100 Things You Need to Know: Networking

Whether you're still in school or launching a career, few things will contribute more to your long-term success than building a series of personal and professional networks. Yet, many people avoid networking. Some see it as little more than schmoozing—making ingratiating small talk for personal gain. Others believe they simply don't possess natural networking talents. They've seen a coworker casually walk into a room, find an acquaintance, tell the perfect joke, and move on to make another connection. But they themselves are not naturals, and for them "working a room" is just not what they do best. If you’ve put off developing this critically important skill, don’t worry. Mary Crane has developed a list of the 100 most important things you need to know as you begin to build your networks—crucial information in easy-to-absorb, almost tweetable chunks. You can’t know everything. But tackle the “100 Things You Need to Know” about networking, and you’ll learn how to successfully build networks that will help you achieve your long-term professional goals.

Whether you're still in school or launching a career, few things will contribute more to your long-term success than building a series of personal and professional networks. Yet, many people avoid networking. Some see it as little more than schmoozing—making ingratiating small talk for personal gain. Others believe they simply don't possess natural networking talents. They've seen a coworker casually walk into a room, find an acquaintance, tell the perfect joke, and move on to make another connection. But they themselves are not naturals, and for them "working a room" is just not what they do best. If you’ve put off developing this critically important skill, don’t worry. Mary Crane has developed a list of the 100 most important things you need to know as you begin to build your networks—crucial information in easy-to-absorb, almost tweetable chunks. You can’t know everything. But tackle the “100 Things You Need to Know” about networking, and you’ll learn how to successfully build networks that will help you achieve your long-term professional goals.

A graduate of the University of Missouri and George Washington University Law School, Mary Crane lobbied in Washington D.C. for nearly ten years before pursuing her lifelong interests in food and wine. She enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, and upon graduation, worked at the White House as an assistant chef. During this time, Crane discovered the important relationships between food, wine, and business. Her desire to share this unique knowledge yielded Mary Crane & Associates. Today, Mary Crane travels North America delivering high-impact, high-energy programs to Fortune 500 companies, leading law firms, nonprofits and colleges and universities. She helps students, interns and new hires successfully make the critically important transition from school to work. Mary Crane has been featured on 60 Minutes, Fox Business News, and ABC Radio. She has been quoted extensively in a variety of print and electronic media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, Fortune.com, and CNN.com.