Networking as an introvert
As a business student, I always hear about how important it is to prioritize networking during internships. This is why last summer, I made an effort to network, network, and network more with everyone I could at my first ever internship. As a result, I met many people and expanded my network significantly. Nevertheless, I also felt like sometimes I wasn’t being myself – I am introverted – and the quality of my work was affected.
This summer, I decided to go about things a bit differently. I did not go into work with the mindset of meeting people while I’m not working, I went with the mindset of doing my best work so that I can get opportunities of collaborating with many people. I did not try to meet as many people as possible, I tried to build close relationships with the people that I worked with. And I am not leaving with tons of LinkedIn connections, but rather with a few close friends.
Networking as an introvert can be tricky, but I learned this summer that your personality inside and outside of work don’t have to be separate – a friend and a truthful impression on your team can be worth a hundred connections.