Networking How-To's

It will be your ability to interact with people, be it in interviews, or while networking, that will make your job search successful.

1. Make New Contacts

There are many places to go to find new contacts. Try these:

• Your own extended family and friends
• Your friends’ parents and other family members
• Your professors, advisors, coaches, tutors, clergy
• Your former bosses and your friends’ and family members’ bosses
• Your former co-workers and customers from previous jobs
• Classmates and friends you’ve made through your education
• Members of clubs, religious groups and other organizations to which you belong
• All the organizations near your home or school
• People in occupations which require them to have a large client base
• Your college alumni association

2. Set up Networking Appointments

It’s not always easy to get someone to agree to meet with you. The most common excuses people may have for not seeing you are time constraints and they don’t have any jobs to offer you.

Here are some tips to circumvent these objections:

• Always use the name of the contact who referred you. Knowing that you have a mutual contact will put the person at ease and may persuade them to agree to meet with you. They may think that if someone they know has referred you then you must be okay. Also, most people would not want to insult a colleague or friend by turning you away.
• Be sure not to pressure your contacts for a job - remember the purpose is to get yourself known by them for future opportunities, not to get a job on the spot.
• If the person tells you they have no job openings tell them you understand that. Explain that you are not asking for a job - you just want to meet for information purposes.
• If your contact tells you they are very busy stress that you only need 20 minutes of their time and that you will be prepared.
• Always suggest a date for the meeting and have alternative dates picked out in case your contact is busy at that time.

3. Have Networking Meetings

The purpose of networking meetings is similar to that of informational interviews - to gather first-hand information about the industry or occupation.

However, there is another very important reason for conducting networking meetings - to lay the groundwork for accessing the hidden job market.

Here are some things you should remember to do:

• Show you are professional - have an agenda and questions prepared
• Ask impressive questions that show you are knowledgeable about your industry/the company
• Be able to speak about your skills and career interests
• Never leave without asking for names of other people who would be able to help you (this is how your network will continue to grow)

In general, you want to leave your contact with the impression that you are keen, smart and would make a good employee. Therefore, you will come to mind should any opportunities arise in the future.

4. Stay in Touch

The biggest mistake job seekers make when networking is to have one meeting with someone, hand over their resume and then lose contact. Networking means regular and consistent follow-up (without being a nuisance).

Always send a thank you letter after any networking activity. Ask your contact if they would mind if you checked in with them from time to time. If your initial meeting went well, chances are your contact will be interested in your progress. How will he or she be able to inform you of any opportunities if they have forgotten about you, don’t know how to reach you or don’t know if you are still interested in finding a job?

Through the process of maintaining contact you will collect referrals and expand your contact base while keeping an eye out for opportunities and focusing on securing employment.

5. Using the Internet to Enhance Your Network

The Internet is a great way to enhance your networking strategy. You can do this by participating in discussion groups which allow you to exchange information with people from many different areas, companies, cities, even countries. The boundaries of time and geography are eliminated so you can contact people from virtually anywhere (from your local area to around the world) at any time.