If you’ve ever gotten a job or a gig because someone “thought of you,” you’ve benefited from networking.

Good networking doesn’t require anything slimy or selfish. It requires that you define yourself. And that means paying more attention to how you act when you meet or catch up with people.

Think about the best definition of your work, your status, and your goals. Practice it a bit, to have something to say when people ask you what you’re up to. Everyone would prefer hearing a little bit of a pitch than hearing “eh, kind of nothing, except a little of this, but it’s not important...