The document outlines 11 essential networking skills: active listening, communication skills, non-verbal communication, interpersonal skills, humor, respect, confidence, friendliness, emotional intelligence, positivity, and public speaking. It provides examples and explanations for why each skill is important for networking, such as making a good impression, putting others at ease, and building professional connections.

1. Networking
Skills

2. 1. Active Listening
 Active listening is more than just hearing.
 The act involves paying uttermost attention to what the
speaker is saying, following up with clarifying questions
where relevant and necessary, and making sure you got
the essence of the conversation.
 Here’s why the skill of active listening is essential for
networking:
 Imagine, for example, you’re at a networking event having
a conversation with a job recruiter.
 If you keep scanning the room, looking down at your
phone, and just giving the recruiter the occasional nod to
make them
 feel as if you’re listening, they’re not very likely to talk to
you about prospective job positions. And on the off-chance
they don’t feel offended by you pretending to be listening
and do speak about job opportunities, you probably won’t
be paying attention!

3. 2. Communication Skills
 Communication is, if you ask us, the most important
networking skill.
 You can be funny, insightful, skillful, and intelligent, and it
would all be in vain if you can’t effectively communicate
with people.
 For this reason, when you’re networking, be mindful of the
ways you convey, interact with others, and even tackle
issues and discussions that may come up during the
conversation.
 This includes your tone of voice, the language you use, and
even your urgency to speak over others. Those are all
elements that can make or break your networking.

4. 3. Non-verbal Communication
 Non-verbal communication includes every message
you transmit that doesn’t include words and
it accounts for up to 93% of any verbal message.
 This means your facial expressions, your body
language and stance, and even your position towards
your co-speaker.
 As such, non-verbal communication is an essential
networking skill.
 Think about it.
 Who is more likely to strike up a conversation at a
networking event? Someone with hunched shoulders
and eyes locked on their phone screen, or a social
butterfly that radiates confidence and positivity?
 Yeap, we vote for number 2 as well.

5. 4. Interpersonal Skills
 Interpersonal skills and communication skills are
often used interchangeably, but there are subtle
differences between the two.
 In a nutshell, interpersonal skills encompass your
ability to get along and understand other people. This
may oftentimes mean being open to subtle hints, or
“reading” the situation in a certain social setting.
 Say, for example, that you’re at a party and an
interesting-looking someone is smiling directly at you.
This is 99% a sign that they are open to talking, but
they might be too shy to start the conversation

6. 5. Humor
 Research shows that humor is the key to success at work,
because it makes people enjoy interacting with you, puts them
at ease, and helps them build trust, among other things.
 Well, the same thing applies to networking!
 In addition to referring to the quality of being amusing, humor
is also a mood and state of mind.
 This means that humor is much more than just making people
laugh—it is, in large part, about being positive and
transmitting that to those around you. As such, humor is an
inseparable part of networking skills.
 By being able to bring a smile to people’s faces you can rest
assured you’ll get to exchange some business cards (or phone
numbers).

7. 6. Respect
 Aretha Franklin said it: R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
 Yeap, respect—one of the most fundamental networking skills.
 Did it ever happen when you were younger to get scolded for talking over someone
or chewing your food with your mouth open?
 Well, it’s even worse if you’re a disrespectful adult at a networking event.
 Imagine, for example, getting lucky enough to talk to a recruiter from one of your
target law firms and you make a bad expression by constantly interrupting them or
asking them to repeat themselves because you weren’t paying attention.
 Now that wouldn’t make the best impression, would it?
 Plus, keep in mind that respectful and polite people tend to
thrive at networking, as they are easy to get along with,
understanding, and approachable.

8. 7. Confidence
 If you’re going to go to a place full of strangers or
acquaintances with the goal of creating professional and social
ties, then you definitely need confidence!
 As a skill, confidence defines how sure you are about what you
say, what you do (or plan on doing), and your decisions.
 Now, if you’re not naturally confident, practice your confidence
by doing some of the following:
 Maintain eye contact with the speaker.
 Speak in a friendly tone.
 Prepare something to discuss in advance so that you don’t
stumble on your words. Of course, this depends on the intention
of your networking (e.g.if you’re going to talk to a specific
recruiter, you’ll want to ask them about the company,
workplace environment, etc.)

9. 8. Friendliness
 Friendliness is another essential networking skill on our list.
 The quality involves being kind, helpful, or affectionate—
without necessarily being close to the other person. Gestures
such as smiling, waving, or introducing yourself to people
are typical shows of friendliness and will bring people
around you like moths to a flame.
 Generally, friendliness encourages others to be less guarded
or reactive with you. That said, you shouldn’t overdo it
either.
 Sometimes, overly kind or helpful people come off as
suspicious or annoying—which is a no-no when you’re
networking.

10. 9. Emotional Intelligence
 Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to
understand, use, and manage both your and other
people’s emotions.
 When it comes to networking, having emotional
intelligence greatly matters because (just like
anything else that involves people), the process is
also emotional.
 Imagine, for example, having a 10-minute
conversation with a recruiter. They might not
verbally say anything, but you can tell by their
willingness to give you their card, or their
proposition to follow up with an email, that you
made an impression.

11. 10. Positivity
 Positivity is more than just a character trait: it’s an
attitude and a mindset.
 If you go networking with a positive mindset, you
won’t be discouraged in case a conversation with a
potential future professional contact doesn’t go as
planned, or if the team-building event with your new
colleagues doesn’t go exactly how you were hoping.
 Moreover, a positive attitude usually comes paired with
optimism. Networking-wise, this makes it easier for
people to approach you and maybe even build
constructive relations.

12. 11. Public Speaking
 It can happen that the spotlight falls on you
amid a group of people while networking.
 What then? Public speaking could come to the
rescue.
 Public speaking skills can make you feel
comfortable when you’re addressing a group of
people—especially strangers at a networking
event.
 So, when you’re not addressing such a “tough”
audience, practice your public speaking skills
when you chat with your friends.
 Particularly, pay attention to the way you
articulate words, the pace you talk with, and
the tone of your voice.