At this point in your Career Jump Start, you have built some solid foundations. You have a resume that is final, or close to final, you utilized your resume to plot a course for your next job and career, and you have a good career introduction that you can use to solicit job leads. (See parts one through four in this series for background, and guidance. You are ready to some networking. I divide networking into two categories; the first being in person, or face-to-face networking, the second being virtual networking, which includes what many refer to as social media. For the first discussion, I want to start with the first group, in-person, or face-to-face networking.
You might be asking yourself, “why should I bother? Why should I do job networking at all?” In response to this question I want to call out that most career professionals agree that between 70% to 80% of jobs are not in a listing. They can only be accessed through networking. This very large percentage of jobs can only be accessed through networking of some type. Again, the networking can be through virtual networking, such as Social Media, or the term I prefer, Social Networks. Or through the most personal of networking, face-to-face, or in-person networking. Face-to-Face Networking is the most powerful networking you can do, but needs to be handled used skillfully.
PREPARATION:
Career Introduction: In this phase in the career jump start, as with most other phases, and aspects of career development, and job networking, preparation comes first. You will be relying heavily on a polished Career Introduction, so make sure you have built one that is powerful, and that you have practiced it, so it flows easily when you need to articulate it. As a recap, limit it to two to three sentences, and if possible, include a question. An example that I use for my Career Coaching Practice is “You know how most people seem to hate their job? (heads nod) So I use assessment to help Clients decide if they are better off continuing with the same work or making a change. The keys to my practice is Assessment, Planning and Action.” Once you feel you have a concise Career Introduction practice it in the mirror, and with friends, and family. (See the previous section for details, and guidance on building a Career Introduction.
Resume: Another piece to have in place as you do face-to-face networking is a current resume. You want a resume that has a simple format, and conforms to best practices. (See part two of Career Jump Start for details, and guidance on how to build a great resume that increases your chances for job interviews.) A great resume comes in handy if someone you meet responds to your Career Introduction by saying “that sounds interesting, do you have a resume?” If you have a great, up-to-date resume, you will be prepared. If you are doing face-to-face networking, for example at a job fair, try to have a few copies of your resume with you. The alternative if this is not possible is to get contact information, or a business card from the person you met with, so you can follow up by sending out your resume – hopefully later the same day.
Appearance Matters: The third piece in preparation for face to face networking is to be well groomed, and ell dressed. This part might be stating the obvious, but believe it or not, I have been to job networking gatherings where male candidates show up with full, untrimmed beards, and suit pants with a 2-inch rip at the bottom of the leg. I have actually seen this! A better choice is to lose the old, worn suit, trim the beard, and wear new dress pants, a white shirt and tie. Along with sharp grooming is dressing well. The book “Dress for Success” has been a mainstay on this topic for more years than I care to remember, and a book I often recommend to my clients. Over the years, I personally have used this book to prepare for important meetings, and job interviews throughout my corporate career. The author updated the book, and now has the title of “John T. Molloy's New Dress for Success”. If you are on a budget, used copies of this book can be had for under $5 at Amazon.
Questions are Good: A last piece to mention for proper preparation for face-to-face networking is correct attitude. Another suggestion is to have some questions prepared. Some questions that are almost always appropriate ones are “How are you working to improve your customer’s experience?” “What is the biggest challenge for your organization in the coming year?” “What is your organization’s five-year plan?” “What is the biggest block your organization need to overcome in the next two years?” Along with asking good questions, concentrate on being a good listener. Active listening is always a good component of any dialogue. Active listening will benefit you, and the person you are speaking with, and make best use of your time.
Responses: Have your successes ready to discuss. You don’t need to get into details – time may not permit. But have two to three personal successes in mind that you can offer up. Some examples are “I helped deliver a $312-million-dollar project.” “I created a workable disaster recovery networking plan at Federal Trust.” “I completed a full MBA while working full time.” (All three of these are actual example from my own career.)
