Unconventional Networking

Especially coming out of the pandemic, gone are the days when formal get-togethers are the main source for building your network.

It’s often said that life sciences is a small world, and that would make biopharma comms an even smaller world.

But by our count–which by the way, is definitely incomplete–there are over 200 consultancies and firms who either focus on or have dedicated biomedical comms expertise. Not really that small, right?

We got to thinking about a few of the opportunities for unconventional networking to build meaningful connections and want to share what we came up with.

It might seem unnatural especially for introverts, but it’s totally fine to comment on posts published on LinkedIn, in a professional setting, with your feedback, thoughts or POV. We at Ticket to Biotech LOVE when we see a comment from someone new because that means our message is resonating with a wider reach.

This is a funny one that communicators will appreciate. Chatting up people wearing biotech swag at NON-biotech events, especially when doing a hobby.

Another approach that we feel is underrated is networking within one’s own company–whether you have a huge comms team and want to better understand other focus areas, or are getting to know colleagues who work in completely different jobs. As an added bonus, understanding the backgrounds and motivations of your peers can only help us be better communicators.

We could go on, but we’ll leave you with one final tactic that we hope won’t be unconventional too much longer. That’s messaging communicator peers through Ticket to Biotech, via Slack, LinkedIn or one of our programs. Definitely use this communicator community as your extended network!

How are you using T2B, and what other uncommon networking tactics have you found beneficial?