Several people have asked me about how to network effectively. There’s a lot of conventional wisdom about networking, but I think that it’s important to find oblique angles to networking to set yourself apart (because everyone else knows the conventional wisdom, too). This tactic can be used for networking in any context, not just social impact.
First, here are examples of traditional venues set up for networking. One way I’ve developed a strong professional network was by volunteering on the steering committee for a professional philanthropy affinity group — it’s a very supportive community, and also has been a great way to both hear directly about job openings (and get referred directly), get introductions to others in the field, and plan events where we could strategically invite people to speak whom we wanted to meet. I’ve also attended a lot of professional networking events. At an alumni event, I got a job offer for a startup on the spot (which I didn’t take, and that was unfortunate because the startup was later acquired for $80M). In another case, I approached the main speaker and told him I was interested in working at his firm, and he routed my resume so that I got an interview (and eventually a job offer). However, in my experience, I’ve found that these types of events can sometimes have limited usefulness. Often most of the people there are junior to mid-career and there are very few senior-level folks there (except maybe the guest speakers). So everyone is trying to speak to the same three people. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a business card / contact info. If you’re even luckier, you’ll get a response to your follow-up email.
Remarkably, some of my most interesting conversations and connections to professional opportunities have originated outside of these professional networking venues. This is the “oblique angle” to networking I’m referring to. For one, I’ve met a wide range of people through my church community at all levels of seniority, such as the head of a social impact investment fund, an analyst at an urban development nonprofit (which I ended up partnering with for data for my Master’s thesis), the head of a nonprofit which developed a methodology for calculating social return on investment (which I ended up writing a graduate paper about), someone who knew the founder/executive director of a community development corporation and introduced me so that I could get an internship, etc., etc. One of my friends who also works in social impact space says that all of her consulting engagements have actually come through oblique angles — e.g., the parent network at her child’s school.
I’m not advocating just going to random events on the off-chance that you might meet someone who might be helpful in your career. But instead think about what you’re naturally interested in, and what are ways you could cultivate those interests while meeting other people along the way who are outside of your normal networks. It will vary by person, but consider joining a biking club, hiking/outdoors club, Toastmasters, gospel choir, etc. Or volunteer at a nonprofit where you’ll have a chance to interact with other volunteers.