I’m from Wisconsin. It’s a little state with some culture, some beer, some cheese, and a lot of cows. We’re known, too, for our fanatic football culture. My extended family, with whom I spend most holidays and vacations, are absolute Packers obsessors. My younger cousin Charlie, 7, can recite Pack stats like a whiz and predicts football games like nobody’s business. My uncle Wade has a special touchdown song and dance that he made up, which is largely considered to be good luck when we need more touchdowns.
My dad’s a Vikings fan. (BOO, hissssssssss)
Most of them have their little superstitions that are each supposed to channel some amount of good luck into the Pack. So yeah, the Packers are a big thing in Wisconsin.
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE PERSON EVERYBODY IN WISCONSIN WANTS TO BE FRIENDS WITH.
When I went away, my parents presented me with:
- a Packers hoodie
- a pink Packers beanie cap
- a pink, bedazzled Aaron Rodgers jersey
- a mini Packers football keychain
- a Brewers tee-shirt
- a Brewers ballcap
none of which I wear regularly during the school year because most of the time it’s far more comfortable to wear dresses and short sleeves.
So here’s my problem: I know absolutely nothing about football. It’s kind of a problem- I enjoy watching the games, but ask me about anything related to the Packers that doesn’t include Clay Matthews or Aaron Rodgers, and I have no clue. I barely know how the game works. That’s okay- it doesn’t make me a black sheep, like my sacrilegious, heathen infidel of a Vikings fan for a father- but it does mean I miss out sometimes. Which I’m okay with.
This kid probably knows more about my football team than I do.
Anyway, when I started at the company this summer I expected none of that to carry over into my life. I was a little intern in my button-up blouses, flouncing about with my paperwork without a care in the world, NFL nowhere near on my mind when it HAPPENED.
“So, Wisconsin, eh? You a Packers fan?”
“Uh, for sure. Are there even other football teams?” My rebuttal was only half-joking.
“What do you think about your chances to win versus the Niners in our first game of the season?”
“Um.”
This man’s idea of an icebreaker was to rapidly sports-jabber while I pretended to have a hint of a clue as to what he was talking about.
And this continued. It seemed everybody that found out I was from Wisconsin, especially 49ers fans, LOVED TO POINT OUT THAT I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL.
But then I realized that they were only being friendly, and football is a pretty universal language. So, I decided, why not learn a bit about my state’s culture? Why not dive into the somewhat silly ocean of football facts and figures? So I memorized a few stats, read a few opinion papers, and thought a lot about the games I’d seen. Truth be told, I am still not sure what the difference between a running back and a linebacker is, but at least I could fake it for a few months.
And the response was positive. I still got a few joking references to the fact that I had no idea what I was talking about, but at least it was fun. It’s not that hard to learn something new if you commit yourself to it; and even when everybody else seems like an expert, most of the time they’re happy to teach you. I made a few friends at the Company by doing my best to parse what they were talking about in regards to football, and, surprisingly, they were willing to help me out in other facets of corporate life, too.
Networking comes in a lot of different forms. Sometimes it’s as transparent as going to a campus event, but I think most often networking is simple things. Being friendly. Getting work in on time, and being available to talk about your results. Network within jobs, not just outside of your current place. Having an in-job network helps move things along easier- one of the men I befriended ended up doing me a favor and speeding up the paperwork I had to push through HR, saving me a lot of trouble in the process. So maybe look outside your area of comfort if that’s where people want to meet you. Never settle for a shrug and “I don’t know.”