8 Networking Tips
While it would make the introverts, the meek, the shy, and the novices awfully happy if the newspaper classifieds contained all job openings, that's simply not the case. In fact, some of the best jobs aren't listed anywhere except in the mental catalogues of CEOs and managers.
So how do you apply for jobs that aren't advertised anywhere, that exist only in the seemingly inaccessible minds of working America's movers and shakers? You meet people who might have insight into your job search. You talk to people who know people who could help you out. You chat it up with strangers at parties. You cold-call people you've read about in the newspaper. You write cordial letters to prominent community leaders. You cultivate an arsenal of contacts. In short, you network.
Think about networking as a game, as a sport, as a personal challenge. Below are some strategies for success.
1. Brainstorm for Contacts.
Think of everyone who could possibly serve as a contact. Don't limit yourself to people who could clearly help you out - friendly, accessible people in unrelated fields often have contacts they would be happy to share with you. Also, people who, through either work or volunteer activities, have contact with a diverse crowd can be extremely helpful. To get you started with your list, here are some suggestions: Family friends Local politicians Relatives Journalists Neighbors Business executives Professors Non-profit directors Alumni Your physician Former employees Your hair dresser Former co-workers Prominent community members Public relations officials Members of professional organizations Religious leaders
2. Where the Contacts Are - Tried and True Places to Network
Local alumni association Conventions Class reunions Club meetings Cocktail parties Internet list-servs Fundraisers Volunteer opportunities Business conferences Continuing education classes
3. Be Prepared
Networking is a little like planning a political campaign. While it's essential that you are honest and relaxed, you should not wing it. Just as politicians think about what they tactically need to accomplish, convey, and gain when they make an appearance or give a speech, you should approach networking opportunities with a game plan. Before you confidently and charmingly sashay into a business conference room, a dinner party, or group event, do your homework. Find out who will be there, or do your best to list who you think will probably be present. Then decide who you would most like to meet. When you have your list of potential contacts, thoroughly research their work and their backgrounds and then make up some questions and conversational statements that reflect your research. And finally, think critically about what your goals are for your networking function. What information do you want to walk away with? What do you want to convey to the people you meet? But, as is always true, it's important to be flexible and to perceive opportunities you didn't plan to confront.
4. Networking Knows No Boundaries
Business conferences, informational interviews, college reunions, and cocktail parties are obvious networking opportunities - you expect to walk away with a few business cards and some recommendations for potential rolodex entries. But the reality is that invaluable contacts and enviable opportunities often surprise us. Good networkers are flexible people who approach connection-making as a fluid enterprise that extends far beyond hotel conference room walls. You never know who will step onto the adjacent elliptical trainer at the gym; who will be parked behind you in an interminable grocery store line; who will sit next to you on an airplane; or who will be under the hair dryer next to you at the beauty salon. Don't let these opportunities pass you by.
While it may have been sheer luck that you bumped into an affable CEO, your savvy approach to networking can turn a banal exchange into a pivotal moment in your career path. Always be ready to make a contact and exchange business cards. And remember, don't hesitate to network someone who has no obvious connection to your ambitions: Your new contact may be able to give you relevant names of his or her friends and colleagues.
5. Follow Up
After you meet with a contact, it is absolutely essential to write a thank you note. Tell your contact how much he or she helped you, and refer to particularly helpful, specific advice.
Everyone - even the most high-level executive- likes to feel appreciated. In addition to immediate follow-up after a meeting or conversation, keep in touch with your contacts. This way, they may think of you if an opportunity comes up, and they will also be forthcoming with new advice. It's important to stay on their radar screens without being imposing or invasive. And, of course, if you get that new job, be sure to tell them and thank them again for their help.
6. What Goes Around Comes Around
If you want to be treated with respect, treat others with respect. If you want your phone calls and email missives returned, call and write back to the people who contact you. If you want big-wigs to make time for you, make yourself available to others whom you might be able to help out. It's that simple The higher up you climb in the professional world, the more you'll find that everyone knows everyone else. Thus, if you're impolite, curt, condescending, or disposed to burning bridges, you'll cultivate a reputation that will serve as a constant obstacle. Remember - the people who seem little now will one day be running companies and making decisions. If you treated them with kindness and respect when they were green, they'll remember and return the favor later.
7. Make It Easy For Your Contacts
When you call, meet with, or write to a potential contact, make it as easy as possible for them to help you. Explain what you specifically want, and ask detail-oriented questions.
