Networking for a Job
50 Networking NO NOs!
by Tom Denham
If you really want to find a job, then double
your networking efforts. It’s the best job
search technique. Networking is an art and
science that anyone can learn. To be successful
in your search, I strongly suggest a strategy
that maximizes your networking efforts. Here are
50 pitfalls
to avoid when you are either at a networking
event or having individual networking meetings.
My pet peeves.
1.Being unprepared or unfocused with your
networking objectives
2.Overlooking possible networking connections
3.Overextending with too many targets
4.Being reactive or passive instead of proactive
5.Lacking a name tag
6.Sitting down too early during a networking
function or sitting next to people you already
know
7.Failing to approach people you don’t know at
an event
8.Appearing nervous when approaching a potential
contact
9.Sending a negative non-verbal message (i.e.,
arms crossed, poor posture, dressing
unprofessionally, wandering eyes, etc.)
10.Giving a weak sound bite or elevator pitch
11.Requesting help with too many things too
quickly or strongly
12.Asking for a business card too early
13.Forgetting your business cards!!!
14.Dominating the conversation by talking,
talking, talking
15.Listening selectively and then turning the
conversation back to you
16.Sharing your life story
17.Asking questions about areas that seem
confidential or controversial
18.Monopolizing other people’s time
19.Coming across as shallow
20.Latching onto others or clinging to people
you already know
21.Acting desperate
22.Asking too many or too few questions
23.Exaggerating or misrepresenting yourself
24.Thinking networking is only about you
25.Failing to find common denominators with
others
26.Coming across as inarticulate
27.Selling instead of being a resource to others
28.Being pushy, argumentative, unfriendly or
negative
29.Looking distracted or not fully present
30.Taking, taking, taking
31.Coming across as incompetent or disorganized
32.Showing disinterest
33.Looking like you don’t know your stuff
34.Bragging
35.Interrupting
36.Being impulsive
37.Neglecting to reciprocate
38.Failing to deliver on what you promise
39.Forgetting to request a business card!!!
40.Focusing on quantity, not quality
41.Over-circulating and trying to talk to
everyone
42.Lacking follow-up in a timely manner
43.Expecting immediate payoffs or instant
answers
44.Lacking patience in building relationships
45.Forgetting to add new connections to LinkedIn
46.Keeping your network referrers in the dark
about your progress
47.Neglecting to nurture your network
48.Turning networking into an afterthought
instead of a core priority
49.Failing to reassessing the effectiveness of
your networking strategy
50.Giving up!!!
Networking means developing a broad list
of contacts -- people you've met through
various social and business functions -- and
using them to your advantage when you look for a
job. People in your network may be able to give
you job leads, offer you advice and information
about a particular company or industry, and
introduce you to other so that you can expand
your network.
-Videos on Networking
Activity-Write
down your top 10 network contacts-who they
are-why you wrote them down
1. Brainstorm for Contacts.
Think of everyone who could possibly serve as a
contact. Don't limit yourself to people who
could clearly help you out - friendly,
accessible people in unrelated fields often have
contacts they would be happy to share with you.
Also, people who, through either work or
volunteer activities, have contact with a
diverse crowd can be extremely helpful. To get
you started with your list, here are some
suggestions:
Family friends Local politicians
Relatives Journalists
Neighbors Business executives
Professors Non-profit directors
Alumni Your physician
Former employees Your hair dresser
Former co-workers Prominent community members
Public relations officials Members of
professional organizations
2. Where the Contacts Are - Tried and True
Places to Network
Local alumni association Conventions
Class reunions Club meetings
Cocktail parties Internet list-servs
Fundraisers Volunteer opportunities
Business conferences Continuing education
classes
3. Be Prepared
Networking is a little like planning a political
campaign. While it's essential that you are
honest and relaxed, you should not wing it. Just
as politicians think about what they tactically
need to accomplish, convey, and gain when they
make an appearance or give a speech,
you should
approach networking opportunities with a game
plan. Before you confidently and charmingly
sashay into a business conference room, a dinner
party, or group event, do your homework. Find
out who will be there, or do your best to list
who you think will probably be present.
Then
decide who you would most like to meet. When you
have your list of potential contacts, thoroughly
research their work and their backgrounds and
then make up some questions (30 second
commercial) and conversational
statements that reflect your research. And
finally, think critically about
what your goals
are for your networking function. What
information do you want to walk away with? What
do you want to convey to the people you meet?
But, as is always true, it's important to be
flexible and to perceive opportunities you
didn't plan to confront.
Activity-develop
a 30 second commercial with your neighbor an
practice with each other
4. Networking Knows No Boundaries
Business conferences, informational interviews,
college reunions, and cocktail parties are
obvious networking opportunities - you expect to
walk away with a few business cards and some
recommendations for potential rolodex entries.
But the reality is that invaluable contacts and
enviable opportunities often surprise us. Good
networkers are flexible people who approach
connection-making as a fluid enterprise that
extends far beyond hotel conference room walls.
You never know who will step onto the adjacent
elliptical trainer at the gym; who will be
parked behind you in an interminable grocery
store line; who will sit next to you on an
airplane; or who will be under the hair dryer
next to you at the beauty salon. Don't let these
opportunities pass you by. While it may have
been sheer luck that you bumped into an affable
CEO, your savvy approach to networking can turn
a banal exchange into a pivotal moment in your
career path. Always be ready to make a contact
and exchange business cards. And remember, don't
hesitate to network someone who has no obvious
connection to your ambitions: Your new contact
may be able to give you relevant names of his or
her friends and colleagues.
