Network Connectivity Issues – Networking as an introvert researcher
By Dr Debbie Pu
When my friend from high school who I’d known since 14 was visiting the city where I was doing my PhD, I brought her on a night out with friends I’d made locally and we all bonded over being young adults in their 20s and not a little bit of alcohol. Between rounds of drinks and laughter, she remarked that she was happy to see me with a such a great group of friends despite being so shy growing up. This mystified my local friends, who only ever knew me as a gregarious sort, the joker with multiple social circles, the event organiser who invited everyone to the party, the “quirky scientist” whose job complaints mainly evolved around p-values.
I had developed an alternate persona of sorts in this new place I had relocated to, nothing on the same level as the talented Mr. Ripley, but certainly enough to make my new friend find it unfathomable that I’d ever being “shy”. Instead of just inside jokes with a handful of close friends, I joked with everyone who looked like they’d enjoy one; instead of sitting with my own awkwardness in the corner, I introduced myself to people and asked them about themselves (which they loved). My motivation? I wanted to take control instead of waiting for people to come to me and for things to happen to me. This was why I’d relocated to a place where I neither had prior connections to nor understood the language. I had made the hardest move, and taking that extra little step to speak to strangers was not going to trip me up. I made many missteps, some of these took place at conferences, often with researchers who were more senior and who I found intimidating, not because they were trying to be, but because I was still finding my footing in academia.
In my current position as a post-doctoral fellow and early-mid career researcher, I’ve fallen on a comfortable middle ground. I will happily make eye contact with anyone in a room, smile and go over and say hi, at the same time I no longer feel the need to “prove myself” if I don’t feel like turning my social model up to high that day. I’m still figuring my boundaries out, but here are a few insights and tips I’ve gathered over the years for networking as a (closeted) introvert:
- They’re more scared of you than you are of them – no, not exactly like spiders, but some fellow junior researchers may also be feeling out of their depth and wanting to make a friend at the conference. Watch out for researchers who are standing alone and looking around at the tea/coffee table or their poster. You could be helping someone else feel connected instead of concentrating on how unconnected you are.
- “So, tell me about what you do.” – people love talking about what they love doing, and at a conference you would hope it’s the field of research they’ve chosen. This may not always be the case for a variety of reasons, but in general, asking people to talk about themselves will always lead to more conversation, possibly even collaborations (yet to happen to me, but I’ve heard tales).
- Track your academic family tree – much like the House of Habsburg that saw most of the European royals descend from the same lineage, academics in overlapping fields of research will often share some sort of connection through their colleagues or supervisors or supervisors’ supervisors (happily, without the mandibular deformity). Consider tracking a few “relatives” down and bond over your shared connection (assuming no bad blood)!
- Pace yourself and don’t feel pressured – all this emphasis on the importance of networking may make you feel like if you’re not constantly introducing yourself to new people and exchanging business cards then you’re missing out. While networking is important and useful, you don’t have to be constantly “on” for every moment of the conference. Set some realistic goals that suit you. You could aim to meet one new person per day, maybe ask 2 questions during a plenary session, consider complimenting another researcher on their poster design.