Networking Experts Warn: Don’t Sound Like a Desperate Robot Asking for Time

KEY POINTS

•Career coaches including Jasmine Escalera and Madeline Mann emphasize personalized outreach over generic LinkedIn messages.
•Experts like Brandon Dock and Dorie Clark warn that social media alone is insufficient for networking success.
•Coaches recommend dressing suitably for industry, moderating alcohol at events, and networking proactively, not only when seeking favors.

In the mire of AI-generated job applications and a job market recoiling like a shy turtle, career gurus like Jasmine Escalera of MyPerfectResume and Madeline Mann of Self Made Millennial schooled us in the ancient art of not looking like a network-needy hostage. They advise against cold, copy-pasted LinkedIn pleas, suggesting instead to spend a solid 15 minutes crafting messages as if you value the other person’s time (novel concept). Brandon Dock from TGC Search and communication champ Dorie Clark remind us that social media is just the appetizer—real networking is face-to-face, preferably dressed 'a step up' but not ‘suit at a tech meetup' weird. Oh, and drink less than a small vineyard’s worth at in-person meetups, unless you want your handshake to scream ‘stranger-danger.’ Finally, Clark warns: don’t show up at networking parties only when your cushy job is on life support, because everyone does that, and it’s about as impressive as re-gifting socks. Remember to ask for exactly one favor per contact, or risk turning friends into annoyed unpaid assistants, and always follow up with a thank-you note—yes, like you’re back in kindergarten.