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News flash: 63% of people hired in the last year found their
job through contacts; 90% of top executives said networking was
important to their career rise in a national CEO survey; and 68%
listed networking as very important. No one said it didn't matter.
You must learn to network if you want your career to prosper. Ed,
an aerospace engineer, had no network to speak of and belonged to
no professional or civic organizations. When layoffs hit Boeing,
he had a difficult time starting over. He told me, "I guess I really
was remiss about developing a network. It didn't seem important.
I wish I'd done it, because now I don't know how to start."
He tried a few colleagues, neighbors and friends. I suggested he
contact his college's alumni office to see if they had an alumni
network in place that might help him. They did. A few alums offered
to pass on his resumé, which led him to getting a terrific new job
with Motorola.
Rachel, on the other hand, was a "Networking Queen." An executive
director for a Northwest association, she generously helped everyone
who knocked on her door. She also made professional friends as well
as contacts. Twice she's been approached by colleagues asking her
to apply for a position, when she wasn't even looking for a new
job. Both times, she landed the job. Rachel's ongoing networking
kept her visible -- she was someone people thought of when they
needed to hire a person in her capacity.
Here are some tips for you to implement:
- Start your contact list by listing everyone you DO know.
Colleagues, former employees, school friends, former bosses, friends,
neighbors, family, association executives -- anyone you can think
of. One client said she got an interview with the President of ABC
News because her mother and the president's mother spend their winters
together in the same Florida condominium complex and know each other.
Never underestimate where a great connection might come from. A
retired 65-year-old grandma seemed like an unlikely source for meeting
top-notch business contacts -- but for this client she was! Remember,
everyone knows someone and it just may be that someone who can be
of the most help to you.
To utilize your contacts effectively, don't approach any until
you are ready. A common mistake is to frantically call EVERYONE
you've ever met and say "I'm looking for a job -- do you know of
one?" Huge error! When you're not prepared you often aren't articulating
the specific job title, company, or kind of company you want to
work for.
Don't waste the networking opportunity until you are prepared.
That means having a resumé that's the best marketing advertisement
of your skills, past successes and abilities. Know what to ask,
and have a 30-second history ready that will define for the contact
the level of responsibility and duties you are qualified to perform.
Ask if they know of anyone who works at the list of companies you're
interested in. Inquire about the company's reputation, the "inside
scoop" so to speak. And ask for referrals -- people they know that
you should contact or other companies you should investigate.
- Always send a hand-written thank you note.
Emails don't count. Handwritten notes are almost a lost art, so
sending this kind of personal communication gives the contact a
very positive image of you.
Source: Book, "What to Do with the Rest of Your Life" by Robin
Ryan
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Copyright 2005 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.
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