The solution? Look for a welcoming face. “When you walk
into a room, and you don’t know anyone there, you have two
choices. You can either hang out by yourself, or you can seek
out a friendly face.” Pinson says that in no time at all, a casual
exchange with that one friendly face can lead you into a host
of conversations with interesting – and potentially influential
– people from a variety of backgrounds. “Someone has to start
the conversation,” she says. “Why shouldn’t it be you?
Pinson recommends professional association events as a great
forum for networking. She remains a member of her college
sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and is very active in the African
American Federal Executive Association, of which she is a co-
founder. She also stresses the importance of reading the Sunday
sports page. “Learn how to talk about sports, even if you hate
them,” she insists. “This is especially true for women. If you
can talk about sports, you can talk to anyone. It’s a universal
subject, and gives you a jumping-off point from which to start
a conversation that has nothing to do with work.” She says
that getting yourself into the habit of checking sports scores, or
Tracey Pinson, director, Small & Disadvantaged Business
tuning into a game or two on the weekends, will help you to
Utilization, U.S. Army
develop a wealth of potential conversation starters for your next
meeting or event.
seek out those who can help you to achieve your goals. That’s
where networking comes in.”
Love What You Do
She says that any time you have an opportunity to demonstrate
your knowledge and your skills to others, you should take it. No Networking – and career advancement in general – becomes
one will know what you’re capable of, unless you take it upon vastly easier when you’re working in a field that you love. Pinson
yourself to show them. Meet with and talk to as many people as recommends pursing a career that you feel genuinely passion-
you can. ate about, one that makes you look forward to coming to work
every day. “I know I’m part of a program that is making a dif-
“When I was just out of law school, my mother would tell me, ference,” she says. “We give small business owners and entrepre-
‘You should go and talk with so-and-so,’” she recalls. “She neurs an opportunity to get lucrative government contracts they
was always trying to get me to go meet with people. And my would have otherwise never gotten. I see the difference we make
response would be, ‘Does so-and-so have a job for me?’ I didn’t first-hand; people are constantly coming back and thanking me
understand the value of talking to people who were successful, for what we’ve done for them.”
people from whose knowledge and experience I could benefit. I
get that now.” Giving a voice to those who are too often unheard and helping
them to navigate through the confusing bureaucratic process
Look for a Friendly Face
gives Pinson a sense of pride and accomplishment. So does
working for the Army, which she says is like being a part of a
large extended family. “I love the Army,” she says. “It’s a great
Approaching someone you’ve never met can be easier said than place to be.”
done, and Pinson acknowledges that learning how to network
—Amy Dunn Williams
can be a daunting effort for the shy or inexperienced. “You have
to work within your comfort zone,” she explains. “It takes a cer-
tain amount of courage to walk up to someone you don’t know,
and start talking to them.”
20 USBE & Information Technology I January/February 2007
http:www.blackengineer.com
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