Job Search Networking: When Do I Spill the Beans?
When networking to get into the hidden job market, I think we’ve all worried how to answer the question “When do I tell people that I’m looking for a job?”
Some say you should wait until you’ve known someone a while or have done them a favor.
I think you can do it right away when you do it the right way. I hope this audio will help you feel comfortable letting people know you’re in job search.
Hate Job search Networking? 10 Tips to Help You Hate It Just a Little Less
1. Look at networking as a way to increase your knowledge about your industry and function. You’ll learn things that will differentiate you from the competition who aren’t bothering to create a network.
2. Network to create relationships. Network with people even if you don’t think there is a job available right now. This is the way you’ll find your next job. Plus it can bring you every job after that. You may never need to be in job search mode again.
3. Be willing to help other people. And make that clear by always asking “How can I be of assistance to you?”
4. Play to your strengths. Use the skills that make you successful in a job to help make you successful in networking. Do what you do best: if you’re detail oriented, do lots of research. If you’re marketing professional, create sound bites about what makes you a great candidate.
5. When people offer to help (and more than you might think will be very willing to lend assistance), let them. Protests like “Oh, no, I couldn’t ask you to do that” aren’t necessary nor flattering to either of you.
6. Be willing to ask specifically for what you want. I know that can be hard. However, if you don’t, the other person has to do the work to try to figure out how to help you.
7. Be willing to be yourself. You don’t have to embellish or fabricate; you’re great just the way you are, even if you haven’t had much confirmation of that recently.
8. Treat any networking encounter like a business meeting even if it’s a phone call, email exchange, on line or in person. Don’t forget to bring your personality and unique style.
9. Listen, listen, listen. ‘nuf said.
10. Thank them, write to them, keep them informed, stay in touch, remember them.
And an extra:
Create good career karma by connecting people to each other for their benefit even if there isn’t anything in it for you at the time.
Meetings, Meetings, I'm Drowning in Job Search Networking Meetings!
When you first start to network in your job search, you’ll hear about a lot of meetings that sound as though they would be useful for you. However, you probably won’t be able to attend all of them—or benefit from attending all of them. Often job seekers are encouraged to go where every other job seeker is going. That may not be the best strategy for you. Being very selective and strategic about where you spend your time can accelerate your job search.
I’ve had job seekers tell me they are spending many hours a week in meetings. But they don’t feel they are getting much value
The first step is to understand why you are considering attending ANY meeting. Is it to meet other people in job search? Is it to learn more about job search tactics? Sometimes meetings in these categories can be helpful, and if you’re benefiting, that’s great.
However, if you’re not feeling excited and energized about your job search after these meetings, consider skipping them. Or at least cutting down on the time you spend in them.
The following might be more useful questions to decide which meetings are worth your time. Is it to meet influential people in your field? Are you looking for people who just seem to know everyone in your industry/career so you can expand your networking contacts? Do you want to have an opportunity to meet people at the right level to hire you?
How to find out if a meeting is right for you:
• Be really honest in deciding what you want from a meeting.
• Ask about the people who typically attend.
• Talk to the organizer and people who have been to this event before.
• Check out the speaker, not just to see if you are interested in the topic but also to see if it might be someone you would like to meet.
Then you can determine:• If this is the place where you will find the appropriate people for to network with,
• If there will be the kinds of people who would be able to hire you,
• If these other people attending might know the other people you’d like to meet,
• If you might meet people at this meeting you will want to call for information and/or advice, etc.
Then you’ll know there is a high probability you’re going to a meeting where you will meet the best people for your networking efforts.
Hidden Job Market: How Tim Got In!
Tim Collins is founder and President of Toronto-based Stafflink Solutions, a full service permanent and contract IT recruiting firm. I’m delighted to have had a chance to talk to Tim Collins recently about how he got 4 jobs through the hidden job market mechanism. And how networking has helped his company, Stafflink Solutions, have its best year ever!
Please listen to Tim’s great tips and ideas. They are fabulous. Start implementing the ones you like right away–no reason to delay. Enjoy!
Click for a transcript of this interview so you can refer back to all his techniques!
I highly recommend his blog for job seekers: http://www.stafflink.blogspot.com/
Job search networking: How to get really good at getting past the gatekeepers
It can be very frustrating and/or intimidating to want to talk to someone in the course of job search networking, only to have the gatekeeper shut you down. Most advice is to try to get around the gatekeeper or get past them as quickly as possible. This article is about doing the exact opposite, and the tremendous rewards you can get when you try it this way.
I’d like to encourage you to stop trying to get past a gatekeeper. In reality, these people are not a fierce negative force. They can be your best ally in getting what you want—a meeting with the boss.
Make the receptionist a friend. Make the assistant a friend. Remember and use their name. Have some sympathy for their job and busy day and tell them so. It doesn’t take long. You can benefit from the fact the people who are typically thought of as “gatekeepers” are actually real people. You can also benefit from the fact that most job seekers calling for a meeting don’t bother to make the gatekeeper a friend.