To wrap up our discussion of preparation for face to face networking, below is a check list:
Once you have the above in place, and you are ready to do some face-to-face networking. Where exactly can this face-to-face networking happen? Great question! In a very broad sense you are doing face-to-face networking wherever you take yourself; where ever there are others you engage with. This is the grocery store, the drug store, card parties, lodge meetings, and sports clubs. But in the context of job searching, and career networking let’s tighten the focus.
Within your Organization: In general, you can think of face-to-face networking opportunities as two types: 1) Those within your organization, and 2) those outside of your organization. Assuming you are working now, opportunities inside your organization may include mentoring, or coaching opportunities with other employees of your organization. You can ask recruiting, or the hiring manager if they know of any mentoring, or coaching programs. Ideally, your boss is also your coach or mentor – at least to some degree. Ask your boss if they know of any mentoring programs, or professional groups that meet to help develop your skills, education, and job skills. If your organization does not have a mentoring program, this is an opportunity to start a discussion about creating one! Start with your boss, your HR team, and/or the in—house training team. Although not obvious a job interview can be a great face-to-face networking opportunity. Even if you are not a perfect match, make the effort and apply for a job with a team you are interested in, or have heard good things about. Depending on your comfort level, you may even ask the manager to mentor you. Stranger things have happened.
Another networking opportunity in-house are presentations by various business lines, or technology groups. The last two companies I was with had some flavor of these in person presentations. Sign up for these presentations, and be friendly. You may just end up with contacts outside of your normal teams that can come in handy. They may come in handy as you seek out a new job, or seek out networking opportunities.
In-house classes can be another way to network face-to-face. Sign up for a company class that will improve your skills, or your professionalism. When you attend be friendly, ask good questions, and be a good listener. Remember good listeners are valued, and attract others to them.
Toastmasters is kind of a special group, that can very much be used for networking. In some clubs, you do not need to be a member of the sponsoring organization to be a local member, but I will put Toastmasters in this first category as most often a company, or organization sponsors a local Toastmasters group, and the company encourages their employees to check it out, and if they like it – join up. Toastmasters members are the kind of people you want to get to know. They are highly motivated professionals, that are often in, or looking for a leadership role. They are out-going, or they want to BE out-going. The added benefit is that you develop your listening skills, and also develop your skills presenting a topic to a large number of people. You can usually go to one meeting as a guest without cost, and without commitment. I encourage this.
Outside your Organization: The second group of face to face networking are those outside your organization. These include professional organizations specific to your job or profession. Another option are job fairs. Job Fairs are often listed as part of your state’s economic development web site. For example, in Minnesota they are listed at http://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/find-a-job/job-career-fair/ . As guidance, to locate job fairs in your area, google “job fairs in (your state)”.
Another option for networking outside your organization is through Meetup. Although Meetup is a very large bucket, not specific to career networking. But there are many, many career meetup groups to be found in Meetup.com. Some meetings might charge a small fee to attend, and some others might ask for donations, but in addition, some are completely free.
In a broad sense, any organized group where you interact with others can be an avenue to do face-to-face networking. Consider joining new groups to expand your circle of contacts. Maybe you have wanted to learn bridge. If so, look for a bridge club. Ever thought of rock climbing? If have, and joined an outing club that scheduled regular rock climbs. Maybe you want to give back to your community. Get involved. But get involved in something you are passionate about. What are your hobbies? These will give you an idea of the things you love.
When considering networking, don’t neglect the most powerful, and most networking of all; Face-to-Face networking. Make preparations in advance. These include a good Career Introduction, and current resume, Look sharp. Be friendly, but not pushy. Have good questions in mind, and be prepared to discuss your successes. During introductions concentrate on being a good listener. Consider opportunities to do face-to-face networking both inside, and outside of your current organization. Be prepared, be friendly, be a good listener, and most important, be yourself. Do this and you will be handling your face-to-face networking with skill, and professionalism.
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, CCC is a Career and Business Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com
You might be asking yourself, “why should I bother? Why should I do job networking at all?” In response to this question I want to call out that most career professionals agree that between 70% to 80% of jobs are not in a listing. They can only be accessed through networking. This very large percentage of jobs can only be accessed through networking of some type. Again, the networking can be through virtual networking, such as Social Media, or the term I prefer, Social Networks. Or through the most personal of networking, face-to-face, or in-person networking. Face-to-Face Networking is the most powerful networking you can do, but needs to be handled used skillfully.
