How to get better at networking

Respectfully, I wouldn't do this. I can only imagine being on a coffee with some new grad and listening to them tell me about a deal they have no idea about. 

I found that on my first few meetings out of school, I would ask tons of questions about the individual, what his/her favorite deals were, least favorite deals, etc. People like to tell their own stories so let them. 

I'm out of bananas so I'm commenting to say I completely agree. 

Second the recommendation on How to Win Friends and Influence People, and generally the post above about thinking about building relationships as opposed to being super-transactional.

Few additional thoughts:

-what you're experiencing right now is as hard as it will ever be: if you stay in the same industry and/or geography, over time you should begin to recognize people at industry events / slash as you meet more people, you can reach out ahead of time to say 'hey are you going to event X?' (if you're not at a point where you're interacting with them otherwise, e.g., drinks/dinner/some other activity one-off).  Really emphasize "How to Win Friends..." if you're not naturally inclined to strike up conversation with strangers at networking events.  The push-pull is that it can feel tough to strike up a conversation in that context, but really isn't - you just need a couple go-to icebreakers and if you're someone for whom that feels difficult, once you get into a conversation the nerves should dissipate a bit.  Though once you've started talking, heed your instincts... you'll likely run into some people who just aren't interested in engaging, for whatever reason (maybe they came to a 'networking' event solely to grab free drinks with a few co-workers and have no interest in actually meeting anyone else); give it a shot at connecting, but you'll be able to tell whether someone simply isn't interested.  Two related points: one, great skill that it took me a long time to figure out is how to know when a conversation is done/time to move on... whether you want to get away from a conversation that is becoming a time-suck, you can tell the other person isn't engaging, or if you can feel the conversation has simply run its course, practice polite departures if that's not a reflex you already have.  Two, not every interaction is going to be some life-changing event, or have anything good to take away - if you're still in the mindset of school, networking events aren't graded... hopefully you meet some interesting people, but never guaranteed.  Go in with low expectations, be genuine, you never know what can happen, may meet someone interesting, but could be a lot of duds.  

-there are different types of networking and networkers; this is something you can only learn by doing/over time, so just keep putting yourself out there and you should figure out where your natural preferences lie.  Are you passionate about what you do/the area you're in (if you don't know today, you'll figure out over time)?  Then maybe you look for similar-age peers and talk shop, and occasionally you meet someone older who depending on their disposition may turn into a mentor.  The best man at my wedding was someone I originally met at an industry conference, and grabbing drinks to talk shop turned into a genuine, outside of work friendship over the years.  My wife on the other hand doesn't particularly care outside of work about what she does, but she's the consummate execution professional, so her networking is focused more on whether she has any overlap in sporting/social activities with people who only incidentally happen to be in the same industry.  There are also some people who I think of as super-transactional, just unabashedly self-interested and always on the hunt for the next deal and no interest in you outside of whether you can bring them that next deal... I stopped attending events hosted by an industry organization (non-RE) that was facially-relevant for me after I realized that the attendees were primarily 60yo lawyers and bankers in the industry who just wanted to stick their paws in hors d'oeuvres and look for the same faces they've known for 30 years in order to curry favor for their next engagement and then waddle on scanning faces for the next familiar one, with no stops in between.  Nothing wrong with that per se, but just not a place that had much value for someone in their mid-20s to meet anyone or learn anything.

-you can't force meeting people; it's an organic process which takes time. What can you focus on?  Doing your job well, and at a junior level, LISTEN/OBSERVE.  "Networking" doesn't have to happen at an event with the label of networking.  If you're on a deal, evaluate the other people on the deal - do you find yourself thinking "man, person X seems to really know what they're doing" or "huh, everything person Y says makes sense; I think like that."  This also works for people/behaviors you see that you decide you should not emulate.  Whether during or after the deal, if there's someone you found interesting - this pertains more so to peers or people a level or two above you - reach out to them and ask to chat - some people like to debrief on a deal after the fact; doesn't have to be that, can just be a general invite to coffee, etc.  Networking events you are starting from scratch if you don't know someone.  Versus if you've worked across or with someone over the course of a deal, you may have more of a sense for 'yeah, this is someone I'd grab a drink with.'  Also, at this point in your career, even if you don't move anywhere, your peers and counterparts will - and as you get more senior you'll have more to offer in the sense that you will know more substantively about the space, more about the players, etc.  Understand your industry as an ecosystem - who does what, functionally, who is motivated by what considerations, who are the principals versus the advisors and how do those relationships function.  There's a lot to learn before you can really opine/provide insights to others - just start by learning and over time you'll have more to proactively 'offer' others.  Good luck and have fun.