Job Articles - Gaining the Most from Networking

By Joe Hodowanes
Career Strategy Advisor
J.M. Wanes & Associates

To be successful at networking, you must tailor its principles to fit your temperament and personality. This means that no one networking style fits everyone. For instance, if you cannot imagine soliciting colleagues and business acquaintances for information, don't do it.

You can turn uncomfortable, unproductive encounters into productive networking connections. Review the following 10 points to help you get started:

Know what you want. To become expert at networking, ask yourself, "How do I express my goals clearly and generate valuable information by drawing on the background and expertise of my contacts?" This takes forethought and preparation.

Start by assessing your skills, abilities, interests and goals. People can't help you if you don't know what you want to do, or what you want from them. As a job seeker, it's your responsibility to determine how each person can best help you reach your goals. Otherwise, friends and contacts won't know how to assist you.

Make sure the contact knows why you want the networking meeting. For example, you are looking for:

Information
Names
Introductions
A chance to discuss the feasibility of your objectives

Clarify your intentions and motives when asking to meet with someone. This will help eliminate potentially mixed messages, which can result in ill will. Remember this saying: "Candor creates trust, not suspicion."

Reciprocate by contacting people frequently to offer your help. This is a major key to successful networking. Don't be like some people who only call when they want something. Reciprocity is missing in most of today's networking and that is why many job seekers feel negative about it. Some want to take but not give. Make it clear that favors extended to you will be cheerfully returned. Networking should not be considered begging; it is a reciprocal arrangement.
Get the word out silently through writing. You can generate a great deal of professional recognition without even opening your mouth. Submit articles to trade journals and in-house newsletters, and send letters to newspaper editors, etc. When people see your name attached to a good article, it raises your professional recognition. Hopefully, some of the readers (potential networking leads) will contact you.
Do not cram an hour of information into 15 minutes by increasing your speech rate. Lapsing into "pressured speech" (that is what psychologists call it) can have a chilling effect on a meeting. Be sure to follow a give-and-take format. Remember that racehorse speech requires racehorse breathing. Ironically, even mediocre networking generates more job leads than any other method.
Join a political party of your choice. Make small financial contributions to it and other various organizations. This will get you on their mailing lists and you will subsequently be invited to all of their future meetings.
Do not sit with the same people every month at professional and social functions. Force yourself to meet new people. Remember that when attending these meetings, at least one third of the people are likely to be guests. Create a genuine bond with them so you can increase the number and diversity of your networking contacts. This is particularly useful since building professional relationships takes time. You can speed the process by volunteering to work on the program committee and supplying your contacts with useful networking information.
Follow up on every lead. When someone offers a potential contact, don't hesitate. Think how long a job hunt is delayed if you have to hear a name twice before you act. Why wait for a second mention of the person's name? Before contacting them, however, design specific questions to elicit clear, targeted, helpful information, rather than vague promises to remember you if something should turn up. People are quicker to volunteer leads when they are excited about your goals and think they can help you reach them.
Give your networking contacts closure. Do not drop out of sight as soon as you find a new position. Ignoring your contacts while you are doing well can be costly. How many of the people you assist never let you know when they get a job? Nothing will cement a contact better than a note or a telephone call that says, "I got a wonderful new job and you helped." It can make your contact's day.
Try going in through the back door. Personal referral is always the best introduction to a company. Unfortunately, it is not always possible. If you do not have a contact, find out who does the company's accounting, legal work, banking, advertising, etc. You may know someone who either works at one of those organizations or knows someone who does.

If you still are not sold on the value of networking, consider the following advantages. You will be able to:

Identify at least one job opportunity for every 20 personal meetings
Sell your skills in a relaxed, no-pressure situation
Bypass most rejections, since you are not asking for a job
Receive referrals for meetings with decision-makers who are often inaccessible
Gain new information about industry changes
Develop valuable personal and business contacts
Gather advice and opinions about your career focus and objectives
Get help creating a list of target companies
Acquire names of executive recruiters
Practice and sharpen your interviewing skills

If you can see the value in these networking tips, what are you waiting for? Start networking now for the job you want!

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Revised: 2008-05-29T01:30:58-0700