Networking to find jobs with people you've lost touch with
Most people realize networking is an effective way to find jobs.
But networking isn't a subject that's taught in school so not
everyone knows how to do it. In this job searching tip, we're
going to address the question of how to network with people you
haven't talked to for a while.
QUESTION FROM A SUBSCRIBER:
I have been out of work for several years, and am now looking to
get back into the workforce. I know they say that networking is
the preferred way to find jobs, buy I haven't talked to my old
network for over two years. I feel reluctant to call people I
haven't talked with in several years, since it's obvious that
I'm only calling to see about help finding a job, no matter how
I couch it. I'm over 50 which I know doesn't help. I should add
that when I first started looking (before having to stop), my
contacts weren't helpful. Is it worth trying them anyway?
-D.S.
Dear D.S.,
It always makes sense to try networking with people you already
know when looking for finding a job. Even if they weren't able
to help you a couple years ago. People are constantly meeting
new people, so people in your contacts' networks have changed
since you last talked to them and some of them may be in a
better position to help you. The average professional person has
at least 200 contacts in their rolodex. Even if you have only a
fraction of that number in yours, let's say 50, you still have
potentially 10,000 people who can help you find a job because 50
times 200 = 10,000. The key is to motivate people in your
network to make them want to help you land a new position.
You are right that when you first make contact with people you
haven't talked to for a while, at least some of them will
believe your only motivation is to get help finding a job. That
is not necessarily a bad thing. People understand how important
it is to have a job and most people in this world are
good-natured and want to be helpful. Even if you just reach out
to people in your network and explicitly ask them for help
finding a job, you will most likely get some positive responses.
However, if you want to get people to really go to bat for you
and to really think about who they might know that could help
you, there has to be something in it for them -- whether it's a
professional motivation or a personal one.
People who are really good at networking tend to be genuinely
concerned about other people and constantly looking for ways to
help people they know. When you call someone you haven't talked
to for a while, find out what's going on with them personally
and professionally. Find out what their interests are.
Networking expert Harvey MacKay developed a list of 66 questions
ranging from Spouse's name to favorite foods and sports teams.
When you're starting a relationship with someone -- or in your
case, re-starting a relationship, one of your initial goals
should be to learn about the person and their motivations and
interests. It's not really important that you get them to help
you find a job on the first phone call. If you're really looking
to maximize the value of your network, you should look to create
a relationship with the person and have a reason/excuse to talk
to them again in the near future.
Once you know some things about a person in your network, you'll
naturally find reasons to get in touch with them. If you find
out they're a Yankees fan, you might e-mail them after a
spectacular Yankee game and ask them what they thought of it. Or
if you find out they're into fitness, you might e-mail them an
article you came across about exercise techniques. These little
communications -- especially if they're thoughtful and/or
helpful -- will keep you on the person's radar screen and
they'll be more likely to think about you and your situation
when they're talking to other people they know.
If you're looking for a way to make staying in touch with your
contacts easier, we recommend checking out the
RelationshipSecure software. RelationshipSecure provides a way
to send out e-mails to people in your Outlook address book to
verify their contact information. They get an opportunity to
make any necessary corrections, and those changes automatically
update your Outlook address book. Find out more by visiting
www.RelationshipSecure.com.
It also might make sense for you to start working on expanding
your network of contacts. Now that you've gotten a sense of the
basics of networking effectively with other people, why not
apply those techniques to working with recruiters? The great
thing about recruiters is they are in the business of knowing
people who can help you find a new position. Posting your resume
on several job boards is one effective way of getting in front
of a lot of recruiters. We recommend the ResumeDirector.com
service for this. Using ResumeDirector, you enter your resume
once and then it's posted instantly on over 90 job sites like
Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, etc.
Another approach to getting in touch with recruiters is to
e-mail your resume to them. ResumeArrow.com lets you select your
geographic location and job category and send your resume to
recruiters who are looking for people like you.