Just came back from a meetup at WeWork in Chicago that changed how I look at networking

I went to a career meetup at a WeWork in the Loop last Thursday. Nothing special, just a casual thing after work. But I noticed the guy next to me was quietly taking notes on everyone's name and what they did. I asked him about it and he said he tracks follow-ups in a spreadsheet with dates. He's been doing it for 6 months and got 3 job leads and 2 referrals from it. I'm trying it now but what tools or tricks do you all use to keep track of who you meet at these things?

2 comments

2 Comments

carter.thea13d ago

Start a simple note in your phone contacts after each event, just one line with their name, what they do, and the date you met. That spreadsheet idea is solid though, I do the same thing but with a Google Sheet and color code it by how strong the connection felt.

elizabethf8512d ago

You know, I used to think keeping notes on people was kind of cold or calculated. But @carter.thea you've kinda changed my mind here. I met a guy at a local meetup last month, someone who runs a small woodworking shop, and I forgot his name by the next week. Now I just jot a quick line in my contacts after I get home, like "Bob - carpenter - met at library talk 11/3." It's actually saved me from those awkward "oh hey, remind me what you do again" moments. The color coding idea might be overkill for me, but just having the date and what they do has been a game changer for keeping those connections straight.