Networking with ADHD: how to remember everyone you meet
Meeting people helps you find work. Remembering them afterwards is the hard part. Write three lines on your phone, then follow up the same day.
Seven short chapters. For ADHD, autism and anyone who finds networking hard.
Start here
After this chapter you will know what this guide covers and who it is for.
Many jobs come from people you know, or people they know. That is why job advice tells you to network: go to events, meet people and stay in contact.
For people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), the meeting is often the easy part. Remembering the person afterwards is hard. For many autistic people, the event itself takes a lot of energy. This guide helps with both.
To learn why names and details slip away, read How to remember what people tell you. This guide uses those ideas at job events.
Why is networking so hard?
After this chapter you will know which parts to plan for.
- Names go fast. You hear a name while you think about what to say. It is gone a second later.
- Faces blur together. You meet ten people. On the way home, they feel like one person.
- Events take energy. Noise, crowds and small talk can wear you out quickly.
- Follow-ups slip. You promise to send your CV. A week passes before you notice.
You cannot change how memory works. You can change where the information goes. The rest of this guide shows how.
Before the event: make a small plan
After this chapter you will go in with a plan, not a blank mind.
- Pick one goal. For example, “talk to two people who work in operations.” One goal is enough.
- Know what to say. Have one sentence about what you do and the job you want.
- Plan a break. Find out where you can go for some quiet. It is fine to leave early.
I am going to [event]. I am looking for a job as [job]. Write one short sentence I can use to say who I am. Then give me three easy questions I can ask the people I meet.
At the event: write it down straight away
After this chapter you will know what to write, and when.
Write a short note on your phone within minutes of each conversation. Not tonight. Now, in the corridor or the queue for coffee. Write three lines:
- How you met. “Tidewell stand at the jobs fair.”
- The one thing that mattered. “Andie is hiring for operations in the spring.”
- What you said you would do. “Send my CV by Friday.”
Most notes apps save the date and time for you. That matters. Later, you may forget the name but remember the day. Look up the day and the person is there.
Ask to connect on LinkedIn while you are still talking. Then their name and face are saved before you leave.
After the event: follow up the same day
After this chapter you will send the follow-up before it slips away.
With ADHD, “in a few days” often becomes “never”. Send a short message the same day, or the next morning.
Here are my notes from meeting someone at a jobs event: [paste your three lines]. Write a short, friendly follow-up message for LinkedIn. Thank them, mention what we talked about and say what I will do next. Keep it under 80 words.
If you promised to send something, make it a task with a due date. Then it is in front of you, not just in your head.
Where does Humble fit?
Humble is optional. It keeps your notes with the person, not in a pile.
Humble keeps notes about people next to your tasks. It works on your phone and your computer.
1. Right after you meet someone, open Humble on your phone. Write your three lines.
2. When you are connected on LinkedIn, open their profile on your computer. Click Humble and write a note about them.
3. Next time you open their profile, the Humble icon turns green. You know you have met before you click.
4. Forgot their name? Find them by the day you met.
Common questions
Clear answers to the questions people ask most.
No. You can meet people online too. Comment on posts on LinkedIn, join online events or ask a friend to introduce you to one person by email. Small and quiet counts.
Say so. “I am sorry, I have forgotten your name” is fine. Most people forget names too. Then write it down.
No. People with typical memory keep the same notes in their heads. You are keeping yours on your phone. Most people are pleased when you remember what they told you.
Two or three good conversations are better than ten quick ones. You will remember them, and they will remember you.
Sources and about this guide
Who wrote this guide, what it is based on and when it was last checked.
The team at Humble writes this guide and keeps it up to date. Our team includes people with ADHD, and this is a problem we know well. The guide uses our own experience and the sources below.
- NHS — Overview of ADHD (opens in a new tab)
- NHS — Autism (opens in a new tab)
- CHADD — ADHD and working memory (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed: October 2026. We check this guide every six months.
This guide is general information. It is not medical advice.
Did you find a mistake? Is something missing? Email us. We read every email.
Use cases
See it in use
Remember everyone you meet
“I met someone great last month. Now I cannot remember their name.”
Prepare for a job interview
“I prepared for the interview. Then my mind went blank.”
Keep track of your job applications
“I applied to twenty jobs. I cannot remember which ones replied.”
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Built by people who forget names too
Write a note on your phone the minute after you meet someone. Humble keeps it with the person.