Be ready with a brief and truthful statement about why you want to talk to their boss. Let them know you just need a few minutes. You’ll be amazed at how helpful some of them will be.
Will everyone try to help you? Probably not, but see how high a success rate you can get. If they don’t, then you can network in other ways to meet the executive. But don’t say anything negative to either of them. If you underestimate the power of the assistant, you could just end up as toast.
I typically call very senior executives during the course of my recruiting. I write down the assistant’s name as soon as I hear it (my brain cells seem to be dying at an alarming rate these days!). By taking time to remember the assistant’s name and being truthful (and brief) about why I was calling, I found a lot of them went out of their way to get me some time on the boss’s calendar.
Whenever possible I compliment the executive on their assistant, and email the assistant my sincere thanks. I’ve never regretted taking a few minutes to make them a friend.
In one case I called an executive three times. The assistant and I had fun brief conversations each time. The first two times, the assistant told me she would give her boss the message, but he didn’t call. The third time she went in to his office and told him he had to take my call! How much better than that does it get?
Everyone you talk to is a networking contact. Instead of rushing to “get past” take a few moments to create a relationship.
I hope this helps in your job search networking into the hidden job market.
I hate small talk! 7 Essentials for Job Search Networking
I will freely admit that in addition to being a reluctant job search networker, I also hated small talk. Slam bam whammy a double curse!
When I became determined (ok, desperate) to learn how to do networking in ways that felt comfortable for me, I started interviewing people who were master networkers. That research is how I learned all the networking secrets I love to share.
Since that strategy worked so well to learn how to network, I decided to take the same approach to learn how to do small talk. I didn’t expect to learn to like small talk, just to learn some ways to sound as though I liked it. As I learned some techniques that actually worked, I started to like small talk in spite of myself!
Let me share some of what I learned, just in case you hate small talk, too!
First I had to learn and then accept there is a purpose to small talk. It gives you and the other person a chance to find something that you have in common. That is the beginning of building a relationship. And you’ll want to be a master of creating a relationship quickly since they are the foundation of your job search networking success.
So here are some quick tips to make small talk easier for those of us who kinda hate it and/or don’t do it particularly well.
• Make your first remarks quite neutral and non-threatening. Remember, the purpose of opening remarks is to let people process the sub-text that says you like them.
• Say something relevant to the situation. You may build agreement right away. For example, you may say “Beautiful place for this event, isn’t it?” This would encourage your conversational partner to start agreeing with you from the first moment. This is good!
• Say something pleasant, complimentary or empathetic because your first sentence is 100% of their experience of you at that point. If your first comments are boastful, complaining, negative or sarcastic (no matter how witty or intelligent), that will be their impression of you, and it will be a difficult task to change that impression.
• You will find that acknowledging them for something they have done is a powerful way to melt the ice.
• Say something that is easy to agree with. This provides sub-text that says “we agree, we’re alike, we have something in common. We can now move on to more meaningful conversation.”
• Save your jokes, strong opinions, clever remarks for when you know the person better. The sub-text here says “look at me; appreciate me.”
• You want your sub-text to say “I see you and I appreciate you.” Keep that thought in your head and it is conveyed easily in your small talk.
I know these may seem to be in the “well, duh” category. But I’m always amazed at how they help me feel a little more like a smooth schmoozer. I hope they help you if you hate small talk, too!
Job Search Networking for Introverts & Extroverts: There’s hope for all of us!
Introverts may think they cannot do networking. Yes, they can. And in a way that works for them.
Extroverts may not recognize just how many networking skills they have—and how to best leverage them.
Introverts: Your Unique Strengths
• You are sensitive to what’s happening around you and can pick up and relate to other people’s needs and feelings, resulting in others sensing you are empathetic.
• You come across as thoughtful and focused because you take the time to think before you speak. You are often able to quickly develop rapport and trust.
• You are skilled at sensing how to respond to people most effectively.
• You don’t always feel as though you need to be talking, making you are an excellent listener.
If you’re introverted:
• Realize that you have great information, and other people want and can use what you know.
• Give yourself permission to network in ways that make you comfortable. Remember that some of the most effective networking is done in a venue in which introverts shine – one-on-one.
Extroverts: Your Unique Strengths
• You are at ease with small talk and can easily engage others in conversation.
• You think things through by talking, so people know what’s going on with you.
• Because you ask easily for what you would like from the other person, you tend to get more of what you want.
• You are an excellent brainstorming partner because don’t force yourself to think things through before speaking.
If you’re extroverted:
• Because you are self-confident and can easily talk to people, be on the lookout for those times when you will want to ask other people a question. Find out what they want to talk about and get a sense of how they are feeling.
• Remember to switch gears beyond the social aspects where you clearly shine to take advantage of making connections and leveraging the job search networking possibilities.
Job Search Networking: Two Essentials—and Neither is Your Resume
The hidden job market really isn’t all that hidden.
It’s actually right in front of you, and all you need to do is network your way in. You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to assist. You can accelerate getting into the hidden job market when you are prepared for networking.
