Networking

I forgot how much I hate networking... It's one of my least favorite things to do. But networking is the key to finding a new job. These days,there are two types of networking: online and in-person. If you don't have a LinkedIn account, create one today. LinkedIn has become the standard for online networking. I will come back to this topic in the next blog entry.

Today’s topic is in-person networking. The trick for me is getting back into the swing of it. Like anything else, networking takes practice. I am a pretty social person, but it can be hard to walk up to someone you don’t know, introduce yourself and strike up a conversation.

Don’t underestimate the power of talking to someone you never would expect to lead you towards a new job. Connections happen in funny ways. The most important thing is making connections. A friend of mine was looking for a job as a Project Manager. He went out with his friend for beers, they went to the friend’s friend’s place, turned out the friend’s friend was the VP of a software company looking for new PM’s and offered him a job later that week.

But back to my lack of skill when it comes to networking. Here is what I came up with to cope my networking deficiencies. Let’s say I am at a career fair. I don’t really like being there (careers fairs are usually too hot and I start sweating). I go because part of me feels like if I just walk through the aisle a new job will be handed to me by one of the friendly company representatives. That hasn’t happened yet…

Then I realize the real reason to be there is not to hand out my resume or pick up colorful pamphlets from different companies. The real reason to be there is to NETWORK. So I set a networking target depending on the number of people there. If there are 100 people, I have to talk to 15 (you can make up your own ratios). It forces me to do my job of networking before I allow myself to leave the event.

The cool thing is that with each person you talk to, it becomes easier and easier to get a conversation going. You develop your small talk, get your “pitch” down for what kind of job you are seeking and why people should hire you. Before you know it, networking is second nature. The trick is staying practiced. If you’re like me and you stop networking for a few weeks, the skills float away and you have to start all over again. The good thing is I know I can always get back in the swing of things if I follow my strategy outlined above.

If you have trouble networking, give this strategy a shot or come up with something that works better for you. But don’t let your networking deficiencies get in the way of finding a new job!