Networking is a powerful technique if you take the time to learn a few best practices.
There is wisdom for being open and expecting good things when you attach a thought to them like you want to network. Of course, Ty Tysdal having that many opportunities open to you means that there is a lot of room open to make mistakes which is why you need to read this article. What you're about to discover are three evergreen tips for keeping the networking mistakes to an absolute minimum.
When networking, do not forget your goals. When you are meeting with someone, focus on that person. You should use this time to conduct business only. Where you decide to conduct business is not of importance. You do not have to have a friendship with this person. When you are meeting for business purposes, particularly when the relationship is a new one, keep everything professional. Unless the person serves a useful purpose, do not cut your business dealings for an acquaintance who is not a part of the meeting. Avoid this by not conducting your meeting anywhere sociable.
Networking events are meant to be positive, so just avoid any negative talk about anything because it creates a bad impression. Even if the people don't know the person you're talking about, this is highly inappropriate. The consequences of this type of thing are serious, and word may get around about you and what you do. So it just doesn't matter at all about the other person you may want to gossip about. Yes, many people do the name dropping thing but it's usually about someone everybody respects. Just ask the mutual friend to make the introduction.
It's a common practice for people to use others for personal gain, so you'll need to deal with this on your own. Doing crappy things on the net is one thing, but doing it at home where you live can be disastrous. Once you open that door and you are outed for being unethical or showing poor personal judgment, then it's pretty much over for you. There is no way to hide this sort of intention, no matter how hard you try. Follow your good conscience and always do what is ethical and treat people the way you want to be treated.
Networking mistakes are easy to make, and you'll notice that many of them have to do with being social. If you need help avoiding mistakes, then just do some more research or read some books. Some people have chosen to specialize in this area, so they are the real experts, here.