Networking for Career Success – 4 Strategies for Job Seekers
Career networking. If the very words make your stomach drop with dread, take heart. You’re not alone. Most people view networking as something ominous. After all, having awkward conversations with people you don’t really know isn’t easy. But with unemployment rates still soaring, networking is something you can’t afford to ignore. In fact, as many as 75 percent of people get jobs through networking contacts.
In addition to helping you land a good job, networking is important for your long-term career goals. It’s also a great way to develop relationships with people in your line of work and stay current with what’s happening in your profession. While networking is important for these and other reasons, this article will focus on networking strategies specifically for job seekers. Here are four career networking strategies that can help you find your next gig:
- Develop a list of people you already know
- Put your networking list to work
- Search for places to career network
- Be proactive while you wait
1. Develop a list of people you already know
Sometimes you don’t know who you know until you write it all down! Compiling a list of people you already know should be the first step in growing your network. Excel can be a particularly useful program for developing an organized list. Create columns for your contacts’ names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, companies, and job titles. You should also make columns for briefly noting how you met each contact and for tracking your conversations with them. It’s also helpful to include a column where you can list miscellaneous notes about each person—from the name of a pet, child, or significant other to their birthday, their hobbies, or their alma mater. This will help you remember personal details about your contact when you reach out to them down the road.
Your initial list should include everyone from family friends, relatives, and neighbors to your college pals, professors, and university career services department. Other possible contacts may be an old boss, a former colleague, or someone you know through a volunteer program, sports league, or other activity. Don’t limit your list to people who have the same profession as you, as it pays to have a diverse network. Some of your contacts won’t work in your specific field, but they may have ties with companies or individuals who can help further your goals.
Once you’ve identified your existing network of contacts, sort them into two different buckets. The first should include individuals you know well and those who have work experience in your field. Contacts who work in other fields or people you don’t know as well belong in the second bucket. These lists will help you prioritize where to spend the majority of your networking time. You should follow the 80/20 rule when reaching out to your contacts. Spend 80 percent of your time focusing on the first group of folks—the people you know well or who are in your industry. The remaining 20 percent of your networking time should be allocated to the second group.
2. Put your job networking list to work
It’s now time to exercise the 80/20 rule. Start by contacting people who are in your first list. You’ll have something in common with these folks right off the bat, since you either know them well or are in a similar profession. If anyone you know is currently employed in your desired field or company, ask for an informational interview. This will give you the chance to ask specific questions about how to break into an industry.
You should begin these conversations by giving a brief – and I mean brief – summary of your background as well as the specific topic you’d like to discuss. After you’ve introduced yourself, ask your contact a few choice questions that you’ve jotted down. QuintCareers offers a comprehensive list of 200 informational interview questions that you can use as a starting point when developing your own questions. Your questions should be focused and tailored to your specific career, but avoid overtly asking for a job or expecting a contact to discuss job openings with you at this time.
Keep your contacts engaged during these interviews by asking them about their own personal experiences. People generally like to talk about themselves, and this will make the conversation enjoyable for your contacts. It may also help your contacts think of people they’ve worked with in the past that may be good for you to talk to. In addition, you may glean a few nuggets from listening to stories about how these people got started in their careers.
Once again, it’s poor networking etiquette to be too pushy about finding a job. However, you might have an instant connection with someone that directly expresses a willingness to help you find a job. If this happens, be ready to ask specific questions that will help you progress in your job search. For example, instead of asking the broad question, “Do you know about any open positions in the teaching field?” ask more targeted questions such as:
- I’m interested in working as a high school math teacher in XYZ or ABC school district. Do you know anyone who works for one of these districts?
- May I have her contact information?
- Is it okay to use your name when I contact him?
While a face-to-face conversation is ideal for each contact, it may not always be practical. Calling a contact is the next best thing. Plan to follow-up each call with a brief email, thanking your contacts for taking their time and including any additional information they may have requested from you. You should be specific when thanking each contact. Tell them what exactly was helpful about their advice. Showing a little appreciation can go a long way.
Establish a weekly quota of conversations in order to keep yourself on track. Use your networking list to track each conversation or email. You should briefly note what you talked about and whether you have any required post-conversation follow-up. Staying organized will help you regularly maintain connections with your network.
3. Search for places to career network
Finding new ways to meet people is important – particularly if you don’t already have a large number of contacts. You can begin the process by researching potential places to meet new contacts. Local college or graduate school alumni associations are often good resources. These groups typically hold regular events in your area, and most have formed online groups that you can join. The career services office at your alma mater may also be a goldmine, as most cater to alumni as well as current students. For example, your office may be able to put you in touch with alumni living in your area and working in your field. Some schools even maintain alumni job board listings.
Online job networking can also be an excellent way to build your list of contacts. Sites like LinkedIn can help you find and connect with people that work in your field and live in your city. Even other social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter can be useful professional tools. Many companies now have their own Facebook pages or Twitter feeds, and some post jobs or useful information about event networking. Thousands of people are tweeting about job openings – don’t miss out on this relatively new networking opportunity! Online sites can also help you identify places to physically meet people. For example, upcoming.org posts upcoming conferences, lectures, or other events you may be interested in attending in-person.
You can also search for professional organizations that cater to your chosen profession, industry, or demographic group. Many of these associations hold local meet-ups or sponsor conferences and continuing education programs that can be excellent places to meet new people. Yahoo, the Internet Public Library, the American Society of Association Executive, and Weddle’s all maintain good listings of professional organizations by industry sector. If you have any contacts who work in your field, ask them which organizations might be worth the time – and expense – to join. Other, less traditional places to network can include a cocktail party, a fundraiser, your gym, the grocery store, or a volunteer job. You never know where you’ll meet someone, and sometimes the best contacts pop up when you least expect it!
4. Be proactive while you wait
You may feel like you’ve spent months calling and meeting with people – to no avail. Don’t lose hope! While the process may seem tedious now, it really can pay off in the long run. I once met with a contact who was working in my desired field. After our meeting, we emailed a couple of times, but I never expected the relationship to lead to a job. Six months later, she emailed me to tell me about an open position at her company. She even offered to forward my resume directly to the hiring manager.
While you’re waiting for your hard work to pay off, keep in touch with your contacts occasionally. You should contact them once every three to four months to ensure you remain on their minds. If your contacts happen to hear of a job that’s a perfect fit for you, they’ll be more likely to pass along the information when you’re on their radar. Use your networking spreadsheet to track any follow-ups you make. It will help you keep from contacting someone too much – or too little.
Remember that quid pro quo is a must when it comes to networking. Make it one of your goals to develop a mutual relationship with your contacts. Try to give something back to them. You can do this in simple ways. For example, share information about an interesting local event in your field or pass along an article that may be relevant to a specific contact within your network.
Finding employment isn’t always a piece of cake, but networking is a strategy that has proven effective time and time again. By following these basic strategies, you’ll be on your way to becoming a career networking pro in no time.
By: Charity Delich
6-06-2010
Charity Delich is a professional writer and a practicing attorney. She lives in New York City, where she's working on a master's degree in publishing at New York University.
