ANALYSIS AND OPINION CAREERS IN PHOTONICS
Sustainable networking: The kindness of advance preparation
In the second installment of a two-part series, Christina Willis gives practical advice on how to create and maintain a lasting network successfully
I
n the previous article of this two-part series, I discussed what networking
‘sustainably’ means, and why it is such a powerful tool for career success. This second article focuses more on the practical applications of sustainable networking, specifically the practice of advanced preparation. Both articles are based on my book Sustainable Networking for Scientists and Engineers; through them I hope to share with you something that has been transformational for me both as a person and a laser scientist. Advance preparation is a
valuable practice that makes you better equipped to handle both professional and personal situations. It is also a kindness to others, because it shows respect for their time and demonstrates that you have considered their needs and expectations. At its core, sustainable
networking is about creating mutually-beneficial professional relationships. Such relationships are built acts of kindness, most of which you will never find in a job description. They include giving and receiving career guidance, providing references and written recommendations, making introductions, talking through experiments, and troubleshooting problems.
4 Electro Optics June 2020
Advance preparation is one such act of kindness, and one that directly benefits both you and your network connections. Preparing in advance for an
interaction, whether online or in person, gives you the opportunity to consider the background and needs of your audience so that you can adapt to them accordingly. Researching your audience to acquire a better understanding of them allows you to tailor
“Advance preparation shows an attention to detail, respect for the time of others, and allows you to be more effective and relaxed”
your message specifically for that audience by providing appropriate details and context. This limits any potential confusion your audience might experience, keeps them at ease, and makes your communication more efficient. It boosts your signal-to-noise ratio! Being prepared also generally allows you a greater sensation of relaxation, eliminating common doubts and anxieties that can arise when interacting with others.
Let us examine the uses
of advance preparation in an archetypal networking scenario: an event labelled ‘networking’ such as a reception or happy hour.
This type of event typically involves a room of mostly strangers eating and drinking things as they mingle and make conversation. Especially if this scenario makes you nervous, there are several steps of advance preparation that you can take to improve the experience. The first step is to research the event itself and the organisation hosting it. Knowing the mission statement of the host organisation and the theme of the event will allow you to extrapolate the type of people that will attend and what their interests might be. If there is a guest list that you can examine, this gives you even more information. When you have a clear picture of who the attendees are or are likely to be, you can craft a tailored introduction for yourself and relevant questions or topics of conversation that you can use to engage with others at the event. For your introduction, provide a brief description of yourself and information about you that is relevant to the event and the other attendees. If it is a career event, include your name, where you work, and your research topic, but carefully tailor the details to your audience. If the event is within your niche field, using more technical words and descriptions is fine, but if it’s a non-technical event, be prepared to describe yourself and your work without technical jargon. Jargon is noise in your signal if your audience doesn’t understand it. As the person conveying a message (your introduction), it is your responsibility to help your audience understand you, not the other way around. Conscientious adaptation to
your audience’s knowledge and background is a valuable kindness. Conversely, confusing your audience with terms they don’t understand benefits no one; it only corrupts your message. So while it is more work for you to adapt, being understood and keeping your audience comfortable is worth the effort. Planning topics of
conversation in advance is also beneficial, especially if conversing with strangers or group settings make you nervous. Before the event, it can be helpful to write down a series of relevant questions you can ask or topics that you can bring up for discussion. The process of writing them down can help you to remember them, but the list can also be brought with you and consulted between conversations (not during!). Most people find meeting new people a little awkward and uncomfortable, and most people also don’t do much advance preparation. So the extra effort on your part will go a long way towards keeping
Willis speaking at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) at an event hosted in Neuchatel, Switzerland
@electrooptics |
www.electrooptics.com
Aurélian John-Herpin
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