5. Follow Up
After you meet with a contact, it is absolutely
essential to write a
thank you note.
 Tell your
contact how much he or she helped you, and refer
to particularly helpful, specific advice.
Everyone - even the most high-level executive -
likes to feel appreciated. In addition to
immediate follow-up after a meeting or
conversation, keep in touch with your contacts.
This way, they may think of you if an
opportunity comes up, and they will also be
forthcoming with new advice. It's important to
stay on their radar screens without being
imposing or invasive. And, of course, if you get
that new job, be sure to tell them and thank
them again for their help.
6. What Goes Around Comes Around
If you want to be treated with respect,
treat
others with respect.
If you want your phone
calls and email missives returned, call and
write back to the people who contact you. If you
want big-wigs to make time for you, make
yourself available to others whom you might be
able to help out. It's that simple
The higher up you climb in the professional
world, the more you'll find that everyone knows
everyone else. Thus, if you're impolite, curt,
condescending, or disposed to burning bridges,
you'll cultivate a reputation that will serve as
a constant obstacle. Remember - the people who
seem little now will one day be running
companies and making decisions. If you treated
them with kindness and respect when they were
green, they'll remember and return the favor
later.
7. Make It Easy For Your Contacts
When you call, meet with, or write to a
potential contact, make it as easy as possible
for them to help you. Explain what you
specifically want, and ask detail-oriented
questions.
For example, "I'm looking for jobs in arts
administration. Do you know anyone who works at
the Arts Council? May I have their names and
phone numbers? May I use your name when I
introduce myself to them?" Another entrée into a
productive conversation is to solicit career
tips and advice from your contact. Most people
love to talk about themselves. By asking for
your contact to offer valuable insight from his
or her personal experiences and successes, he or
she will feel important and respected. Who
doesn't like to feel like an expert?
Be sure to avoid making general demands, such
as, "Do you know of any jobs that would be good
for me?" This sort of question is overwhelming
and it puts an undue burden on your contact.
8. Stay Organized
Keep a record of your networking. Whether you do
this in a Rolodex, in a notebook, or in a
database file on your computer, it's important
to keep track of your contacts. Make sure your
system has plenty of room for contacts' names,
addresses, phone numbers, companies, job titles,
how you met them, and subsequent conversations
you've had with them.
Networking
Your Way to a New Job
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Career experts estimate that the vast
majority of job openings are never advertised or
publicly announced, but filled through
word-of-mouth or networking -- known as
 the
"hidden job market." The likelihood of a job
opening not being advertised at all increases
with the level of the job. Yet, even with this
knowledge, most job seekers fail to fully
utilize networking for all it's worth.
Networking means developing a broad list of
contacts -- people you've met through
various social and business functions -- and
using them to your advantage when you look for a
job. People in your network may be able to give
you job leads, offer you advice and information
about a particular company or industry, and
introduce you to other so that you can expand
your network.
The best place to start developing your
network is with your family, friends, and
neighbors -- and with their family, friends, and
neighbors, but don't stop there. Talk to
co-workers, colleagues in your industry, and
those you meet at industry gatherings, such as
trade shows and conferences. Talk with former
co-workers, bosses, and teachers.
The key to successful networking deciding to
put the energy needed to make it work.
First, you need to get organized (for example,
keeping a business card file or computer
database). Second, you need to stay in contact
(for example, through regular phone calls,
email, and holiday greetings). Third, you need
to set goals for yourself (such as 5 new
contacts per week).
The Steps to Successful Networking:
1. Develop a firm grasp of job search basics.
A good place to start is the
Career Services webpage for resources.
2. Conduct a self-assessment.
An honest review
of your strengths and weaknesses is vital. A
good place to start is with the one of our
career tests and quizzes. You should also make
some decision relating to the types of jobs you
want and the types of companies and industries
that interest you. Unsure? Examine some of these
career exploration tools.
3. Prepare a strong resume. If you don't already
have a
resume, now is the time to develop one.
You should ideally develop two resumes -- one in
traditional format and one in scannable format.
You can get information on both types of resumes
by going to Resume Resources.
4. Decide how to organize your network. This
step is crucial to your success. If you have
ongoing access to a computer, the best method is
a database or spreadsheet where you can enter
key information, such as
names, titles, company
names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers,
email addresses, and dates of communication.
Keeping an organized collection of business
cards, where you can write notes and comments
about your network, is another alternative.
5. Communicate with your network.
It is
extremely important to stay in touch with your
network, which you can easily do by
phone, mail,
or email. Don't be afraid to ask for their help.
Most people like helping others, and you must
communicate your current needs with your network
in order for them to be able to help you.
*questions
6. Initiate informational interviews. One of the
best ways to gain more information about an
occupation or industry -- and to build a network
of contacts in that field -- is to
talk with
people who are currently working in the field.
The purpose of the informational interview is to
obtain information, not to get a job. For
everything you ever wanted to know about this
type of interviewing, go to Informational
Interviewing Tutorial.
7. Follow up with your network. The
key is
keeping your network informed of your situation
and thanking them for their efforts. Never take
your network for granted.
The final step? Find all the best networking
resources -- both on and off the Web -- at
Quintessential Careers: The Art of Networking.
|
