Networking Events Are Bullshit
The people you need to meet aren’t there, and the wine will give you a headache
Most people approach networking the wrong way. The first thing they do is print business cards, google “networking events near me,” and then head off to the local happy hour, freshly printed business cards in hand, expecting to rub shoulders with employers, CEOs, and busy people they can ask for new opportunities.
Then they get there and… nothing. Instead of meeting with the “Who’s Who” of their city and industry, they meet life insurance salesmen, job hunters, and people who turn out for the free food.
You’ve probably done this yourself. I did when I got started in my career.
My job was to find, connect with, and pitch CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, and investors on a radical idea — to hire people without degrees for jobs that required them. I went to networking events, happy hours, networking conferences, and everything I could find online.
With a few exceptions, this drove few valuable connections. Most of the networking events were full of people like myself — people trying to find decision makers and CEOs, but few of these people themselves.
I realized that all the people I had to connect with weren’t at these events. They…
