Author: Rebecca Metschke
I feel your pain. Networking. The very word conjures up all sorts of negative connotations for some people. To them, networking is kind of like an unpleasant medical procedure… you know you’ve got to do it—it’s for your own good—but that doesn’t make it any less loathsome.
Here’s a secret, though. There’s a lot more to “networking” than cocktail receptions or business mixers.
That should be good news to those of you who don’t enjoy those types of settings – and consequently probably don’t get as much out of them as your counterparts who do.
Instead of “networking,” think in terms of “conversation.”
Suddenly, the horizons broaden. It isn’t just about formal business gatherings. There are scores of opportunities (every week, maybe every day) for you to talk with people who might be able to help you with your search.
Any time you come into contact with someone, you have an opportunity to chat, right? Whether it’s a person you know well or someone you’re meeting for the first time, you have a chance to gather some information that might be relevant, or to plant a few seeds regarding your job search.
You needn’t fill the entire conversation with talk about your search. Listen. Learn. Ask a key question here or there.
Too many candidates fail to take advantage of the many networking possibilities right in front of them.
Who knows where your next lead may come from? It could be friends or acquaintances you see every week at church. Maybe it’s other parents at your kid’s soccer game. The person working next to you at the food bank where you volunteer. They can’t help you, though, if they don’t know you’re looking for work. Do they? Is there something specific they might be able to assist you with?
Then there are random interactions. Sometimes they can pay off in a big way—but you won’t know if you don’t try. Say there’s a long line at the coffee shop. You strike up a conversation with the person standing next to you and find out you have a mutual acquaintance. That icebreaker leads to an exchange of contact information and a tip about upcoming hiring. Or an introduction to someone who can help you get one step closer inside a company you’ve targeted.
It’s a small world. Leads are everywhere… sometimes all it takes is a casual conversation to uncover them.
Still feeling shy? People love to talk about themselves. Ask a question that’ll give the other person that chance. It’s a reliable engine to start a conversation. (By the way, you’ll also be perceived favorably.) Double bonus.
And you may walk away from that chat with a gold nugget.
Purposeful conversation… not painful networking. Try it.
Rebecca Metschke helps professionals improve their marketability. The author of The Interview Edge (www.TheInterviewEdge.com/), a comprehensive career guide to career management, she also writes a daily blog posting strategies, tips and advice for those whose careers are in transition (The Interview Edge Blog).