PREPARATION:
Career Introduction: In this phase in the career jump start, as with most other phases, and aspects of career development, and job networking, preparation comes first. You will be relying heavily on a polished Career Introduction, so make sure you have built one that is powerful, and that you have practiced it, so it flows easily when you need to articulate it. As a recap, limit it to two to three sentences, and if possible, include a question. An example that I use for my Career Coaching Practice is “You know how most people seem to hate their job? (heads nod) So I use assessment to help Clients decide if they are better off continuing with the same work or making a change. The keys to my practice is Assessment, Planning and Action.” Once you feel you have a concise Career Introduction practice it in the mirror, and with friends, and family. (See the previous section for details, and guidance on building a Career Introduction.
Resume: Another piece to have in place as you do face-to-face networking is a current resume. You want a resume that has a simple format, and conforms to best practices. (See part two of Career Jump Start for details, and guidance on how to build a great resume that increases your chances for job interviews.) A great resume comes in handy if someone you meet responds to your Career Introduction by saying “that sounds interesting, do you have a resume?” If you have a great, up-to-date resume, you will be prepared. If you are doing face-to-face networking, for example at a job fair, try to have a few copies of your resume with you. The alternative if this is not possible is to get contact information, or a business card from the person you met with, so you can follow up by sending out your resume – hopefully later the same day.
Appearance Matters: The third piece in preparation for face to face networking is to be well groomed, and ell dressed. This part might be stating the obvious, but believe it or not, I have been to job networking gatherings where male candidates show up with full, untrimmed beards, and suit pants with a 2-inch rip at the bottom of the leg. I have actually seen this! A better choice is to lose the old, worn suit, trim the beard, and wear new dress pants, a white shirt and tie. Along with sharp grooming is dressing well. The book “Dress for Success” has been a mainstay on this topic for more years than I care to remember, and a book I often recommend to my clients. Over the years, I personally have used this book to prepare for important meetings, and job interviews throughout my corporate career. The author updated the book, and now has the title of “John T. Molloy's New Dress for Success”. If you are on a budget, used copies of this book can be had for under $5 at Amazon.
Questions are Good: A last piece to mention for proper preparation for face-to-face networking is correct attitude. Another suggestion is to have some questions prepared. Some questions that are almost always appropriate ones are “How are you working to improve your customer’s experience?” “What is the biggest challenge for your organization in the coming year?” “What is your organization’s five-year plan?” “What is the biggest block your organization need to overcome in the next two years?” Along with asking good questions, concentrate on being a good listener. Active listening is always a good component of any dialogue. Active listening will benefit you, and the person you are speaking with, and make best use of your time.
Responses: Have your successes ready to discuss. You don’t need to get into details – time may not permit. But have two to three personal successes in mind that you can offer up. Some examples are “I helped deliver a $312-million-dollar project.” “I created a workable disaster recovery networking plan at Federal Trust.” “I completed a full MBA while working full time.” (All three of these are actual example from my own career.)
To wrap up our discussion of preparation for face to face networking, below is a check list:
- Have a concise Career Introduction and practice it until it is a polished presentation.
- Keep a current resume handy. Make sure it has your current contact information.
- Dress the part. Dress shirts need to be clean, and pressed. Clean and pressed slacks, blazer, or suit.
- Don’t forget grooming. Be looking your best. at your best-groomed self. Don’t underestimate a fresh haircut, or looks update.
- Be prepared with good questions, be friendly, and focus on being a good listener. Being a good listener is a great asset. People notice good listeners, and are drawn to them.
- Project a positive, and friendly demeanor. Use a mirror to practice what you want to express. Focus on the positive.
- Have your successes in mind. Keep time limitations in mind, but have two to three personal success stories prepared to talk about. Practice presenting your successes in no more than a paragraph. A Career Coach, or Career Counselor can be of great value in calling out your successes, and your value that you can repeat to others.
