When people are looking for
a job, I always tell them that they shouldn’t rely solely on the internet or
recruiters. Networking is critical.
The best statistics I have
found show that networking has always accounted for about 80% of all jobs;
contacting and meeting old acquaintances and friends is critical to the job
hunt.
In talking to people who
are looking for a job, many executives tell me that they don’t really have a big network. The most
common reason seems to be that people have been in the same job
for many, many years and have therefore not built up their network. But your network doesn't depend on the number of jobs you have had. Rather, it depends on the contacts you have made. Most people have a larger network than they think.
My first advice is to sit
down with your computer or a yellow pad and make a list of everyone you have
worked with, both those you have reported to and those below you. This may seem a bit excessive but
actually it will force you to think about people you know or have known. Even
people who are in tangential positions should be on the list. (This means that people who worked with you
but who may not be in the same job – for instance administrative people – can
help introduce you to people they currently work with.)
Because you haven’t spoken to or seen someone in many years, does not mean you cannot contact them. In fact, just the opposite.
Because you haven’t spoken to or seen someone in many years, does not mean you cannot contact them. In fact, just the opposite.
People should work hard to
maintain their network, but the truth is that with the exception of very close
friends, most of us lose touch with many people who could be helpful in finding
a new job. Constantly reading the trade press will help to know where people you have worked with may be now even if you are not in immediate touch with them. Even people who have left the business still have friends.
My observation is that
people are always happy to help. There
is no reason not to call someone you once knew, but who you haven’t spoken to
in a long time, even years. They will readily accept your call or email. Once, before I started recruiting, I was very
unhappy in a job. I made a list of many
people to call, some of whom I had not spoken to in many years. Everyone I spoke to expressed willingness to
help. Some actually came through, which
is what networking is about. And a few of them actually became friends with me
again.
While networking, it is
important not to come across as desperate.
Simply approach people, tell them that you have decided to move on and
wanted to contact them because you always liked them or admire their company
and would like an introduction to an appropriate person. Most people you contact would be happy to see you again, many will
give you a name, and some may even be willing to help set up a meeting.
Don't ask for an informational interview; there is no such thing.
I tell this to recent graduates who have a habit of asking for such a
thing. But even executives with many years’ experience make this request. As any good salesperson will tell you, it is
important to ask for the order – asking for an informational interview is very
passive and sounds wishy-washy. Simply asking to meet someone because you are interested in knowing their job or company
is smart, tactful – and flattering. And
flattery will go a long way to helping you.
Even if you are meeting
someone at a company and they tell you that there are no openings, it would be
appropriate to ask them who else in the company or who else they know who you
might meet. This shows that you are
strong and aggressive. It also will help expand your network.
If you meet people who you
like and who obviously like you, it is perfectly okay to ask if you can stay in
contact. They will almost always say
yes. Then, it is up to you to keep up
the contact. A periodic email, call,
even a lunch will help you. I have friends for many, many years who I met this
way.
The best advice I once received from a career counselor was "tell everyone you meet what your goal is and someone will help you." Not long after hearing this, I was at a Christmas party and met a guy whom I had never met before who asked the typical question, "What do you do?" I explained that I was serving out a long and highly advantageous severance period during which I couldn't work in a similar role, and was hoping instead to begin teaching business school courses. He responded, "Would you like to teach at Stanford?" MInd you, I hadn't taught anywhere, ever. He said, "Leave it to me. I'll invite you to speak at the Stanford-Palo Alto Rotary, where the business school dean is a regular participant. If he likes your talk, he may ask you to submit a course proposal." I talked on Twitter for Small Business. The dean was there. Three months later I was in the catalogue. I've been teaching there ever since. All from telling a stranger what I wanted to do.
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Thanks for sharing. My dry cleaner once told me he got someone a job at DDB because Ken Kaess (former Worldwide Chairman) was a customer. You just never know.
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