Catching up on networking
I was completely overwhelmed last quarter and networking took a backseat to my academic obligations. This quarter I’m getting back into networking. Last week I attended the Japan-America Society’s annual dinner. It was a little overwhelming since they had over 300 people in attendance and I knew two of them. Still, I had a wonderful time and I began to feel more comfortable as the evening went on.
This past Tuesday, I attended a dinner/networking event called “Doing Business in Japan.” It was hosted by Hitachi Consulting and the World Trade Club of Seattle. The Japan-America society was one of the co-sponsors. Although I didn’t recognize anyone, I felt more comfortable in the smaller, more intimate setting. The dinner was at Wann Izakaya in downtown. The food was fantastic. I’m definitely going back.
Even though I was familiar with the advice the speakers had regarding doing business in Japan, I still have a lot to learn. The bottom line is that I had a really fun time and I made some great contacts as well. I need to just get over my nervousness and go to as many of these events as my schedule will allow. As my friend says, you just need to get your face out there and then these events won’t be so nerve-racking.