5 Tips for SLP Networking & Finding Your Own SLP Mentor
If you couldn't tell by now, my vision is to make lifelong SLP mentoring and shadowing the norm. It's why I started this Expand Your SCOPE program. However, I know that for there to truly be a shift in SLP culture, many of us will still have to find and secure our own mentors and maintain those relationships. This can be an intimidating process for some. Imagine cold-calling or walking up to a bigwig in the field and asking if you can come to their clinic for at least a day. It takes a little bit of courage, as the possibility of rejection looms. Take heart and boost your social courage by reminding yourself that our field is filled with amazing people who are so generous with their time or resources.
1. CALL OR EMAIL
This is one of the most direct approaches. You can search for SLPs with specialties you're interested in by looking at the ASHA ProFind site or doing a web search in your area. However, having someone who can make an introduction may open the door in a more appealing and salient way. Keep your ear to the ground and ask your friends. Reach out to former instructors and colleagues to see if someone can make an introduction. When you reach out, be concise. Introduce yourself briefly. State what draws you to this person's work (personalize this to the SLP or facility). Mention your long-term professional goals and how much you would value the experience. Provide your contact information for follow-up.
2. LISTSERVS & SOCIAL MEDIA
SLP social media is booming with both novices and experts! It's astounding how easy it can be to talk to a leader in your field these days. Many of them are not prolific posters in the larger SLP groups, but are still members or are more active in the more specialized groups. You may find them on other social media sites as well. Don't rely on just one. Become a part of SLP social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, ASHA Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and more. Follow pages, join groups, and keep an eye on popular SLP hashtags (such as #SLPeeps). Make yourself a familiar face in some of these communities, but be mindful of how you do it. Just like branding a company, gaining trust for your personal brand takes several positive exposures. Participate in groups by not only asking questions but making helpful comments and sharing relevant resources. This could help you catch the eye of colleagues and make them feel more comfortable connecting in a private message.
*You can send friend requests to people, but be very mindful of your social media presence and if it is sending the message you want your colleagues to have of you. I recommend connecting through LinkedIn just to be sure you are keeping the relationship professional, however if you know that your Facebook page presents a positive reflection of you or if you and the SLPs you wish to connect with have similar interests outside of the SLP world, it could be worthwhile to become online friends. This can also help with maintaining a relationship with people you do not have the opportunity to see often.
3. CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
Conferences and workshops aren't just about what you learn during the presentation. They're also about who you meet during the entire event. Connect and make small talk with the person sitting next to you both during the lecture and in the break areas. Talk to vendors in the exhibit halls. Sit with a new person during lunch. Attend the bonus events like cocktail parties, tours, and other excursions. In all of these scenarios, be sure to exchange contact information!
As far as the actual lecture, make sure you sit where the presenter can see you. Give positive feedback to the presenter by nodding along when you agree or understand, changing your facial expression to indicate that something is intriguing or confusing, etc. Many presenters thrive on the non-verbal feedback they get from their audiences; this will help you to stand out and make a favorable impression. Now that your positive impression is set, you can ask a relevant question when the time comes - one that shows that you respect the work the presenter is doing and find it thought provoking or applicable to your clinical practice. Finally, when the lecture is over, wait in that long receiving line to speak to the presenter directly. Tell them a little more about you and how you look forward to applying something you learned there.
Ask a follow up question or share the name of a resource you have that relates directly to the presenter's work. The presenter may even volunteer their contact information at this point and request that you send them a link to the resource you mentioned. If not, still offer yours and ask if they have a card if their contact information was not already listed in the slide handouts. If it was, you're good to go. Just be sure to actually follow up a couple of days after the event.
4. CULTIVATE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
Now that you've made that initial contact, it's time to foster the relationship. This requires a finesse. You don't want to contact too frequently or too infrequently. Try to reach out when you have a question that really fits with this person's expertise, come across a resource/connection that could be beneficial to them, have a major update about your life, or you see something that reminds you of them personally (for example, if you know this person loves chickens, and you see an SLP mug with a chicken on it, maybe just send a quick note that this reminded you of them and you hope their doing well).
5. RELAX AND BE YOURSELF
Let conversations flow naturally. If they detour, that's fine. The more someone feels like they know you on a personal level, the more likely they are to remember you and to invite you into their circle.
The talk doesn't have to stay focused on speech therapy. You're not in school talking to a professor. No matter how much clout and prestige someone has, you're still colleagues in the same field and can both be of value to each other in navigating this vast world of speech-language-swallowing pathology.
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