Introduction

The skill that I am planning on researching is networking because there are many benefits when it comes to networking. As a business student, networking is valuable to expand your knowledge, experiences, and a great way to expand your associates. Just because you are not a business student does not mean that you should not network. Interacting with others will build better connections and that can help generate referrals and increase businesses. Many opportunities can be offered like client leads, job offerings, partnerships, and more.

You should not always stay in your bubble! By networking regularly, you can increase your confidence when speaking to people who are unfamiliar to you. It takes practice to get comfortable talking to a stranger. When interacting with someone you do not know, it is always best to start the conversation with an icebreaker. The purpose of an icebreaker to is to warm up a conversation and to get the people engaged with the conversation.

One of the best questions to ask to start a conversation is, “How was your day?” This simple question can get a conversation going. According to “Why We Talk About Ourselves: The Brain Likes It,” by Belinda Luscombe, people spend almost 40% of conversations talking about ourselves. People like to talk about themselves. By asking questions about someone, you get to know more about them and may even for friendships.

My main goal for the end of this project is to improve my networking skills and to help others. I feel like I am lacking with social interactions because I tend to stay in my own bubble. I do not often step out of my comfort zone because I tend to be shy. Joining my fraternity and becoming a paraprofessional built my confidence and definitely made me step out of my comfort zone more. My goal is to have more social interaction with people.