3 Points for Singaporean Students Who Want to Get Better at Networking (reference to Networking for Nerds by Alaina Levine)

Let’s talk networking. What do you think of when you first hear the word? Is it “fake interaction”, “talking to someone just to get something out of them”, or “I’m not comfortable talking to strangers”? In my experience as a young Singaporean, I realized that many of us have such a mindset towards networking. But reading Alaina Levine’s Networking for Nerds might change that idea.

Levine puts a compelling pro argument for networking, claiming that there are absolutely no cons to networking whatsoever. Being someone who has employed some of these techniques in the past 1 year compared to that of in my earlier years, I daresay she is right. But yet again, this is all about perspective. I share her view that to get further in any field (be in an actual academic field, or just climbing up the corporate ladder) that networking is key in being a better at anything.

Levine writes about many strategies and frameworks in her book, so if you would like to learn through doing exercises or by reading tips, do check out the book directly. I don’t see much point in repeating everything Levine has already mentioned, so I have distilled 3 key points for any Singaporean student who wants to get better at networking.

Since I am aware most students are more reserved and “networking” has a negative connotation in our spheres, I’ll henceforth be using the terms “talking” or “speaking” as alternatives to “networking”.

All Things Conversation

One thing that I realize many friends are afraid of is awkwardness. What if I try talking to a stranger and they don’t reply? What if I send an email to the Prof and they get a bad impression of me? What if people see me as too sociable or weird that I’m talking to a stranger?

See the similarities? They’re all ‘What Ifs’. One thing I learnt while networking is that these What Ifs matter little compared to the ROI (return on investment, basically, the rewards) of swallowing your fear and striking up a conversation in the first place.

Now, how should you start a conversation? The key to this is to ask a question that compels the other party to talk about themselves. A list of questions that Levine includes are:

• What’s the best part of your job?
• How did you find or carve your career path?
• What skills are the most useful to your current position and throughout your career?
• What skills do you wish you had had when you began your career or current job?
• Who else should I be speaking with about these topics?

I guarantee that once you get to popping one or two of these questions, your conversation is up and running!

Side note: As always, be professional, and be positive in your first encounter with someone. Don’t start gossiping! That’s a bad show of character.

Always Offer to be of Assistance

Levine mentions time and time again in her book is to “Always offer to be of assistance even if you don’t immediately see a potential ROI”. Firstly, I don’t think we should talk to someone just for the ROI or to gain something out of it, but to actually be interested in learning more about a person and their interests. Yes, there is something you can learn from everyone, and conversely, there is something you know that is of value to anyone too.

Secondly, I am aware that many Singaporean students think lowly of themselves. Perhaps this is due to our values system, our education, or our Asian culture, but somehow lots of my (very capable) friends have the mindset that they’re useless and will not get anywhere in life. How can this be true? I think this is more a lack of self-awareness and understanding. When talking to more people, you will realize what interests and pools of knowledge you have that others might not.

Third, circling back to the point to always offer to be of assistance. This is something that everyone can say to even their friends to signal that you are open to collaboration and opportunities should any come up. Since we love to be spoon-fed, here’s a template you can immediately reference: “If there is anything I can assist you with, don’t hesitate to let me know!”

Think Entrepreneurially

I cannot stress this enough. The reason why I felt my world opened up on the NOC programme was because I learnt how to think entrepreneurially. What does this mean? Levine explains it as “If you need an opportunity, ask for it. If it doesn’t exist, create it yourself.” I find many of my friends shackled by self-imposed limitations. “I’m not going to apply to be involved in this research project because I think I’m not good enough”, or “I don’t think I have time”, or “I’m against way too much competition, I’ll never get chosen anyway”. How many of these sound like you? The earlier you learn how to break out of these self-imposed fixed mindsets, the more you’ll begin to look for opportunities and put yourself out there instead of firmly rejecting every door you come upon. When applied to talking to people, sending cold emails to professors, employers, or seniors just to get a second perspective is always super beneficial in helping to shape your ideas and thus your actions.

Learning how to think entrepreneurially is applicable not just to speaking to others, but also to many other aspects of life.

This book is useful not just for students, like I have contextualized here, but also for academics, who are the primary target audience of this book. As such, I would recommend this book to students and academics of all kinds.

I’m currently trying to get back into the habit of reading books and writing more (thus the book reviews)! I have been relatively successful so far. If you’re curious, you can view my reading progress on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/tankityung