- Chat is fine, but stay on topic – you are here to network. This means to learn about the person you are speaking with, and bringing to light the solutions you can bring to the table.
Once you have the above in place, and you are ready to do some face-to-face networking. Where exactly can this face-to-face networking happen? Great question! In a very broad sense you are doing face-to-face networking wherever you take yourself; where ever there are others you engage with. This is the grocery store, the drug store, card parties, lodge meetings, and sports clubs. But in the context of job searching, and career networking let’s tighten the focus.
Within your Organization: In general, you can think of face-to-face networking opportunities as two types: 1) Those within your organization, and 2) those outside of your organization. Assuming you are working now, opportunities inside your organization may include mentoring, or coaching opportunities with other employees of your organization. You can ask recruiting, or the hiring manager if they know of any mentoring, or coaching programs. Ideally, your boss is also your coach or mentor – at least to some degree. Ask your boss if they know of any mentoring programs, or professional groups that meet to help develop your skills, education, and job skills. If your organization does not have a mentoring program, this is an opportunity to start a discussion about creating one! Start with your boss, your HR team, and/or the in—house training team. Although not obvious a job interview can be a great face-to-face networking opportunity. Even if you are not a perfect match, make the effort and apply for a job with a team you are interested in, or have heard good things about. Depending on your comfort level, you may even ask the manager to mentor you. Stranger things have happened.
Another networking opportunity in-house are presentations by various business lines, or technology groups. The last two companies I was with had some flavor of these in person presentations. Sign up for these presentations, and be friendly. You may just end up with contacts outside of your normal teams that can come in handy. They may come in handy as you seek out a new job, or seek out networking opportunities.
In-house classes can be another way to network face-to-face. Sign up for a company class that will improve your skills, or your professionalism. When you attend be friendly, ask good questions, and be a good listener. Remember good listeners are valued, and attract others to them.
Toastmasters is kind of a special group, that can very much be used for networking. In some clubs, you do not need to be a member of the sponsoring organization to be a local member, but I will put Toastmasters in this first category as most often a company, or organization sponsors a local Toastmasters group, and the company encourages their employees to check it out, and if they like it – join up. Toastmasters members are the kind of people you want to get to know. They are highly motivated professionals, that are often in, or looking for a leadership role. They are out-going, or they want to BE out-going. The added benefit is that you develop your listening skills, and also develop your skills presenting a topic to a large number of people. You can usually go to one meeting as a guest without cost, and without commitment. I encourage this.
Outside your Organization: The second group of face to face networking are those outside your organization. These include professional organizations specific to your job or profession. Another option are job fairs. Job Fairs are often listed as part of your state’s economic development web site. For example, in Minnesota they are listed at http://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/find-a-job/job-career-fair/ . As guidance, to locate job fairs in your area, google “job fairs in (your state)”.
Another option for networking outside your organization is through Meetup. Although Meetup is a very large bucket, not specific to career networking. But there are many, many career meetup groups to be found in Meetup.com. Some meetings might charge a small fee to attend, and some others might ask for donations, but in addition, some are completely free.
In a broad sense, any organized group where you interact with others can be an avenue to do face-to-face networking. Consider joining new groups to expand your circle of contacts. Maybe you have wanted to learn bridge. If so, look for a bridge club. Ever thought of rock climbing? If have, and joined an outing club that scheduled regular rock climbs. Maybe you want to give back to your community. Get involved. But get involved in something you are passionate about. What are your hobbies? These will give you an idea of the things you love.
When considering networking, don’t neglect the most powerful, and most networking of all; Face-to-Face networking. Make preparations in advance. These include a good Career Introduction, and current resume, Look sharp. Be friendly, but not pushy. Have good questions in mind, and be prepared to discuss your successes. During introductions concentrate on being a good listener. Consider opportunities to do face-to-face networking both inside, and outside of your current organization. Be prepared, be friendly, be a good listener, and most important, be yourself. Do this and you will be handling your face-to-face networking with skill, and professionalism.
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, CCC is a Career and Business Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com
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