I’ve discovered a new meaning to the word “networking.” It’s “interrupting.”
So here I am trying to have a conversation with a woman I just met, practically yelling at her over multiple other simultaneous conversations in the smallish room. And this other woman wedges herself alongside us, sticks out her hand, and introduces her cleaning business (and herself). Seriously, it’s one thing to be purposeful about meeting people and getting your name out there, but does that have to mean interrupting other people’s conversations?
The interrupter—a pixie of a woman and a new arrival from Texas—was nice enough and wanted us to know that yes, she does clean her own house!
I don’t think I’ll be attending any more networking events like this one: zero structure, too much noise, and the expectation that you’ll purchase at least one drink. Besides, my mom raised me to believe that interrupting is interrupting.
