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Be approachable. Spending the night talking exclusively to the person you came with is not networking. If you see a lively conversation going on at a professional event, just offer a smile and try to gracefully join in. If you’re not bold enough to walk up to a group of strangers, just hone in on someone who’s alone and introduce yourself. They’ll probably be grateful that you kept them from looking like a wallflower. Remember that networking can happen anywhere from a church function to an airline flight. Don’t miss opportunities by being too closed off.

Be informed. Once you start talking to people, you have to have something to say for yourself and it can’t just all be about you. Keep up with and have an opinion on industry news and things happening in the world outside your field. If the other person brings up a topic that you know nothing about, it doesn’t hurt to just ask: “What do you think about that?” People love to share their opinions and you may learn something.

Have something to offer. Let’s say you go to an event because you want to land a new job. Other attendees are there for their own agenda, too and you may have a way to help them reach their goals. That won’t always be the case, but if it turns out that you can share useful information with your new connection or facilitate an introduction, go for it. That mentality only makes you stronger.