Take a swings and roundabouts attitude to Job Search Networking
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 3:41 am
You may be uncomfortable asking person after person to support you in your next career move. It may make you feel that you are 'using' people. One way to overcome this reaction is to resolve to play your part in future to help another person make a good career move.
Believe that you can contribute reciprocal value.
View Job Search Networking as something more than an activity simply designed to help you. If you focus on what you can offer to the relationship, it will increase your feeling of authenticity.
Tip #2: Master the technique
The essence of Job Search Networking is to arrange a face to face meeting with contacts and to ask for advice, not a job. The process is very precise.
I must say that very few of my clients get this right at their first shot. They come armenia phone number library back from their initial attempts and proudly announce that they have 'been networking'. When I gently probe, it becomes clear that they have either been given the name of a Recruiter from this meeting or that their acquaintance has promised to look out for any opportunities on their behalf. Neither of these outcomes represents Job Search Networking and they seldom achieve results.
There are two clear stages to successful Job Search Networking. First, make sure that you clearly understand the technique. Second, practice on at least six acquaintances before you contact the stranger and, in addition, confirm the correctness of your approach with an expert.
Meet with an acquaintance.
Explain clearly your Job Search strategy and ask for further contacts who might give valuable advice to you.
Phone this unknown contact to ask for a short meeting to, once again, ask their advice on your Job Search strategy.
When it is done correctly, each individual meeting with a new contact either results in a job offer or the referral to another contact who offers either a job or a valuable referral to another contact of theirs. And so the pattern continues. As a general rule of thumb, a job offer eventuates from the third or fourth person in the chain of meetings.
Obtain at least two further leads from each network meeting.
Of course, you may not get two leads from each contact but this should still be your aim. When people give you a name they are putting their credibility on the line, so the name they give you will be a powerful contact and should be used as such.
Offer something of value to the contacts you meet.
Do some research before the meeting. That way, you are likely to energise the interaction so that you and your new contact enjoy the discussion.
Maintain faith that each individual meeting has possibilities.
It is only when a job offer eventuates that the pathway that led to it becomes apparent. Often, a meeting you pin your hopes on leads nowhere, whereas another meeting with someone who is ostensibly less influential ends up landing you with a great job offer.
Believe that you can contribute reciprocal value.
View Job Search Networking as something more than an activity simply designed to help you. If you focus on what you can offer to the relationship, it will increase your feeling of authenticity.
Tip #2: Master the technique
The essence of Job Search Networking is to arrange a face to face meeting with contacts and to ask for advice, not a job. The process is very precise.
I must say that very few of my clients get this right at their first shot. They come armenia phone number library back from their initial attempts and proudly announce that they have 'been networking'. When I gently probe, it becomes clear that they have either been given the name of a Recruiter from this meeting or that their acquaintance has promised to look out for any opportunities on their behalf. Neither of these outcomes represents Job Search Networking and they seldom achieve results.
There are two clear stages to successful Job Search Networking. First, make sure that you clearly understand the technique. Second, practice on at least six acquaintances before you contact the stranger and, in addition, confirm the correctness of your approach with an expert.
Meet with an acquaintance.
Explain clearly your Job Search strategy and ask for further contacts who might give valuable advice to you.
Phone this unknown contact to ask for a short meeting to, once again, ask their advice on your Job Search strategy.
When it is done correctly, each individual meeting with a new contact either results in a job offer or the referral to another contact who offers either a job or a valuable referral to another contact of theirs. And so the pattern continues. As a general rule of thumb, a job offer eventuates from the third or fourth person in the chain of meetings.
Obtain at least two further leads from each network meeting.
Of course, you may not get two leads from each contact but this should still be your aim. When people give you a name they are putting their credibility on the line, so the name they give you will be a powerful contact and should be used as such.
Offer something of value to the contacts you meet.
Do some research before the meeting. That way, you are likely to energise the interaction so that you and your new contact enjoy the discussion.
Maintain faith that each individual meeting has possibilities.
It is only when a job offer eventuates that the pathway that led to it becomes apparent. Often, a meeting you pin your hopes on leads nowhere, whereas another meeting with someone who is ostensibly less influential ends up landing you with a great job offer.