For example, "I'm looking for jobs in arts administration. Do you know anyone who works at the Arts Council? May I have their names and phone numbers? May I use your name when I introduce myself to them?" Another entrée into a productive conversation is to solicit career tips and advice from your contact. Most people love to talk about themselves. By asking for your contact to offer valuable insight from his or her personal experiences and successes, he or she will feel important and respected. Who doesn't like to feel like an expert?
Be sure to avoid making general demands, such as, "Do you know of any jobs that would be good for me?" This sort of question is overwhelming and it puts an undue burden on your contact.
8. Stay Organized
Keep a record of your networking. Whether you do this in a Rolodex, in a notebook, or in a database file on your computer, it's important to keep track of your contacts. Make sure your system has plenty of room for contacts' names, addresses, phone numbers, companies, job titles, how you met them, and subsequent conversations you've had with them.
Alternate Ways to Find Jobs Through Networking
Based on Kathleen Conners “People Hire People” seminar 2007
Finding high level, executive jobs in today’s world can be challenging. The main tool to find these high level jobs is networking. Job listings are great for entry level positions but rarely work for more experienced workers. The HR department is not the people to work with. This page will explain how to find available jobs that are not found on the lists, and how to obtain such jobs.
The vast majority of high level job openings are found in only one place – the companies executive’s head. Rarely are these jobs advertised. Even if these jobs are advertised, the job descriptions are often not accurate. The best place to find information on employment opportunities is with the hiring manager. But how do you contact these managers? How do you find these unlisted jobs? The answer is to start a different kind of job hunt.
Instead of looking at job listings to find your jobs, look at Top 10 Lists, Awards List, etc. These lists will give you an idea of what companies are growing and therefore what companies are most likely looking for more employees. Target in on specific companies that you would like to work for. If you have experience, and are not just out of school, try to stay away from the large corporations. Everyone is looking at these companies and therefore the competition is extremely high. Also these companies love college graduates because they can get the same job done at lower wages. The middle to smallest corporations (that nobody knows about) are your best option. In addition, the larger corporations often contract their work out to these smaller companies, expanding the need for more employees in the smaller companies. Seven out of ten jobs are found in these smaller companies.
Start to build your network. Once you have a specific company you would like to work for, look at its competitors, commercial customers, and partners. These alternate groups will be in the same industry and therefore can possibly be your next employer. Do your research. Find out more information about these companies. Find out the names of the top executives and managers and their phone numbers of these companies. You usually can find these names in the press releases. If you can not find these names anywhere, look at who created the Top 10 list or wherever you saw the company’s name. Often the authors of these lists have a contact within the company you are looking at. Contact the author and ask him/her for help. Analysts are also a good resource that knows many managers within companies. After you get the company’s contact person, always ask if you can use the author’s name when you call the company. If for some reason, you still can not get the hiring manager’s phone number, call the sales department and ask for the sales manager. Sales managers always return your calls and because they are managers, they usually have the hiring managers direct phone line. Always remember to ask if you can use the names of the people who give you the next contact and when you do call the next contact, use the names if you have their permission.
Now that you have worked your way through the company without going through the HR department, you have the hiring manager on the phone. Phone contact is extremely important. Email is not effective nor is a letter. While on the phone with the hiring manager, follow these simple steps after you introduce yourself:
• Find if there are any openings within the company
• Get all needed descriptions of the current jobs so you have a clear picture of what’s needed
• Ask and listen to the current needs of the company
• If possible offer solutions as appropriate
• Get the manager’s direct email/ fax so you can send in your resume
Always be honest on the phone. It usually helps to be upfront and open about your reasons to contact these executives. They are very busy and so don’t waste their time beating around the bush as to why you called.
After conversing with the hiring manager, and if the hiring manager is interested in you, it’s now time to send your resume. When job hunting in this manner, your resume becomes an excellent follow-up tool. Tweak your resume appropriately according to your phone conversation and then write a cover letter. Your cover letter should summarize your phone conversation as well as outline your solution to the company’s problem(s). After all changes and tweaks are made go ahead and send both your cover letter and resume. It is suggested that you wait till the next day before you send this package. After you send it, be sure to call AFTER hours and leave a message telling them you sent them your resume and ask them to check their inbox. You want to call late and leave a message so that you don’t interrupt the hiring manager’s busy day.
Usually after having direct contact with the hiring manager, he/she will let you know if they do or do not need you.
However, if you do not hear back from them in a few days, call again and politely check to see how things stand. Continue to call once a week until you hear to do otherwise. Remember to keep these phone calls short so you don’t become a bother.
