During the final evening of MLT's Career Transition and Leadership Seminar (CTLS) event, I found myself with a hundred-plus other Fellows in the Citigroup building at 388 Greenwich St. in New York. Deloitte Consulting was hosting this particular reception. I had spent the past six years in advertising, and even on client visits I had never been in a place so... corporate. Nor did I have much detailed knowledge about consulting (and I had yet to begin my House of Lies marathon). As instructed, I came prepared with some light background info on Deloitte, but my uneasyness was a sure sign that I should have read up even further. More on that below.
Twenty minutes and a few appetizers later, I was sitting at a roundtable with a few of my closer Los Angeles-based MLT Fellows. As we talked amongst ourselves, a tall, elegant lady walked to up to the table and introduced herself as a consultant from Deloitte. We quickly racked our brains to think of smart questions to ask, but she instead requested that we introduce ourselves. Soon, she was giving us the inside scoop on management consulting, from the hours and lifestyle to the variety of projects in which she had taken part throughout her career. Merging a U.S. company with a Japanese counterpart. Improving customer service via digital technology for an airline. At one point I asked the most embarrassingly basic of a question about consulting, which she answered fully and respectfully. Very cool.
The conversation was still going strong thirty minutes later when a guy approached the table and tapped her on the shoulder. It was time for her speech. She excused herself from the table with a smile, and stood three feet away, facing a podium. Another gentleman took the podium and summarized some very impressive career accolades before introducing our new friend as Principal and Managing Director of Deloitte Consulting NY, Terri Cooper.
Now, there are a few practical networking lessons that you may have picked up in this little anecdote, including:
- Be prepared. Particularly for pre-planned networking events, you should be ready to engage in at least a basic professional conversation with anyone in the room.
- Be proactive. Despite this story, having Principals approach you is actually quite rare.
- Be yourself. It's a cliche for a reason. Initial conversations will be more interesting and sustained relationships will be more authentic and rewarding.
My true purpose in sharing this story, however, is to remind us all that networking is about people. Throughout business school we'll learn countless rules and tips and tidbits about how to approach corporate representatives, how to ask for business cards, how to gracefully exit those awkward little career fair circles, how to be memorable, how to follow up, how to prioritize and cull contacts based on personal goals. Et cetera.
Ultimately, it's still all about interacting with another human being. I have no interest in consulting. I may never see Terri Cooper again. But I learned more about an entire industry in that thirty minutes than I had in my entire life. Simply by enjoying a good conversation with an open mind.
Always be networking.
- Gregory Paige
(Follow me on Twitter: @gregorypaige)
