For chemistry to thrive, it needs to become less cliquey

For a long time, the term ‘networking’ would send a shudder down my spine. When I first became a journalist and started attending events, I would hide in the toilets in the breaks or rush off at the end to avoid having to make awkward small talk.

But over the past 10 years, I’ve come to understand that building networks is a fundamental – and dare I say it, enjoyable – part of what I do. Through networking I’ve been given interesting ideas and tips for stories, learned about new opportunities in the field and found people to collaborate with.