Volume 6, Issue 4 August-September,2014
NETWORKING IS NOT JUST TALK By Jerrold (Jerry) Clifford
I often meet people who have just been laid off. Many had been with their companies for years while some are going through the experience of being “in transition” for the first time. I have found that most have heard that networking is a valuable activity in helping them find new positions. One thing that always surprises me is the lack of knowledge of many new members of the “job seeking club,” concerning networking; what it is and how to get the most value from this activity. While this space is too small to provide a complete primer of networking, there are some basics that even some experienced networkers do not always practice: First, you may be networking as part of your approach to obtaining a position. People new to transition often feel that networking affords the opportunity to let others know that they are seeking employment and is a good way to get job availability leads. Some folks feel that they
should always have a paper copy of their resume with them and that it is important to pass them out like flyers. They feel that the more resumes they hand out the more likely someone is to read it and know of an opportunity; or perhaps a recruiter might get a hold of it and go wild over their resume and offer a position. They don’t know (or forget) that networking is not about them. Rather, it is about the people in their network and what they can do to help others. People want to be around individuals who they know can be relied upon to help them if necessary. A “networking bond” gets created. When people know you are willing to help them, and are even willing to go out of your way to do so, they are usually open to reciprocating and helping you when they can. Second, many people don’t have a clue as to what network events are all about. They feel that showing up is the important part of a meeting. While it is true that you need to be there to take advantage of networking meetings, new (and even some experienced networkers) don’t know that the most effective way to utilize an event is to have a plan. 1. Before going to the event you should know if someone you would like to meet is likely to be there; 2. How many contacts do you want to make; 3. What is your strategy for meeting them, and the types of things you are willing (and have the time and resources) to do? New transition club members learn that a good way to help their job search is to become a skilled networker. As in learning any new skills, becoming skilled takes practice and effort. Besides helping to get a new position, an additional learning incentive is that since networking is about relationship building, the skills developed can be used throughout a person’s career. Of course, developing networking skills is optional. It is essential for new members to learn that there is a term for just going to networking events without developing related skills. It is called - - -
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