I have given several lectures at Lipscomb regarding professional networking. Back in the late 1990s I became a huge advocate of networking after I saw the benefits when it helped me land a full-time internship while I was staring a rapidly-approaching wedding date in the face.
I did not know many people in Nashville but I had a college professor that took an interest in me (thanks Randy) and made the first few introductions for me. With this being pre-LinkedIn I kept track of my phone calls and meetings on a set of note cards that eventually became a rudimentary online tracking tool that I programmed myself. One meeting led to another and I soon found myself in a salaried position with LBMC Technologies.
How was able to swing so many meetings with some very high-powered individuals in the Nashville business community? It was simple: I acknowledge that I was just a dumb college kid that did not know much and that needed to borrow some wisdom from individuals that were much wiser than me. I was not being flip about this, I was serious and it opened up a lot of doors for me.
You absolutely cannot lean on that logic for long but it is true that people do not take advantage of being the newbie on the team enough. It is OK to admit that you do not know everything and that you may need some help for a bit. You need to transition to a productive employee quickly but there is a honeymoon period…and you should not be afraid to take advantage of it!
Image source: Atwater Village Newbie
