The Gentle Art of Career Networking

No matter who you are, what you do, or where you went to school, you have probably been told that Networking is the key to career success.

Networking, so they say, is how you meet people of power and influence. It’s how you make them aware of yourself, your skills and what you have to offer as a human being. It’s your fast track to securing meaningful employment.

“It’s not who you are,” the gurus say, “It’s who you know.”

And although it is perfectly normal to still get a job by applying to a posting, for the most part, they are right.

The more contacts you have, the more likely people are going to trust you, respect you and want to work with you.  Networking allows you to be more than just a resume or an e mail. It allows you to be a voice, a face and a handshake. It allows you to be a person who means business.

But with all the constant hammering home of the importance of Networking in the classroom, in the office or on social media, it always boggles my mind to discover, day after day, how bad a lot of people are at it.

In order to be successful at Networking, you are required to convince someone, probably of a higher status, to “buy into you.”

What does “Buy into you” mean?

It means that you have left your Networkee with some sort of impression. They want to know more about you, who you are, what you know and what you do. It means I like this guy and want to help him. Or that girl is someone I’d be happy doing business with. It means that the person has walked away a little bit more on Team You then they were before.

If you can do that, congrats, you’re a successful networker.

What the gurus don’t tell you is that bad networking can do just as much, if not more, damage than a bad Resume or Cover Letter. A bad resume can be corrected. A bad first impression can last a lifetime.

So here are the five most common points to consider before trying to Network yourself into a better position.

Networking is Reciprocal

It is always surprising to discover how many people in our modern society have no problem asking for a hand out or a bone be thrown, but are not willing to put in any effort for it. I am constantly inundated with e mails from people wanting jobs and asking if I know anyone within certain companies. I do know people within certain companies. Quite a few.

But I don’t know you, and that is a problem.

Before you reach out and ask someone to throw you a bone, try to connect with them. Spark a conversation. Build some trust and rapport. No one likes feeling used because of the people they know. If it’s hard Intel you want, you’re going to need to convince someone that there is value in being connected with you.

 
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Someone’s Reputation Could Be On The Line

I am a Recruiter. In order for me to do business, the managers, VPs and executives that I know need to trust my instincts. My reputation is built on the quality of talent I can provide. I therefore can’t give out my contacts’ personal information to anyone who asks and hope for the best. That would put my reputation on the line. It would put anyone’s reputation on the line.

It is therefore important to show that you understand and respect that. Should someone be willing to offer their help, you will do your best to not only represent yourself, but the person helping you as well. This is why trust is important. If I go out of my way to get you an interview and you tell the female AVP of Marketing that you’d love the job but could never work with a woman, guess what, you have effectively killed both of our reputations and I may as well start looking for a new job as well.

Always Say Thank You

I believe in honour and respect. A sure fire gauge of honour is a person’s ability to show appreciation for the help they are given.

I can’t count on both hands the number of people who have reached out looking for help over the years and disappear never to be heard from again the moment they get what they are looking for. No Thank You. No Hope Our Paths Cross Again. Not even the simple courtesy of a follow-up Screw You.

Remember, Networking is reciprocal. If someone offers to put their reputation on the line and help you, regardless of the outcome, be courteous and let them know you appreciate their time and effort. A little goes a long way on this point. And, should the outcome be positive, make sure you will be there to repay the favour on the day your Networkee may need you.

Make It As Easy For Your Networkee As Possible

I received an e mail several weeks ago from a fellow I did not know asking for help finding a job and a list of companies he’d like to work for. He asked if I knew anyone at those companies. I did. But in accordance with point 2, wasn’t prepared to shell out contact information.

Instead I offered my time on the phone to discuss his Resume, get a sense of what he was looking for and at the end, see if there was anything I could do to help.  The fellow told me we couldn’t discuss via Skype because he didn’t have it and wouldn’t download it. I agreed to a call. He provided his number and told me to call him.

Let’s stop for an important piece of career advice.

If someone agrees to help you and is willing to get on the phone with you, never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, forever and ever amen, do you ask them to call you. If you can’t make the effort to call someone who is willing to help, why should they be willing to make the effort to help?

What I got out of the discussion with a 45 minute long distance bill. Not a good first impression. Not someone I’ll rush to go out on the line for again.

Know What You Want To Gain

During Post Production for Purple Squirrels, it became evident that help was needed in the sound department. Luckily I connected with an experienced sound professional with a few weeks between projects and enough kindness in his heart to hear what I needed help with.

I got on the phone and told him what the series was, what had been done, what was going to be done, etc. It was a great pitch. His response was even better:“Okay, so what do you need from me?”

In my naivety I expected that pitching the project would prompt in him the insight into exactly what needed to be done to prep for a theatrical release. Instead, what I ended up showing was my lack of formal experience. I had no idea what I needed from this man. All I knew was that whatever it was, I wanted it.

So many people make this mistake. They speak with no idea what kind of help they want or even what it is they are looking for. They assume that, if only they could explain themselves to someone more senior, they would understand. They don’t. If you don’t understand what kind of help you are looking for, no one else will.

If you tell me you applied for a Senior Marketing Manager position at my company a couple of weeks ago but didn’t hear anything back, we can work with that. I happen to know Frank who is hiring for that position and have lunch scheduled with him tomorrow. I’ll follow up and ask where he’s at with the recruit. Maybe I’ll even put in a good word if I like you.

If however, you say you don’t know how I can help, maybe you should go home, do some research and think about it. Once you know, let me know. If it’s something I can help with, I gladly will.