The 10 Golden
Rules of Networking
By Spherion Staffing
Job Dig Weekly Employment Newspapers, March
22-29, 2004, Vol. 1 # 46:1
"It's not what you know, but who know."
It's a common cliché uttered often to those in
search of a job. What the person offering that helpful
advice is most likely referring to, is your need to establish
a network of contacts. To date, networking is still the
number one job search method and accounts for 70 to 80
percent of job offers, according to the University of
Iowa.
Networking is however, something of an art. It requires
some time and a little luck to meet the person holding
the key to your dream job. To help you learn the art of
networking, here are some tried and true tips:
1. Be prepared - Any Time, Any Place Keep your
business cards and copies of your resume with you all
the time. You never know whom you might meet.
2. Talk with Your Personal Contact First - Start
with the people you know personally - friends and family,
and those you know professionally - teachers, professors
and former bosses. Proactive selling yourself to those
who are close to you before you try your new sales technique
on people you don't know quite as well.
3. Go Beyond Personal Contact to People You Don't Know
- Begin contacting those people to whom your personal
contact referred you. Initiate each conversation by stating
how you received their name. Work to establish a relationship
by showing an interest in what they have to say, not just
what they have to offer.
4. Ask for Information, Not a Job - This is referred
to as the "information interview" because it is an opportunity
to learn about the industry, job opportunities and local
businesses. This is not the appropriate time to ask for
a job. Instead, discuss companies you are targeting and
ask if the person knows anyone else in the industry whom
you could speak with. Get permission to use their name
and always say thank you.
5. Focus Your Conversations - Use each conversation
to get the most information possible. Give your contact
a brief summary of your career objective, major strengths
and accomplishments. Then ask specific questions that
will provide you with helpful information.
6. Look for Opportunities to reciprocate - Offer
something of value to those who are taking time to help
you. Make your conversations two-way communication. As
you ask question and listen to answers, respond with helpful
information of your own.
7. Keep Your Promise - If you promise to call back,
do it. If the person is difficult to reach, keep trying.
It is your responsibility to make the connection happen.
8. Stay in Touch - Keep your contacts informed
about the progress of your job search through brief phone
calls or short, handwritten notes. Send a thank you letter
within 24 hours after every informational interview. To
keep the relationship beneficial for you and your contact,
keep communication consistent.
9. Professional Organizations - Gathering information
from people in the industry can be made easier by visiting
or joining a local professional organization. Many members
are eager to help job seekers and often know companies
with open positions.
10. Get a Mentor - Find someone with experience
in your field and build a relationship with them. Get
their advice and use them as a sounding board for discussing
your thoughts and ideas. Ask for an opportunity to shadow
them for a day in order to get a better picture of what
they do.
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Test
Your Networking IQ
By
Donald Straits, CEO, Corporate Warriors
The
answers are at the bottom of the quiz. Good Luck!!
1.
When meeting someone at a networking function, you should
begin the conversation with:
- casual
conversation about the weather, sports, movies, pets
or common interests.
- a
brief background on your career and the type of new
position you are seeking.
- questions
about his/her career or why he/she is attending the
function.
2.
If you are having a difficult time getting a
conversation started or if you are uncomfortable with
networking, you should:
- wait
for someone to approach you to begin a conversation.
- admit
that sometimes these functions are awkward for you and
ask the person for tips on how he/she goes about getting
to know someone.
- Try
meeting people around the food table and talk about
how great the caviar tastes.
3.
The best conversationalists are people that
can:
- ask
other people interesting questions.
- can
talk comfortably on a wide range of topics.
- always
pick up the conversation when others run out of things
to say.
4.
The best way to show respect for what someone
else is saying is to:
- compliment
him/her on what he/she has said.
- ask
others to join your conversation to hear what he/she
is saying.
- be
a good listener, provide responsive gestures, and ask
good follow-up questions.
5.
When preparing for a networking function, you
should:
- keep
up to date on current events, world affairs, emerging
business trends and state-of-the-art management or leadership
concepts.
- ask
the host in advance for a list of the guests and their
backgrounds.
- bring
a small note pad and pen to write down contact information
or schedule meetings.
6.
After meeting someone, if you feel there is
no potential for him or her to help you in your job search,
you should:
- politely
excuse yourself and continue to meet other people.
- not
be too quick to judge.
- continue
to talk to him/her, but try to get others to join in
your conversation so that you can meet new people.
7.
After you have established a common interest
and believe you would like to spend more time talking
to this individual, you should:
- suggest
he/she excuse himself from the function and go to a
restaurant or private room where you can talk confidentially
about your career or possible job opportunities.
- set
an appointment to meet at a later date.
- ask
for his/her business card and permission to call in
a few days to perhaps find a time when you could meet.
8.
If you are networking, and someone latches on
to you and follows you everywhere, you should:
- politely
involve him/her in all of your conversations.
- tell
him/her to get lost.
- excuse
yourself from him/her, indicating you have to meet with
someone or perhaps visit the restroom.
Answers
1.
a. While C is very appropriate after you have
begun a good conversation, it is considered rude to immediately
ask about a person's career. Begin your conversation with
casual talk.
2.
b. If you are uncomfortable with networking,
admitting that to the person you are talking to is almost
always a great ice breaker. People will go out of their
way to help to you. They will carry the conversation and
frequently introduce you to others to make you feel welcome.
3.
a. Surprisingly, some of the best conversationalists
do the least amount of talking. While B and C are also
characteristics of good conversationalists, being able
to draw others into the conversation is an extraordinary
skill.
4.
c. Being inattentive is the most common characteristic
exhibited by people at networking functions. Always display
good eye contact with verbal and body language response.
Ask good follow-up questions.
5.
a. If you want to carry on good conversations,
then you must stay contemporary on a variety of subjects.
Read, read, read, on a wide variety of topics including
current events, business trends, social issues, sports
and the arts. It has been said that if you read three
books on any subject, you will know more than 95 percent
of the rest of the world on that subject. By reading on
many topics, you always be able to engage people in great
conversations.
6.
b. This is the most frequently missed question.
Most people view networking as "what can I get from
this person," which is the wrong way to view networking.
Rather, you should view networking as "how can I
benefit or help this person." If you try to quickly
judge the contact from a personal perspective, you have
made a terrible mistake. The goal of networking should
be to meet interesting people, help them whenever possible,
learn from them, perhaps make a contact that is mutually
beneficial, or maybe just simply make a new friend. Never
set your expectations too high.
7.
c. Don't be too aggressive in trying to make
that contact. A networking function is more of a social
event rather than pure business. Meet lots of people spending
a few minutes with each. Collect lots of business cards
and then a few days after the event, make contacts with
people where it would be mutually beneficial to build
a business relationship.
8.
c. It is easy to get stuck with someone who follows
you around everywhere you go. At some point, find a reason
to excuse yourself or perhaps introduce him/her to someone
and then excuse yourself from their conversation. Don't
let another person dominate your time at a networking function.
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