If when you first reach the hiring manager, you find the job has been filled or that you do not qualify for it, not all is lost. You can ask if there are any other positions available with other managers. You can ask if they will let you know when other openings come available. You can also get other industry contacts that might be looking for new employees. Also, you can check in from time to time (about every 2-3 weeks) to find any other opportunities. This also builds your relationship with the manager, bettering your chances of getting hired.
The real key is to be patient and think outside the box. If you are qualified, and present yourself professionally, this process will aid you in you job hunt.
Tips on how to contact Hiring Managers
• Pay attention to the media. Everything from the evening news, to trade shows, to job fairs, to job boards, can give you specific companies to contact.
• Universities have access to excellent job lists that are not open to the public. Usually a public library card will get you access.
• Look at which companies are making the most money in your industry to find which companies are growing.
• If you have to leave a message, be brief- ONLY leave your name, number and ask them to call you back. Especially if you are calling the sales manager to get an “insider” with the company.
• During the summer, call early in the morning as it is common for managers to leave early in the summer.
• During the winter, call late afternoon, even after 5pm as managers tend to stay later in the winter.
• Never call on Monday. Managers will already be swamped with work from over the weekend.
• Friday afternoons are the best time to call as the atmosphere will be relaxed the most.
• Holidays are excellent times to call and to be available. Typically managers are the only people working on the holidays so you will have fewer gatekeepers to deal with and the atmosphere will be more relaxed.
• Keep in contact with all the managers you can, ,even if they can’t currently help you, because in the future they might be your next employer. It also may help you once you get a job if you ever have to contact other companies as part of your daily tasks.
25 Key Probing Questions
1. What conferences, seminars, professional associations, or trade show have you attended recently?
2. What did you learn at these events?
3. Which individuals did you meet and what did you visit about?
4. Who were some of the presenters at these events?
5. What were the topics covered by the presenters?
6. Do you have any of those contacts from the events that I might contact and can I use your name?
7. Do you remember any of the exhibitors or attendees that were of interest?
8. What vendors have called on you recently?
9. What information did these vendors relate?
10. Do you happen to have a stack of vendors’ business cards that I might use for contacts?
11. Did the vendors indicate what other specific companies are doing in the industry or locally?
12. To which companies have they recently sold their product or service?
13. Would you mind giving me the vendors’ contact information so that I could visit directly with them?
14. Who are your company’s business partners and what are your company’s relationships with them?
15. Who are the company’s customers and can you tell me something about them?
16. Who are your major competitors and can you tell me a little about how they are impacting your business?
17. Do you have competing contacts or companies that I might call?
18. Do you know one of your company’s sales person or business development people I might contact?
19. In what professional organizations and associations are you a member?
20. Are you an active member and do you have a contact I can call?
21. What other professional organizations and associations do you have knowledge about, but do not belong?
22. What are some of the trade industry publications to which you subscribe?
23. Which of these publications do you think are the best for information on small businesses in the industry?
24. Would it be possible to borrow a few of them?
25. Do you receive any trade e-newsletters and would you please give me the email address?
Networking
Networking may end up being the most important activity that you conduct during your job search. A network is an interconnected group of supporters who serve as resources for your job search and ultimately your career. Some great network contacts might include people you meet at business and social meetings who provide you with career information and advice. Students often hesitate to network because they feel awkward asking for help, but it should be an integral part of any job search. Though you might feel nervous when approaching a potential contact, networking is a skill that develops with practice, so don’t give up. Most people love to talk about themselves and their jobs and are willing to give realistic and free advice.
Networking Generates Results
Looking for a job can be a challenging experience. Knowing where to look is half the battle. Jobs are found using four major categories. The chart below (obtained from LDS.org) indicates the ratios of successful in each category and where people actually look for work. Notice that where jobs are found are not always where people look. Focus on where jobs are actually found!!
Job Search Method Where Jobs Are Found Where People Look
• Advertisements / Internet 14% 65%
• Agencies / Recruiters 13% 27%
• Approaching Companies 30% 3%
• Word-of-Mouth Referrals 36% 5%
Successful job seekers strive to spend their time in each major job-searching category according to its ratio of success. People who spend their time approaching companies and using word of mouth referrals (networking) find jobs faster. Networking is key to a successful job search.
Building a Network
Building a network consists of talking to the people you know who can wither help you directly or lead you to someone else or more information. People to consider in developing your network include the following:
• Friends • Former employees
• Members of professional organizations • Former students
• Friends from you mission • School classmates
• Present or former teachers • Neighbors
• People you play sports with • Fraternity or sorority members
• Relatives • Members of your church
• Former Co-workers • Members of your social club
• Former employers or supervisors • People you know from community service
