The secret to working any room? Be a croissant, not a bagel.

Not following yet? Imagine this: You just arrived at a networking event, and as you look around, you realize you don’t know many people in the room. You’re a little late, so the event has already started. You are surrounded by tight circles of people chatting.

You start to feel awkward. We’ve all been there. It can be difficult or uncomfortable to break into ongoing conversations. What do you do in the situation besides trying to sneak out of the event (really, don’t)?

If you’re the person in a tight circle of conversation: Be a croissant.

• Don’t let your group be a bagel (tight circles of conversations with no physical openings). Encourage your group to be a croissant by keeping a clear physical opening somewhere in your conversation circle (i.e., the shape of a croissant). This will make it easier for someone new to step in and join your circle.
• Keep an eye out to welcome someone new into your grouping. For someone feeling a little out of place, an inviting smile can be a huge relief.
• Be aware of your body language. Avoid crossed arms and legs, which can be seen as unwelcoming.

If you’re the person trying to get into a conversation: Look for the croissants (and not the actual pastries).

• Avoid the bagels; look for the croissants! Look for a physical opening and simply walk up to the conversation.
• If you don’t see any croissants, make your own. It is not as scary as you think to walk up to another person standing alone and introduce yourself. I promise the introduction will be welcome.
• If you still feel awkward joining an existing conversation, remember that every single person at a networking event is there to meet people. You are not interrupting. You are participating.

If you’re like me, tiny networking “hacks,” are all I can manage to remember these days. The bad news: I’m fresh out of pastry analogies. The good news: I do have more hacks for you.

1. Analyze the other person.
No, not really. But instead of worrying about “will this person like me?” flip the script. Ask yourself: “How can I like this person?” Ask them questions to find out. This takes the pressure off performing and lets you use your natural curiosity to connect.

2. Move on to the next conversation.
Ready to gracefully exit your current conversation? Tell them your goal was meeting three new people, then ask them to introduce you to someone they know — or vice versa.

3. Value quality over quantity.
Do not attend a networking event with the goal of connecting with everyone. Make a goal to speak to a small number of new connections. Repeat after me: Quality over quantity.

4. Recharge the protocol.
Plan five-minute breaks during long networking events. This can help prevent social battery drain and give you a couple minutes to look up conversation starters on your phone (because let’s face it … networking can be exhausting).

5. Keep hands visible and relaxed.
It’s easy to let your hands migrate to your pockets or to cross them under your arms. Visible hands signal openness and confidence. Extra hack: Holding a drink gives you something natural to do with your hands. Keep a napkin wrapped around the glass so your hand isn’t wet when you shake someone’s hand.

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, a croissant or still learning to be one, the goal is the same: Make meeting people in the room a little easier for everyone. Actuaries are naturally curious, thoughtful, and critical thinkers in the course of our everyday work. Let’s apply that same curious nature to networking and watch the connections compound. ff