I must say, networking is one of the most valuable and necessary skills you need to succeed in the Public Relations and Marketing fields, however, it also happens to be one of my pain points.
I find networking events a bit awkward and forced, while at the same time very beneficial. I know, it sounds contradictory – let me explain. For the most part, every job I've ever landed in this industry was because I had a contact refer me. An employer is more likely to trust a referral from someone they know personally than a random applicant they know virtually nothing about outside of their resume. The more people you have vouching for you, the more likely you are to land that gig.
Now, as I mentioned, networking events feel awkward to me. But, I can't stress enough its importance in this industry. Networking with other PR/Marketing professionals, journalists (this is is extremely helpful when you're working in PR) and people who work for a company you might be interested in working for some day are all necessary tasks. So, you just have to go for it. Keep in mind that about eighty percent of the other people at these events are feeling the same way you are, so strike up a conversation and eventually, the awkwardness will fade.
Tips on starting the conversation:
1. If they're wearing a badge that lists where they work, approach them by saying something like "Hey, I notice you work for Overstock.com. How do you like it? What department do you work for?"
2. Ask them what they think of the networking event. Have they been to many before? Then you can segue into what they do, where they work, etc.
Networking with journalists is a bit of a different ball game. I find you can easily network with this group via email and social media. A few weeks before you want to pitch them a story, shoot them an email telling them how much you enjoyed an article they've written. You can also tweet that article and tag them in your tweet, or post it on LinkedIn. This doesn't guarantee they're going to cover your announcement, of course, but they may be more likely to open an email from you. I have networked with journalists this way in the past and it has been extremely helpful just to get on their radar.
Now that you're armed with a few tips, get out there and start networking! If you're not on LinkedIn, go create a profile right now. It's hands down the best way to "network" with potential employers.