stand quietly at the back with a drink until an appropriate moment, at Tuttle that moment was after being there after about an hour and 2 cups of tea. It wasn’t me who made the approach to chat, a lovely American woman, new to Tuttle as well, came over and we had a chat, discussing sharing mechanics for digital media. After that I took a break and I settled back into my reclusive self hiding by the stairs.
Thats when I took the decision to speak to someone, after spotting someone I recognized from a brief chat In a pub at a small Social Media event before christmas I went over to say Hello and became involved in a discussion on Wedding Photographers and the digital enthusiast photographer. My nerves were still a bit shakey but it felt good to talk to someone about somethig I had an interest in.
So now it’s tuesday afternoon and It’s 2:30, I’m sat here at Tiger Tiger in Haymarket and people are starting to fill the place up for Amplified 09. It’s time to overcome the nerves and get off the laptop and start speaking to people as small groups are already forming of people who have clearly met each other several times before.
Straight from closing the laptop lid I break for fresh air outside for 5 minutes then come back inside and head to the bar to order a coke. Clearly avoidance on talking to people by my brain. I go to stand by a pillar and within a couple of minutes I’m approached by a young woman from a publishers introducing herself to me and another guy stood by me. At least I think she was and I may have just butted into her introduction to this other guy. My nerves are stil a bit flakey and I start talking, it’s all a bit of a blur and fairly soon we are called into the downstairs bar for the opening introduction.
Once the introduction is over I make my way back upstairs to find the talk on the future on online video and find myself at a table with about 6 or seven strangers. My intention was to listen in and take notes but I found my nerves started to make me spout words and I was feeling the nerves showed and made me come across as not showing any knowledge in the area but soon I settled into the conversations.
For the second session and the on my nerves disappeared slightly and I began to talk to more and more people. my fears and nerves faded as I realised these are all people who I shouldn’t be afraid of for having greater knowledge than me, they are there to share and to help people learn as well as learn themselves. I learnt, I shared and overcame some small fears.
From the back of this I will be off to Tuttle again this friday and hopefully several more similar events in the future and that can only be good for my career progression and self confidence.
