Networking – What I learned from my in-camp training

Most should know that no one is allowed to bring a camera phone to a Singapore Army camp. It just happen that I am in the midst of my reservist, and without my time sapping iPhone by my side, we did the next best thing. We talked.

I’ve learned so much about everyone of my section mates, what they do, what they intend to buy, etc. And in the midst of all these information, we also get to know each other better and bonded closer. Since we have spend so much time waiting, we talked about everything under the sun. From love life to cars to work to airplane crashes to food to football, and the list goes on.

And that is what networking is all about. Meeting up with complete strangers and knowing them well enough to help each other out. One of my section mate got his current job during a poker game through a guy he just met.

The army may have given us a setting to network much easier with our commonalities (we are all “stuck” for 2 weeks+) but it shouldn’t be any different in a corporate networking event.

Here are some tips that may help in your next networking opportunity:

• Set the premise - Sponsor the event and/or volunteer to help – you will gain more visibility. We had two street soccer sessions during our in-camp and I took the initiative to bring the ball and fix a time/date for the game to take place.
• Smile -  People like to do business with others they like and feel comfortable with. Unless you are selling your frown, bring your smiley face.
• Identify common grounds to tread on – For us recruiter, networking common ground would be a new job opportunity as everyone has a job and most would want to find a better one. If the common ground isn’t obvious, do your homework on the participants and find out what relevant background you can. LinkedIN is very useful here.
• Prepare your elevator pitch – Out of point or overrun. These are the most common mistakes especially for newbies.  Be concise about your point and use it as your litmus test to gauge interest. If they have questions, chances are they are interested.
• Allocate your time effectively – Always move on in networking. Even in dating events you get to rotate. A good way to put it nicely is to introduce another person into the conversation and slip away for a drink refill.
• Keep your phone – It is ruder than telling the guy you got the wrong target.