Help Your Networking Partners

A client is changing careers, and she came up with a great way to improve her networking outreach.  She is giving her network partners a profile page that will help them understand her reasons for changing careers and some key points they should use to describe her.  I love the idea and helped her edit the sheet.

If you’re in a similar place in your career, here’s the model.  Start with a brief 4-5 sentence paragraph that explains how and why you are changing careers.  Then list 5-6 talking points that focus on transferable skills and achievements that demonstrate why you will be able to be successful in your new career.  If you don’t provide this information to your network partners, they might be trying to help you, but they will think of you in your previous role, not where you want to go next in your career.  This sheet shouldn’t take long to create.  It will work wonders in making your networking more effective.

Networking into a Company

 

LinkedIn is a great tool if you want to work for a specific company, and I frequently recommend that clients use it. However, almost all of us have a better tool for networking: our phones. Make a list of people who know you as a professional. Call them and let them know what company you are trying to work for. Then ask if they know anyone who works for that company. If they say no, don’t get frustrated. Good networking takes patience and the ability to hear the word no. If they do know some, ask if they would make an introduction for you or if you could use their name in contacting that person. Have a plan for what you want to say when you contact your new network partner. Be able to articulate why you want to work for the company and how you can contribute. Networking is never easy, and it takes a long time. Even so, when you make the right connection, doors will open.

How to Open Networking Doors

 

Clients often tell me how much they hate networking. They don’t want to ask anyone to help them find a job. I agree with them for a very different reason. No one wants to be asked in such a direct way. I recommend that you start your networking campaign by identifying people who know your work and want to help you. This group can include relatives and friends. Try to meet with your network contacts for lunch or coffee in a space where you can be relaxed and have a conversation.

 

Start by explaining your situation and what you are looking for. If you are changing careers, be sure that you talk about how your new role will be related what you have done in the past. Now is the time to start networking. Begin with this question: “Based on your experiences with me, what advice would you give me in starting this job search?” Listen carefully and take notes. Some people will be slow to respond. Try to warm them up by asking follow up questions that remind them how they have worked with you or how they know about your skills.

 

If a network contact mentions a company or a person, then it is fair game to ask for a favor. Don’t start by pushing a resume. Find out if they know anyone at the company they’ve mentioned or if they would introduce you to the person they know. Remember that your contact is doing you a favor and try to follow their advice.

 

Networking is never easy, and it is often frustrating. At the same time, it is often the best way to have access to jobs that you will never find online. Don’t be afraid to ask people to help you, but, at the same time, remember to help them. Networking is a two street, and – with a little luck – it can lead to a new job and better career.

Networking in the New Year

Last month I recommended using holiday parties and family gatherings as a time to light the fires for networking.  Now is the time to follow up.  Make a list of the people you’ve met over the past few weeks who could help you advance in your career or find a new job.  Set up a time to meet them for lunch or coffee.

At the meeting, don’t make it all about you.  First let your network contacts know that you appreciate their friendship and support.  Then let them know what your current goal is and ask for their advice: “Based on your knowledge of my career, what do you think I should do?”  Listen to what they say and take notes.  Ask follow up questions on any point that is not clear or needs more information.  If a contact says you should look at a certain company, find out why she thinks that company is right for you.  Ask if she knows anyone at that company.  If she does, ask if she will make an introduction or if you can use her name in a cover letter.  Most importantly, never let a networking meeting end without finding out how your contacts are doing and if there is any way you can help them.

Networking is always a two way street.  Look for ways to help others, and they will remember you and want to return favors.  Start your New Year on the right foot – Get your network humming.

Have a Holiday Networking Plan

One of the worst mistakes job seekers make is to stop looking for work during the holidays.  In fact, the holidays are a great time to re-establish ties with networking contacts.  The best way to do this is to set a plan: Who do I want to contact?  What do I want each person to know about me?  What do I want to learn about them?  Since many of these contacts will be friends as well as colleagues, it is perfectly acceptable to ask about family and other personal matters.

Keep the contact friendly and loose.  Start by wishing your contacts a happy holiday season and ask first about their lives and careers.  When you talk about your career goals, don’t be too pushy about asking for direct help unless there is a definite opportunity that a contact can help you with.  A better way is to set up a meeting or call just after the New Year.  In other cases, your goal is to let your contacts know what is going on in your life and career.  That opens the door for them to help.

Don’t waste the holiday season on shopping and parties.  Enjoy yourself, but do so in a way that keeps your network pot simmering.  With the right contact and a little luck , you could find a new job.

