Too much networking: Is there such a thing?

Networking is the number one way to get a job.

If you subscribe to that notion (and it’s a smart one) then you would think that there’s no such thing as too much networking.  You may be wrong.

There’s a difference between networking and effective networking.  And if you overload yourself with new meetings, you’ll be doing more of the former than the latter.

Networking is only effective to the extent that you can build relationships with people.  This means that you can’t just grab their business card, dump it in your database, and consider them part of your network.

The heavy lifting of networking is follow up.  It’s expressing genuine interest and finding ways to add value to their lives.  If you’re meeting 200 people a week, this just can’t be done.

So, you should keep your networking efforts controlled enough that you can actually talk to the people that you meet.

One entrepreneur I know attends four functions each week, and four is a target number I’ve heard in other settings as well.  As long as you devote time to meaningful follow up at the end of each week, it’s probably manageable.

How do you manage your networking load?

photo credit: left-hand

Related posts:

1. Networking event success: Know the goal before you go
2. Not getting the job you want? Double your efforts
3. Networking Ninja Tip: Know What You Need
4. Networking with confidence: You cannot fail
5. Networking tip: Why being the oddball is the ideal

Tagged as: Career, effective networking, effectiveness, entrepreneur, job, job change, job hunt, job search, job seekers, networking, networking efforts, relationships, time management