Does anyone else feel embarrassed networking while unemployed?
There are a few networking events coming up that I want to attend, but I feel embarrassed about going because I've been unemployed for over a year. For context, I'm at the associate scientist level and have a B.S. degree.
Part of me worries that being out of work this long makes me look less current, but I still want to stay connected to the field.
I know the whole point of networking is to meet people, talk to others who are interested in the same field, and stay connected. It makes sense, but I still worry when answering questions like:
"What do you do?" "Where are you working now?"
I don't want people to hear that I'm currently looking for new opportunities and assume I'm only there to find a job, rather than to have a real conversation about the field. I genuinely want to discuss the science, learn what people are working on, and stay connected as much as I can.
Does anyone else experience this? How do you handle networking events when you're unemployed without feeling embarrassed?