New Year’s Networking Challenges
Everyone knows that networking is the key to a successful (and less painful) job search, but not everyone practices what they know to network successfully.
While sending the occasional application or resume around is still a solid tactic, employers are relying more and more on who you know rather than what you say you know. It makes sense, after all. You are more likely to take your car to a specific service station for repairs based on the recommendation of a friend than you are a yellow pages ad, right?
Networking is not easy for many people. It requires both time and commitment. And for a busy professional it can be a challenge to balance networking in around your current job, but if you can overcome these 5 common challenges, you will be well on your way to developing a solid career network. You can add a couple to your New Year’s resolution list, or you can start tomorrow. Just be sure to start!
Organize your contacts
When Facebook and Twitter were brand new, many of us joined to connect with friends, family, and to satisfy a certain Farmville addiction. Then social media became an effective professional networking tool, and we found ourselves trying to merge our personal and professional lives into one giant friends list.
Before you start another profile under an assumed name, try organizing what you already have. Facebook has a nifty new feature in which you can organize your contacts into different lists and share content accordingly—Twitter’s had this list tool for a while. Google+, LinkedIn, and Cachinko have always had a version of this.
The key to effective communication is constant, consistent, and congruent information. Communicating relevant information between yourself and your network keeps both you and your contacts satisfied with the information exchange. Spend some time to do some hard-core organizing of your contacts and you’ll find that you can better filter content coming in and going out, which can help you to become a networking pro!
Re-connect (without an agenda)
We’ve all gotten that message. You get an email, Tweet, message, or smoke signal from an old colleague who immediately launches into their need for a new job. Their request is so blatant that you don’t really want to help them.
Even if you’re desperate for a new job, don’t beg for employment down your contacts list. Your initial contact should always be about them. Message a former classmate, co-worker, or friend with a simple note that tells them you were thinking about them. Don’t probe, but ask them about what they’re up to, where they are now, etc.
Maintaining these old connections is important for a strong network. Remember, someone with a handful of strong connections is in a much better place than someone with 500 loose open network acquaintances.
Make new friends
Build upon the relationships with your current networking contacts to make some new friends. Social media makes this so easy. You can search for friends with a specific profession, industry experience, or who have connections to a specific company that interests you. These new contacts are your best leads to get a new job. Offline, professional organizations offer plenty of networking opportunities in mixers.
Don’t be afraid to make the first move. Think about how you would react to someone politely introducing themselves to you. You’d probably be flattered, not creeped out, so go ahead and say, ”Hi”.
A great way to get the ball rolling with a new contact is to ask them an open-ended question. What is their opinion about X? What did they think of Y? And, listen carefully. Everyone likes to be heard and to feel like their opinion or expertise is respected.
Give a favor (or two)
When you get down to it, networking is all about favors. A networking pro makes introductions, writes referrals, and works cooperatively with other networking contacts up the corporate ladder.
You can sit and wait for someone to ask for a favor, or you can make the first move. Try a baby step, like LinkedIn’s recommendations. Find someone with whom you have a solid rapport and request a recommendation and, in turn, write one for them too.
Let’s do lunch
As easy as it is to network from the safety of your notebook or tablet, your job search and networking efforts should be about 80% offline and 20% online.
Ask a new connection for some advice over lunch or coffee. If you are prepared, you can build rapport with a valuable connection that can help you in some part of your job search. Before you meet up, prepare a handful of questions to ask throughout the meetup. This is not the time to pepper the other person with questions, and do not ask questions that can be answered easily by a simple Google search or review of the company website. You need to make the most of your time with them, so set a goal to learn one or two new things about the company or that person.
If you’re currently working you’ll need to schedule your lunch or coffee around your current work schedule, but don’t let that stop you! If you don’t feel comfortable asking for an extended lunch, see if a connection is interested in a shorter meeting over coffee, or perhaps you can meet after work during a nearby happy hour. Explore opportunities within your building or on your block that would better suit a shorter meetup. If you face the challenge of meeting offline head on and honestly, you’ll usually find your contact is willing to help work something out.
What do you think?
What other networking challenges would you offer to job seekers who want to become networking pros? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
