Networking is probably one of the most overrated and at the same time the most underrated aspects of business, especially if you progress in your career. Some of you might dread the thought of entering a room full of strangers to network, but having a robust network will help you with finding jobs before they are advertised and with sales before the procurement process starts.What does a “robust” network mean, though? Is it 1000+ connections on LinkedIn, dozen close friends, making yourself a name in your industry through publications and thought leadership?The answer is probably all of the above and the truth lies somewhere in the middle? Personally, I am a bit old school and in favour of less, but more meaningful connections, ideally with people I have met in person (or am in personal contact with). That limits the size of my network somewhat – you might have heard of Dunbar’s number https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-dunbars-number-why-we-can-only-maintain-150-relationships which states that the limit of personal relationships you can maintain is 150. You may argue about the exact number, but there is some truth behind it: you can only be in (continuous) personal contact with a limited number of people, and this set of people may change over time – think about colleagues from a previous job you shared an office with: you spend the whole day together, but now do not meet them anymore. So, the inner circle of your network will always be small and not necessarily job-related, e.g. from your family. There follows another layer of people you had close contact with for a while, you might have studied together, worked for the same company/in the same team or collaborated on a project, but are not in close contact anymore because that basis does not exist anymore: you graduated, moved jobs, the project was successfully completed. These are contacts you can easily revive if needed, so they can be quite valuable. The outer layer are one-off contacts, e.g. at a trade fair, where there was no base for further collaboration – business cards in the drawer in the old days, LinkedIn contacts nowadays, but you might not even remember where you had met that person. These contacts might come useful one day, though, e.g. if you need to find a contact or a specialist in your industry quickly.So, how to network best? First of all, start networking early, meaning before you need it. It might sound harsh, but no one is waiting for you, your targets might be busy and not available for a call or a cup of coffee. Some also might not see the need to do you a favour if they barely know you. Try to get to know people when there is no pressing need on your side and maintain contact.Have a plan – then forget about it: getting to know people is nice and enriching, but it helps if you have a plan for your professional networking: what would you like to get out of it? That dreaded interview question of “where do you see yourself in five years?” helps as well with drafting a networking plan – do you want to get promoted in your current company? Change jobs? Industries? Get advice on how to make changes in your career? Found your own company? All of the above? This helps you to think about where to meet new contacts and which people to approach – maybe you can get a sneak peek of the list of participants of an event. Once you have made a plan, forget about it. Being too strategic about communication shows and will feel awkward for everyone involved. I had people turn away from me without a word at events when they realised that I would not be a valuable contact, e.g. by not being able to find them a new job or not being interested in their products. Sometimes, you might find interesting contacts in odd places, e.g. in your sports club rather than at a professional networking event – after all, “chance favours the prepared mind”, so be ready to network, but do not overdo it, sometimes a nice chat helps more to form a relationship than pressing for a business outcome.Never dismiss anyone as unimportant. As you have made a plan, you will have identified some core contacts, maybe the CEO of you dream future employer, but they will be in high demand. So, what should you do? Wait patiently for your turn at a conference to speak to them for 60 seconds? Maybe it might be better to speak to someone from the CEO’s team for longer to get your message across. Especially at the beginning of your career, you will contact a lot of your peers who might go on to be successful later, so start early, even if there is no specific outcome right away. You will also be surprised about how much power an assistant might have about the agenda of a potential contact, so it helps to be on good footing with them.Follow up with contacts you have made, even if it is just a short “thank you” after you have spoken to them. Be reliable and deliver what you have promised. Connect people – a good way to increase your networking value is to introduce people to each other to help them – doing a favour goes a long way. You never know when there might be a time when you can ask for that favour to be returned. Publish or perish – you might have heard this in academia, but it is true outside of it as well. While no-one excepts you to publish scientific papers, there are multiple ways to make yourself known, it could be writing your own blog, or rather the odd post on LinkedIn if you do not have that much time (pro tip: ask some friends to like your posts, so the algorithm bumps it up people’s timelines for more views).On a more technical level, LinkedIn is a must have. Your profile should be up to date and try to invest some time in interacting with your network, liking their posts, congratulating them to new jobs/promotions and so on. Also check for other professional networks you might want to join, e.g. for certain industries, professions, or for local alternatives (like XING in the German-speaking countries). Try to join all associations that are open to you, e.g. alumni organisations of your university, industry associations – London offers a lot of these institutional networks. This all sounds fair and square, but what to do if you are an introvert and are not necessarily fond of approaching strangers or a bit reluctant to take the lead in conversations? These institutional networks help as they offer spaces for conversations. Having some questions/ice breakers prepared helps as well, e.g. “what brings you here?”, “how long have you been a part of this organization?”, “was it easy for you to get here?”, “what do like most about this event?” Joining institutional events helps as well because you will meet people with interests and backgrounds in common, so you will find it easier to start a conversation and might also meet some contacts from the past.Last, but not least, you might be surprised who else might not be too fond of forced networking, but still likes a good conversation – finding a personal connection before talking business could be a valid way of networking as well.