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Experts Offer Their Tips For Fruitful Networking |
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Author: Palms Here are 10 tips from experts to make your networking fruitful:
1. Prepare an "elevator speech." Write a summary of what you want people to know about you that can be delivered in less than 30 seconds. Make it upbeat and succinct: who you are, what you do, what you're looking for. More than that, and you risk turning off the listener, says Debra Condren, a career coach and business psychologist with offices in New York and San Francisco. Since you get only one chance to make a first impression, she recommends practicing your elevator speech in front of a mirror, and then on friends, before taking it to a networking event.
2. Use your existing ties. Start by tapping existing contacts, including friends, family and ex-colleagues. Spread the word that you're looking for a job and ask if anyone has a contact who might be able to offer advice. Then make sure to ask every person you meet for two or three more referrals. ("Do you know anyone else who might be helpful for me to meet?" can be an effective question.)
3. Target trade groups. Don't waste time at big events catering to people in many industries. Join the dominant trade or industry group in your area. Preferably, it should have a barrier to entry, at least a membership fee. Consider volunteering on one of the group's committees, to meet members.
4. Show interest in others. Career experts say the secret is to stop focusing on yourself and take an interest in the other person. Ask questions and get the contacts to talk about themselves and their business experience. This is easier than you might think.
5. Don't ask for a job. It may force the other person to say no to you. Instead, seek advice, says Dan Strakal, co-author of "Better Job Search in 3 Easy Steps" and owner of Success Positioning Systems, an Albuquerque, N.M., career-services firm. People are likelier to be generous with their time if you ask for their counsel. Don't worry. If you seem qualified for an opening, they'll refer you to the right person to set up an interview.
6. Build relationships. Strangers won't put their reputations on the line for you. Build ties with a new contact before asking for help. Consider dropping a personal note to any new contact you meet at an industry event. Then follow up, perhaps with a helpful article or introduction to someone you know.
7. Don't be selfish. No matter how desperate you are, remember networking is a two-way street. If you've met with a recruiter, you can always offer to introduce him to the smartest people you know in your industry, says Melanie Mulhall, a career coach and corporate consultant in Broomfield, Colo. If you are a young job seeker with little experience, you may not be able to help a finance chief land his next position -- but his daughter might be applying to colleges and want to hear your take on a school.
8. Don't abuse relationships. There's no rule here for how many phone calls are too many. Just try to gauge if you're coming across as always looking for a favor.
9. Follow through. Nothing can kill a budding relationship faster than not writing a proper thank-you note. In many cases, you can e-mail it, but don't assume the content is any less important than in snail mail. A three-line message with a smiley face won't cut it. Keep the other person abreast of how your meeting went with someone he or she referred you to.
10. Maintain your network. Cultivate ties even when you aren't job hunting. Remember, the majority of jobs go unpublished, so you may hear of an exciting opportunity.
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