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how to Inform Your Network You’re Searching for a Job
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nce you create your elevator pitch and prepare a great outgoing voice message, you are ready to tell your network—family, friends, neighbors, former colleagues— that you are looking for work and ask for their support. In this stage, your goal is to gain buy-in from your friends and colleagues by offering them enough information so they can be your allies. But a quick word of caution before you communicate to your network—don’t approach your closest contacts with a metaphorical J (for job seeker) on your forehead. This turns every conversation into a game of “Who do YOU know who can help me?” If your contacts perceive you as needy, they will avoid you. Instead, remember that you are a job seeker only temporarily; you have lots of other wonderful gifts, skills, and talents to offer, and you do not need to make your job search the only topic of conversation. Your friends will want to help, we promise!
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