PAW 2024 Career Prep: Networking for people who don’t like networking. How to do it – and how to enjoy it. - 18.09.2024

Wednesday 18 Sept 2024, 12:30 → 14:00 Europe/Berlin

Online via Zoom in English

Networking is an important key skill for Early Career Researchers. At the same time, getting and keeping new contacts is not exactly a favorite pastime among young academics. This talk shows why this is the case, why this can be different. Also, it makes a good contact management realistic and achievable.

The idea: Contact with others is best shaped in connection with our own personality. You will see how to develop connections with others while feeling good about it: because your strategies match your preferences. Concrete occasions are events and professional visibility in the science field, e.g. conferences and encounters with decision-makers. The talk offers orientation, examples and a buffet of strategies –there are always several ways to achieve your goals. And, last but not least, you may realise: A lot is already there! 

Overview/Structure 

Part 1: Contact means "with touch" 

- Why is it a good idea to practice networking? And why don’t I do it, then? 

- What are incentives to do it – with, not against my personal preferences? 

Part 2: Networking in practice 

The second part of the talk is application-oriented. Using the example of initiating and maintaining contacts at conferences, you see (and develop) strategies... 

- to get into conversation, also with decision-makers (often stressful!), 

- to decide which communication strategies work for you, 

- to cultivate and nourish contacts.