Alex's Historical Fiction

Networking

Leading on nicely from the Diary of a Homeworker column, where isolation is a problem, the Guardian also had a olumn called Ask the Experts: Networking. Networking is definitely what you need to do as a freelancer! There's some useful tips, though Woody Allen's advice: 80% of success is showing up doesn't ring quite true. I used to go to as many applicable meetings and conferences as I could afford, but if you're not good at going up to people and just starting conversations, you're dead in the water! Having the gift of the gab would get a good percentage from me. But generally, I think being seen is a good thing. I've just been invited to speak at a conference, which is even better than just attending. At least I'll be there to do something other than networking. And because I'm a speaker, people are more likely to come up to me and want to talk about some aspect my lecture!

But I do like the way the article says to see networking as farming not hunting. That takes the heat out of it. Just occasionally, I've quite enjoyed some meetings, and it's when I've had a good chat with someone who's doing an aspect of work applicable to my own.

Meanwhile, I'm about to go into teaching purdah for the next couple of days. Teaching on Wednesday, but currently frantically preparing my talk :-)

posted by Alex Bordessa @ Monday, November 14, 2005