Start Networking. Start Now.

One of my clients is very talented.  However, she was very hesitant about networking.  She thought no one would want to help somebody else get a job in a competitive market.

I asked her to start networking in a simple way:  Call the three people who are her references, let them know she is looking for work, and ask for advice.  Two days later she had an interview with a company much better than the one that laid her off.  Networking doesn’t always work this way.  Sometimes clients have done everything correctly, and networking brings no results.  That said, everyone should network, especially people who are looking for work.

Make a list of 10-20 people who know you as a professional. Here’s my suggestion about how you should ask for help:  “I want to call you because I’m looking for a new job.  You know me and how I work, and I’d appreciate it if you’d take a few minutes and give me some advice.  What do you think I should do in my job search?”

Keep the conversation open and listen carefully.  If a network contact gives you advice that is bad or useless, take it for what it is and be grateful for the time your contact has given you.  If the advice is good, follow up quickly and let your contact know that you’ve done so.  If your network connection suggests that you contact a certain person a potential employer, ask if you could use her name or if she will make an introduction.  Always end your conversations by finding out if there is any way you can help people in your network.

Networking isn’t easy, and it doesn’t always work.  However, a good network connection can lead you to jobs you didn’t know exist.  It can also open doors quickly.  Make networking part of your job search and career management strategy.  Start with those people who know you best, your references.  If you’re like my client, an interview with a great company can be in your future.

Following Up and Dead Ends

A client today told me that he had tried to follow up at a large company where he had contacts.  He emailed Human Resources and the person he assumed as the hiring manager.  What he did not do was contact the people he knew at the company.  If you know someone at a company, that’s where you should start.  That person is most likely to get information from a decision maker or someone who knows that person.  Whenever possible, network through personal contacts.  It’s a lot harder to ignore people you know than an anonymous email from one of a hundred job applicants.  Use your contacts.  They can open doors.

A Different Take on Networking

When I coach clients on networking, my strategy is to start with you references.  They know your skills and work history best, which means they would probably be your best network contacts.  Adam Grant offers a different take in a post on the blog “Big Think.”  Following researchers from Stanford, Grant claims that our closest network contacts are often “redundant,” meaning they know the same things and people as we do.  “Weak” contacts can offer different perspectives because they know different people and companies.  Grant does not say we should ignore strong network contacts.  Instead, he recommends leveraging all types of networks contacts, which is very good advice.

How can you make this advice a career management tool?  Make a list of 20-50 people that you consider your network.  Rank them from strongest to weakest in their ability to help you.  Think about other possible “weak” contacts.  Add them to your list and nurture your relationships.  Finally, remember the most important rule of networking:  Help other people as much as you want them to help you.

Holiday Networking

Holidays are a good time to catch up with friends.  There are also a very good time to reconnect with your professional network.  Start with the people who you list as references.  Consider taking them to lunch or meeting them for coffee.  Find out how they are doing, and let them know what has changed in your professional life..  If you are looking for work, ask them for advice about how you should move forward in your job search.

When you’re at any kind of professional party or holiday event, check in with people you know.  Take the time to meet new people or to extend your relationship with people you only know in a superficial way.  Grow your network whenever possible.

Too often people put career management and job searches in the closet during holidays.  That’s a bad idea.  If you’re interacting with people who can help your career, use the holiday spirit to make your relationships even stronger.  Don’t take the holidays off.

Who Will Take Your Call?

This is a great question to ask when you’re networking as part of your job search.  Think about people you’ve worked with, people who would be able to sell you a potential employer.  We often start with the most powerful people we know:  ex-bosses, business owners.  The problem is that in most cases these people were not your biggest fans.  Often they didn’t you or your work.  Sometimes they’re the person who fired you or laid you off.  Start with people who value what you can contribute and care about you.

Make a list of those people and call them.  Keep your message simple:  “I’m looking for a new job, and I was hoping you could give me some advice.”  Try to set up a face to face meeting at a café or restaurant (whatever your budget can afford).  Don’t bluntly ask anyone to help you find a job.  If they offer, that’s great.  If they suggest you look at a certain company, you can ask if they know anyone at that company.  Don’t be too pushy, or you will push away someone who wants to help you.

Always follow up on any networking meeting with a thank you note.  Offer to help in the future.  Your goal is not just to find a new job, but also to build relationships that will help you throughout your career.  Ideally, some of your network contacts will also become friends.

Start with the phone call.  Who will take your call?  That’s the first step.