Prepare to Network
By preparing to network, you can set yourself up for success and manage any nerves you may have. This page provides guidance on how to prepare.
Some resources and videos in this section are drawn from a webinar presented by Ruth Gotian, EdD, MS. Gotian is the chief learning officer, assistant professor of education in anesthesiology, former founding assistant dean of mentoring, and executive director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has been hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development, and was recently recognized as one of the top 20 mentors in the world. Her research focuses on the mindset and skillset of peak performers, including Nobel laureates, astronauts, and Olympic champions, which she writes about in her book “The Success Factor.”
Create Professional Goals
Establishing your professional goals is the first step in identifying networking activities that will be most useful for you, and can help you articulate what you are looking in establishing your connections. Long- and short-term professional goals do not need to be final. In fact, your goals should be periodically reviewed, evaluated, and updated.
To create your professional goals, start by defining what success means to you. Complete the Craft Your Personal Definition of Success exercise to hone your own definition. Next, think about your goals in time-increments. Where do you see yourself in one, five, and ten years? Within these goals, think specifically about how you hope to advance in your career, collaborate, expand your mentoring network, and receive funding. Your written goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound. Your goals should also be appropriate for the correct stage on your career path.
Our Mentorship in Clinical and Translational Guide offers several additional exercises to help you get to know yourself and define your goals. In particular, our Preparing for Career Development Conversations Worksheet includes a space to write your goals and share them with your mentor.
Put it into Practice
Write Your Goals
Using the resources linked above, write your short- and long-term goals. Then, consider these questions:
- What support do you need to achieve your goals?
- What challenges do you anticipate in achieving your goals?
- How can your mentor support you in achieving your goals? If you do not have a mentor to provide this support, how could you connect with one?
Toolkit
Worksheet: Personal Definition of Success
One of the most important first steps in your self-reflection process is to determine what success means precisely for you. This exercise can help you create a personal definition that can guide your decisions and priorities.
Worksheet: Preparing for Career Development Conversations
Our Mentorship in Clinical and Translational Guide offers several exercises to help you get to know yourself and define your goals. In particular, our Preparing for Career Development Conversations Worksheet includes a space to write your goals and share them with your mentor.
Prepare to Tell People the Problem You Solve
Many networking interactions begin with answering the question: What do you do? To network effectively, it is more important to know how to tell people the problem you solve.
In this webinar “Networking Strategies to Advance Your Research Career”, Ruth Gotian discusses the importance of telling people the problem you work to solve.
Put it into Practice
Create an Elevator Pitch
By creating an effective elevator pitch, you can be prepared to answer the “What do you do?” question readily. An elevator pitch is a brief (60-90 second) compelling description of the problem your research aims to address. It can often accompany an ask. Learn strategies and tools to create your own pitch on our Elevator Pitch page.
Toolkit
Worksheet: Elevator Pitch (PDF)
Download the this worksheet to assist you in creating your own pitch.
Reduce Networking Fears
Let’s face it, networking can sometimes feel awkward; in fact, there’s research that has found this process can make us feel psychologically “dirty”. The following resources provide advice on how to reduce these fears through careful preparation and how to avoid letting that uncomfortable feeling hold you back.
In this video, taken from the Harvard Catalyst webinar Networking Strategies to Advance Your Research Career, Ruth Gotian discusses strategies to avoid networking fears.
Put it into Practice
What fears do you have about networking? How could you go about reducing these fears in advance? Resources:
- Check out conversation starters in “The Success Factor” by Ruth Gotian.
- Use the Preparing for a Conference Worksheet (PDF) to prepare to network while attending a conference and to develop a networking plan.
Foster Multiple Interests
When approaching networking, it’s helpful to have more than one interest. This will allow you to cast a wider and more diverse networking net and open yourself to more networking opportunities.
In this video taken from the Harvard Catalyst webinar Networking Strategies to Advance Your Research Career, Ruth Gotian discusses the benefits of having more than one professional passion.
Put it into Practice
Consider your Passions and Interests
Use Ruth Gotian’s Passion Audit to consider and reflect on these.
Content on this page was excerpted from:
- “Remote Networking as a Person of Color” Harvard Business Review, August 2021
- “What to Say When You’re Reaching out to Someone on LinkedIn” Harvard Business Review, March 2022
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