Don't you just HATE the word "networking"?

Maybe hate is a strong word. Dislike might be a better fit. I'm in a class where we meet with venture capitalists and new business owners to listen to pitches (sort of like Shark Rank on ABC). For the first thirty minutes though, we are asked to "network". Networking reminds me how odd I am at talking to strangers and how I wish I could just melt into the wall. According to Prof. Wendeln, the reason I find networking uncomfortable is because this kind of networking has no "purpose", no reason to it. We just network for the sake of networking. So I don't understand it and dislike it.

Here is a great article though about giving a purpose to networking. Its by Jeff Haden of Inc. I identify with the "little moonwalk shy people do when we want to slip unnoticed to the edge of the crowd". Do you feel this way at social events too? Tell me how you feel? How do you get better at these mingling events?