SBN

A little networking advice

A former co-worker of mine reached out to me asking what to do to get better at networking and how not to put yourself in a position where you may have cast yourself in the wrong light.

This was my response

Congrats for getting out there and networking

How
many drinks are you having? If you answer more than 2, cut back. If you
answer 2 or less, don’t go beyond that. Alcohol should be a relaxer and
facilitator of calm, not a lubricant to discuss things you are not
feeling confident about.

Read a couple of networking articles (person to person not router to router)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhendricks/2014/08/21/6-ways-to-network-more-effectively/
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-network-like-a-pro-2010-4?op=1
http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2014/nov/13/how-network-effectively-tips

 

Stay current

Find RSS feeds to know what is going on

Read sites other than CNN/FoxNews/MSNBC

Find local meet ups of security folks (my former co-worker lives in the Bay Area and I targeted my responses for there – search for local events – my home town has an awesome group http://www.seckc.org )
http://www.baysec.net/ – San Francisco
http://silisec.org/ – South Bay
https://www.noisebridge.net/ – San Francisco hacker space

Volunteer
http://www.securitybsides.com
– There is one that runs the same time as RSA and volunteering will
allow you to meet the people who are presenting and organizing
http://infosecevents.net/2008/05/09/san-francisco-bay-area-security-community/
(look for events in your area that need volunteers)
Listen
As
I tell my daughter, the more you listen then more people are willing to
talk around you. The more you hear the more you learn.
Relax
A
career is a lifetime thing, for some it happens in an instant, but for
most of us it is something we will build over a long period of time.
Goals
Know
your goals and set achievable increments to meet those. Create a leap
from success to success and learning to learning. Knowing where you want
to go is the first part of getting there.

The post A little networking advice appeared first on IT Security, Windows Scripting and other matters.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from IT Security, Windows Scripting and other matters authored by James.Costello. Read the original post at: http://genesyswave.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-little-networking-advice.html