It turns out that moving to a new city and starting a freelance career from scratch takes more than just rolling off of the plane and shouting, "I'm here! Hire me!" So, in an effort to meet the design community in my new city, I've been attending networking events. Groups like the AIGA, Meetup.com, and General Assembly have been an amazing resource for me to connect with the local community and meet my fellow creatives in the midwest.
The idea of networking events has always scared me. As an undercover shy person, walking into a room full of strangers is intimidating. However, the more I do it, the easier it becomes. I thought I'd share a few things I've learned from attending networking events. Here goes...
1. Leaving the house is the hardest part.
It's easy to sign up and once you're there, it's easy to meet people (sometimes... more on that later), but the hardest part is always just getting out of the house. An hour before every event, my head is filled with reasons why it isn't necessary for me to go, why I have other things to do, and a so many excuses that I almost marvel at my own creativity. But, without fail, the moment I leave the house, I'm glad that I decided to go. Some of the best events I've ever attended were also ones that I nearly blew off to watch another episode of Better Call Saul. So, hit pause and go to that event!
2. Nobody actually likes the idea of networking.
When faced with the prospect of attending a "networking event," my head used to fill with images of people moving from person to person, attempting to gain value from the interaction. It seemed insincere and uncomfortable. When I started attending these events, I found that most other people there had the same opposition to this idea of networking. Even at networking events, people are seeking genuine connections.
3. It's alright to talk about zombies.
Design is my passion and my career and while I love a spirited typography debate or color theory discussion, I don't always want to talk shop. I've found that at networking events, many of my conversations meander away work and into current events, food, and yes, zombies. Like I mentioned in point two, people naturally seek authentic connection, so if you want to talk about Breaking Bad, go right ahead. (Just no spoilers!)
Thanks for reading!
Dodge