Reaching Out

 

All the connections in the world won’t help you find a job if no one knows about your situation. After you’ve finished your list, start making contact with the people in your network. Let them know that why you're reaching out, if it's for a job search or just to reconnect. 

If it's a job, be specific about what kind of work you’re looking for and ask them if they have any information or know anyone in a relevant field. Don’t assume that certain people won’t be able to help. You may be surprised by who they know. 

What You Want from Networking

Networking is most effective when you have specific employer targets and career goals. It’s hard to get leads with a generic “Let me know if you hear of anything” request. You may think that you’ll have better job luck if you leave yourself open to all the possibilities, but the reality is this “openness” creates a black hole that sucks all of the networking potential out of the connection.

Although a generic networking request for a job is worse than no request at all, because you can lose that networking contact and opportunity. Asking for specific information, leads, or an interview is much more focused and easier for the networking source. If you have trouble focusing your job search, you can turn to close friends and family members for help.  Avoid contacting more distant people in your network until you’ve set clear goals.

Your References

Start with your references when you are looking for a job. Your references are major networking hubs, because they should be the people who like you and can endorse your abilities, track record, and character.

  • Contact each one of your references to network about your possibilities and affirm their agreement to be your reference.
  • Describe your goals and seek their assistance.
  • Keep them informed on your job search progress.
  • Prepare them for any calls from potential employers. 
  • Let them know what happened and thank them for their help regardless of the outcome.
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