What We Know About “Networking”
Introduction to Our Unconference Session
Hello! Welcome to “What We Know about ‘Networking,’” an unconference session at the 2025 Virtual Gathering: Leading With Our Values. Our goal for this session is to share our perspectives and insights into what professional “networking” looks like for us, including why it’s important, what challenges we face, and specific strategies or approaches that work for us. In the spirit of the unconference session, there’s no formal presentation or slides.
There is a link to our shared Google doc in the next section of this webpage or you can go directly to the doc using the following URL: https://tinyurl.com/VirtualGatheringNetworking
I have recorded a short introductory video with captions. You can click on the link in the screen above to view the video with captions, or you can use the following link which includes a transcript: Session Welcome Video
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Why is it important? What challenges do we face?
We'll start the session with reflections about what the term "networking" means to us and why it’s important to our professional success. We’ll identify via Chat or discussion or in self-reflection what particular challenges, including intersectional biases, that we've faced when working to build connections in the world of educational development. (12:25 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.)
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What works for you?
During a group or breakout room discussion, we will share to whatever extent we wish with the group what's worked for us, creating a list/toolbox that participants can continue to reference after the session. Click the button below to link to a shared Google doc to help build our networker toolbox or go directly to the URL: https://tinyurl.com/VirtualGatheringNetworking. (12:45 p.m. to 1:05 p.m.)
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What's your goal?
At the end of our session, you’ll set at least one specific goal for your future "networking," taking into account your positionality, employment status, and other aspects of your unique and individual professional context. (1:05 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.)