How to Network Mutually Beneficially

Networking is likely the route to your next job… It’s more personal than applying on a stark job board, and it may help you find out about opportunities that aren’t openly advertised.

So is networking a good thing? Definitely. But there are ways to do it properly (and effectively) and ways that are just a waste of your time.

Luckily, the experienced Jeff Haden gives us 5 great networking tips. Here are my 3 favorites:

1. Give before you take. Of course you want something; you want their help. But the trick is: “never ask for what you want.” By giving your expertise and your help, you can establish a real, solid, meaningful relationship. A relationship will make them want to help you, not just an annoying person asking for help.
2. Don’t assume they care about your needs. You’re out of work and you need a job – that’s your problem, not theirs. Haden says “the only way to make connections is to care about the needs of others first.” Show them you care about them, and then maybe they’ll care about you afterall.
3. Network where it’s mutually beneficial. Yeah, having the top executive connect with you would be great, but the way to actually make a helpful connection is to find someone who can benefit from your expertise – and vice versa. So that you can follow up on #1 and #2… make a relationship that goes both ways.

Asking for Career Advice

You don’t have to do this job search alone. There are people and resources that can help you, whether it’s proofreading a cover letter, giving resume advice, writing recommendations, etc.  The tricky part is: those helpful resources are really busy too.  So how can you ask for career advice – and receive it – while making it easy (and enjoyable) for them to do? MarketMyCareer.com believes the key is to “be very specific”.  Sweet, short, and to the point is more likely to get you a response than something that takes them a while to read and figure out a reply.

• Be specific with them about what type of position you’re looking for: company size, geographical location, industry, etc.  More specifics will actually help them come up with a contact faster than being open-minded to any position.
• Ask very specific questions.  You’re more likely to get a fast email or phone call response if the questions you ask are succinct.
• Give them a time frame to respond.  If you need an answer immediately, tell them that so they can prioritize it.  If it can wait, let them know.

Why You should Apply Early to Jobs

In theory, every candidate who applies for a job has the same likelihood of landing it based on qualifications.  In reality, however, that is sadly not the case.  Research from StartWire shows that “more than one-fourth of jobs were filled with candidates who applied within the first two days of a posting”, with one half of jobs filled by candidates who applied within one week of the live posting.  So what’s the moral of the story?  Apply early!  Most of these hiring managers want to hire right away, so getting your application in early greatly increases your chances of being chosen.

Chris Forman, CEO of StartWire gives tips for how to get your resume in first.  Here are a few tips:

• “Find a friend” – When possible, find an internal contact within the company who can refer you.  If you don’t have a contact, don’t be afraid to network! (You may find these networking posts helpful for that.)
• “Plan for a daily dose of openings” – Many job sites (Indeed, CareerBuilder, etc.) will send you a list of posted ads matching your criteria.  Have these sites automatically send you a list so you can review the new openings daily and catch them early!
• “Remember: Not all jobs are posted” – Set up a job agent to help you learn about the more hidden positions.

Networking for Success

Patra Frame, founder of Strategies for Human Resources, reminds us that executives often do not make the time to maintain or grow their networks, despite considerable evidence that shows the people who are effective, consistent networkers are more successful. She guarantees that scheduling some time each week to manage your network will pay big dividends for your own and your business’s success.

Her advice dovetails nicely with that of Buzzy Gordon, in a posting on About.com Entrepreneurs titled “Effective Networking for Busy People.”

He says that the average person knows about 250 people. And each of those people knows, in turn, another 250 or so people. This means that for each new person you meet, you gain access to a potential pool of 62,500 people separated from you by just two degrees.

Imagine the odds, then, Gordon says, that out of so many people, you would NOT find at least one person who would be a source of information about a better job, additional clients or customers, a speaking engagement or writing assignment, an investment opportunity,  and much more.

It takes only a moment’s conscious decision to become a networker, he says. All it requires is a slight shift in attitude, and adopting one simple rule:

Greet each new acquaintance with an openness to learn more about that person, a willingness to help, and an offer to stay in touch.

This approach is equally applicable to every form of networking, whether in business or social contexts, and whether the encounter takes place in person or online. For more, go here.

How to be Memorable

Have you ever attended a networking event, collected a bunch of business cards, and when you go through them the next day, you can’t remember who many of the people are?

Scott Allen, writing for Entrepreneurs.About.Com offers five tips on how to make yourself memorable when meeting other people face-to-face.
For the full list, go here — but here is the most important tip:

Be fully present. Be fully engaged and fully aware of the people you interact with. You can break this down into smaller, somewhat mechanical pieces — listen well, respond promptly, maintain eye contact, etc. — but if you are truly present in the moment, those things will happen naturally. Many people only seem to be “half there,” so being fully engaged helps you stand out.