Oh, networking... you'll be the death of me

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I've always been one of those that can disguise their aspieness and awkward short comings relatively well.

But I'm starting a freelance career- and although I have gotten a few good jobs when I've managed to keep my focus up, I'm afraid what's really keeping me from getting to the next level is my utter lack of ability to network.

I mean, I can barely find the energy to regularly converse with my close friends, let alone near strangers.

So how, during a work situation, am I supposed to charmingly and even pushily (but never perceptively so, of course) force my name on all these new people I just met?

I see colleagues doing it, and it boggles my mind. Within a ten minute snack break, most of them have pounced on the higher ups- starting with a short chatty exchange and culminating with the exchange of personal info, business cards or even a second job booking.


Is this what I need to be able to accomplish? How do I accomplish this without coming across as a transparently self serving a**hole? Is everyone else already coming off as transparently self serving a**holes, but people just accept this as part of the game? Or are they using some mysterious social charm that disguises the attempt to climb up the career ladder?


HOW do I gain these elusive powers? ...or at least learn to mimic them well enough to get what I need without making an ass of myself.

the whole problem is being afraid of making mistakes rather than how you approach them

keep the though of "making an ass of myself" out of your mind. if anything does go wrong when you try to make an approach towards a client, don't beat yourself up about it but see the funny side of it.

what are you thinking of freelancing in

i'm in that same situation at the moment. i'm definitely hoping some therapist is going to help me improve these social skills i'm carving for.