Some professionals have a negative impression of networking, thinking that it is done to get something from someone else rather than being a genuine relationship-building and symbiotic growth opportunity. If you approach networking with the attitude that you just want to take, with no thought of providing value back to the person you are interacting with, the conversations you have will likely be limited in value. There is also the potential for someone to ignore or say “no” to your request to network. Lastly, some people may interpret your efforts to build your network as “schmoozing” or some other negative term that implies you only do it for ulterior, invalid motives. None of these reasons, however, should keep someone from proactively building professional relationships.