So if you’re going to a networking meeting—coffee with someone, an association meeting or conference where you will meet people who can hire you, an informational interview phone call—please have these things in place first.
First create your search strategy.
I’m amazed at how many people ask to talk to me about their job search without having defined who they want to meet, companies they would like to work in, etc.
I was talking to one job seeker and told her that I was really unfamiliar with her job function. But I might know people in her target companies so could perhaps help by introducing her. I asked if she had a list of companies where she wanted to work. What was her strategy?
Her response was that she was hoping she could just network and not have to create a strategy. When you have a strategy defined, you know exactly what to ask for. One way to guarantee they won’t be able to help you is to say, “Well if you hear of anything I might be interested in, let me know.”
Creating a strategy takes some time and perhaps some introspection and honesty. It’s time well spent.
The second essential is your career brand.
This is how you become memorable. By having your brand statement, you help people talk about you! You stand out and capture their attention.
Sadly and surprisingly, most job seekers today cannot tell a recruiter, hiring manager or networking connection what is compelling about them—what makes them the candidate to hire. In today’s economic climate, it may feel as though experience and skills are just commodities. What can put you in the lead, make you memorable to your networking contacts and irresistible to the hiring manager is all built around your brand.
If you are struggling to create your brand, please get my free report available on my blog.
It shows you how to have others help you uncover your brand–easier and you get some networking in at the same time! Please try it.
Job search networking: Why you must meet people outside your function!
It goes without saying that as a job seeker you must create a networking opportunities with those at the right level and in the right position to hire you. At the same time, you can significantly accelerate your search by networking with people who might not initially seem to fit that criteria.
Consider networking with people who are outside your function and at least one level above you.
Here are some of the advantages of this strategy:
- You will learn the language of a different function and how to translate all the great things you did and can do for a hiring company into terms that will resonate with senior management. The language of most executives is financial, yet it may not be easy to translate what you’ve done into financial terms. You may not have previously been able to identify the financial impact of things like improving employee satisfaction, developing new training programs, bringing projects in on time, etc., or even things like doing layoffs without any employee suing the company.
- You will get to hear some of the issues of a company from a senior perspective. You might not hear about these issues from people at lower levels. And best of all? You have information other job seekers don’t have!
- When you’re networking with these executives or interviewing with them, you’ll be able to explain how what you can do to help the company solve their issues. It’s a great way to position yourself as someone unique. I’ve seen these conversations lead to the creation of a position just for that person. It can happen.
These conversations are great ways to make connections and build relationships of credibility. These people will be more likely to open their network to you and introduce you to more great networking partners. You’ll be networking with the in-crowd!
You will have some great networking conversations while you’re learning how to translate what you do into a language that will make you stand out from other candidates.
This strategy pays off even if you are already working.
When I worked at the software development company, I didn’t know any better and spend a lot of time asking a lot of questions of the executives. Every time they had a new issue, I would propose some solutions. I got several promotions (and raises—remember raises?) to implement those solutions.
Expanding your networking strategy to include people you might not otherwise connect with and watch the number of opportunities that come to you expand as well.
Job search networking: They never got back to me!
It can be difficult to know what to do when people who offer some kind of help for your job search and then don’t follow through.
I’ve found that if people offer to help you, they almost always intend to do it. And then there is that big thing that can get in the way of those good intentions–life.
When people offer to do something, be sure to thank them. Then ask some questions so you know what they really intend to do. This also gets them to start thinking about really doing it. Often I’ve found that people say they will follow up with a colleague to introduce you but don’t really think about what or when specifically they will do it. So they just honestly forget.
And of course sometimes these offers are a lot like those promises to “call you for lunch—really soon.” So get specific to find out if this is a real offer or just an air kiss.
A few easy questions will help. Maybe questions like “are you sure you have time to do that?” or “I’ll want to follow up with them right after you’ve contacted them. Will you let me know when you’ve connected with them? Or do you recommend I just plan to call them on Wednesday? Should I call you later this week to follow up?” You get the idea.
Many times (most times, actually) I’ve seen job seekers say something like “OK, thanks.” It’s almost as though the job seeker is afraid if they keep talking the person will change their mind. Or they are thinking “OK, got one. Now need to move on to someone else to talk to.”
You just need to ask some questions to make this work for you. You might feel that asking for specifics is being pushy or might sound ungrateful. As long as you don’t grill them under hot lights, I have found that some follow up questions from you makes the other person feel you are excited about what they have promised to do.
When you just say “thank you” and then just change the subject or move on to the next person at the meeting, it might give the person an impression that their offer wasn’t all that attractive to you.
Think of it like getting a present. When you just say thank you and that’s all, I might think you aren’t all that crazy about the sweater I knit for you. When you try it on, ask me how I fit the sleeves so well, I feel you really like what I’ve done. Help me feel you like the idea I’m going to do something that will help your job search.
If these questions about the specifics don’t you get specifics in return, I would assume the other person is making an offer they aren’t going to follow through on, and just lower my expectations. Then if they actually do follow through, it’s like an extra present. One that really fits.
