The moment I realized networking events were a total waste for me

Last year I went to like 10 networking mixers in Austin, handing out business cards and doing the whole small talk thing. I thought I was being smart, connecting with people, you know? But after 6 months, not a single job lead or solid conversation came from any of them. What tipped me off was when a guy I met at one event messaged me on LinkedIn and just wanted to sell me his coaching program. That's when it clicked - I was just a target for sales pitches, not building real connections. Now I focus on local meetups where people actually do the work, like coding groups or industry workshops. Has anyone else stopped going to those big networking events and found something better?

3 comments

3 Comments

rileyp491d ago

Just sitting there dressed like bait for sales guys is the real networking lesson.

grant_allen851d ago

Did my friend get the same side-eye when she wore a blazer and jeans to a tech mixer and some guy still tried to sell her on his "disruptive startup"? Honestly, she ended up talking to a woman in the corner who gave her three solid leads because they both got sick of the same old pickup lines. Tbh, dressing for the room is smart, but some people will still see you as a target no matter what you wear.

seanlee1d ago

Oh man, yeah. That's the thing. You can wear a tuxedo to a frat party and someone's still gonna ask if you want to try their new energy drink. It's not about the outfit, it's about the type of person who sees a woman in a professional setting and thinks "perfect pitch, let me interrupt her." Your friend did it right though. Finding the other woman who's also tired of the same old routine, that's where the real networking happens. Those three leads are probably worth more than a hundred awkward handshakes with some guy who thinks his app is the next Facebook. Dressing smart is a shield not a guarantee. It might cut down the noise a little but some people are just born without the filter.