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A Guide to Finding Structured-Networking Groups |
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Author: Palms
ExecuNet based in Norwalk, Conn., describes itself as a career-services group for executives earning $100,000 or more annually. It runs 60 to 65 meetings a month in more than 45 cities. Typical attendance is 20 to 30. Some meetings are devoted to networking; some have speakers. Facilitators are executive coaches or career counselors. Admission runs from $20 to $50 per meeting for nonmembers.
Employed and unemployed executives from all functional areas are welcome. "It works well if you have a mix," says chief executive officer David Opton. "The fact that I'm from human resources doesn't mean that I don't know general managers. People have left meetings with leads that turned into job offers, and people have made lifelong friendships."
Paul Wigsten, an information-technology executive in Trumbull, Conn., says executive recruiters attend occasionally and will describe their searches when speaking with participants during the structured-networking segments. While Mr. Wigsten belongs to several networking groups, mainly in the IT field, "when I go to ExecuNet I'm likely to meet former presidents and CFOs," he says.
The Five O'Clock Club is a membership organization offering career-coaching and outplacement assistance. At branches in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, the club offers weekly meetings that include:
lectures by career coaches;
an "information exchange" that allows attendees to ask for referrals to contacts in particular industries; and
break-out sessions led by a coach, in which participants practice and discuss their "two-minute pitches" in small groups.
Members who don't live near cities with a branch can participate in an "insider" distance-networking group. They receive audiotaped lectures and participate in weekly conference calls with six or seven people at similar career levels. Not-for-profit executive Charles Carnahan of Boston describes practicing his introductory speech during conference-call sessions. "I'd say I had an interview and didn't get far," he says. "They'd ask me how my two-minute pitch was and provide support and helpful criticism."
The club's methodology is based on survey research on job hunting directed by president Kate Wendleton, who created the audiotapes. The club encourages new members to buy her books on various aspects of job searching, including techniques for planning searches, setting job targets, getting interviews, and turning interviews into offers.
"Our research can tell you how many contacts you need and how many positions you have to target to do a search in a reasonable timeframe," says Dr. Bayer. "Our methods significantly cut your search time."
One survey by the club prior to the economic downturn showed that members needed eight to 10 meeting weeks on average to find jobs, compared with several months for nonmembers at similar levels. "People tell me it's more like 10 to 12 weeks now," says Dr. Bayer.
Membership is $49, and meetings (live or phone) are sold in bundles. Members earning over $100,000 pay more per bundle than those earning less, and are placed in groups led by more senior coaches. Those earning over $200,000 are in another category. Members are encouraged to negotiate directly with the coaches for one-on-one training, for which the club receives no income. They can contact other members or alumni through the club's database.
The Financial Executives Networking Group, a national organization headquartered in Weston, Conn., has been so successful that it served as a model for the Technology Executives Networking Group and others.
The FENG and TENG don't charge membership fees, but prospects must be recommended by a member. However, FENG chairman Matthew Bud adds: "If they don't have a sponsor we'll find them one. Chances are they know someone in the group."
Members of the FENG are expected to have at least 15 years of experience and be at a chief financial officer, controller or treasurer level. About a quarter of applicants are turned down, mainly for lack of seniority.
The FENG has about 50 chapters and 30 special-interest groups, which solicit and circulate job leads in addition to holding meetings. All are organized and run by members. "Everybody helps somebody else," says Mr. Bud. "At any point in time you may take more than you're giving, but at some point you'll give more than you take, and we're willing to wait you out." Leads -- and donations -- often come from members who have found jobs.
Mr. Bud, who runs a Darien, Conn.-based company providing interim financial executives and consultants, mails FENG members an e-mail newsletter of leads and search advice several times weekly. "You find senior people in their 40s and 50s who have had good careers but haven't changed jobs a lot, so they're totally unaware of how to find them," he observes.
The FENG expects members to contact other members via the group's database, and to share job leads even if they're candidates for the positions. Its Web site notes, "Keep in mind that you are never the only candidate. If a recruiter is going to submit other names, they may as well be friends of yours."
Forty Plus groups are autonomous, sharing only not-for-profit status. They seek managers, executives and professionals over the age of 40 earning at least $40,000 a year as members, although executive director Ron Mulvaney of Forty Plus of Southeastern Wisconsin says, "We've never carded anyone." Membership in some clubs is free, while others might charge $200 to $300 for a basic package of services.
The groups commonly publish their members' names and profiles online. Forty Plus of Philadelphia provides links to other chapters. Forty Plus of Houston, one of the few chapters with professional staff, is a cooperative; members commit to giving two six-hour days a week during their job searches. The stints include conducting job-seeker group-training sessions on Mondays and another day of administrative work. Prerequisites for joining are an intensive one-week career-management class and a vocational assessment given by professional trainers.
"We teach people how to network, train them in ways of marketing themselves, and teach them all the techniques -- resume writing, interviewing, negotiation -- having to do with job search," says Barbara Lowery, the Houston chapter's executive director. "If you learn to feel good about it, you'll network without fear."
Forty Plus of Houston surveys members on techniques they used to find new positions and uses that as a basis for its training. "Members who have found jobs come in and answer questions," Ms. Lowery says. "Our training is based on their experience." She reports that 88% of members "go out to jobs better than they've had," often with the help of these graduates.
With members handling administration, marketing, IT, database maintenance and coaching, Forty Plus of Houston provides comprehensive outplacement services, which it offers to employers laying off staff as well as to individuals for a fee. "We're less than half the price of the cheapest outplacement because we're nonprofit," Ms. Lowery says.
Forty Plus of Southeastern Wisconsin, headquartered in Brookfield, is an all-volunteer organization that relies on donations. It holds weekly meetings in several area cities; typically eight or nine people attend.
"We discuss the nitty-gritty of our job searches, and where we're stuck and need help," Mr. Mulvaney says. While services are free, "we insist on three things," he says. "Attendance won't be optional, they have to let us know when they find a good paying job, and after that we want them to let their employer know that there's a pool of professional talent available at no cost."
The group is affiliated with a free Wednesday night meeting for job hunters called the "Dr. William Needler Job Forum." Meetings usually include speakers on various topics. One recent meeting included a presentation by a 57-year-old man who landed a job in four weeks by presenting his age as an asset.
Professional Area Network for Women in Technology (PANW, pronounced Pan-W) of San Mateo, Calif, serves women in Silicon Valley's high-tech industries. "Talented women come to the Valley and need the opportunity to be networked. They're not trying to compete with each other. A lot of nurturing goes on," says board member Maggie Canon.
The group meets monthly, typically offering speakers and then breaking up for exercises and 30-second speeches. Meetings cost $25 for members and $45 for nonmembers, while membership is $50 if you're a student or unemployed and $100 if you're working.
PANW seeks corporate sponsors -- International Business Machines Corp., Oracle Corp. and PeopleSoft Inc. are among the early ones -- and women in high-level positions as speakers. "We need female role models," says program chair Laurie Dieck. Bringing senior executives to meetings, she points out, provides opportunities for informational interviews.
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