I usually feel a sense of regret before I even step into the room — of a conference, confab, awards dinner, pretty much any other formal networking event. All too often, I feel awkward in a space full of suits and plastic name tags, then leave having put my foot in my mouth.
It’s a sentiment that job experts say comes on strong this time of year. We’re in the window between summer and winter holiday seasons, when business travel, conferences and corporate celebrations pick up. It’s a prime moment for in-person networking. But a lot of us have either fallen out of practice or, like me, always feel like we’re messing up and missing out.