Networking
There are oodles of books about the virtues of networking. Advocates of networking wax eloquent at length about how networking is the only way to find a job. Well, maybe. I've gotten as many jobs responding to ads as I have networking, so I'm skeptical of the magical virtues of schmoozing. However, I have gotten positions that way, so it's worth knowing how to do.
Essentially, you take advantage of every social situation that you can. In those situations, you let people know what you're trying to accomplish, and keep your senses alert for any helpful suggestions. When you notice a helpful suggestion, you act on it. It's sort of like that "Kevin Bacon" game: you probably know somebody who knows somebody who knows the person who can hire you into the position you want. And that's true. Besides that, networking can be a great way to do research.
If you need to know what's happening in a particular industry or company, you can do the formal "informational interview" thing, or you can just ask around and keep your ear to the ground, so to speak. You might hear a casual comment that "the old man is leaving in August." If the old man is the department head, that means that they'll be a promotion from within, and a subsequent vacancy in the department. See? Now you have a new direction to pursue. Maybe the "old man" wants to hire someone so he can start training in his replacement right away? You should check it out. Call the department head and get a meeting. You never know, do you?
On the other hand, I'm leery of people who proclaim the magical virtues of networking. Maybe some people can work it as slick as they say, but most of us can't. That puts networking in the same category as the rest of what you do when you're looking for a new job: it's work that must be done. Put networking in your list of "things to do this week," and be sure that you do some networking while you're contacting potential employers, applying for advertised positions, keeping your documents fresh, and honing your skills. It's all a part of the process, and it will all do you good over the long term.
You know, the long term, when you're working in that new career? That's the ticket!
Steve
Essentially, you take advantage of every social situation that you can. In those situations, you let people know what you're trying to accomplish, and keep your senses alert for any helpful suggestions. When you notice a helpful suggestion, you act on it. It's sort of like that "Kevin Bacon" game: you probably know somebody who knows somebody who knows the person who can hire you into the position you want. And that's true. Besides that, networking can be a great way to do research.
If you need to know what's happening in a particular industry or company, you can do the formal "informational interview" thing, or you can just ask around and keep your ear to the ground, so to speak. You might hear a casual comment that "the old man is leaving in August." If the old man is the department head, that means that they'll be a promotion from within, and a subsequent vacancy in the department. See? Now you have a new direction to pursue. Maybe the "old man" wants to hire someone so he can start training in his replacement right away? You should check it out. Call the department head and get a meeting. You never know, do you?
On the other hand, I'm leery of people who proclaim the magical virtues of networking. Maybe some people can work it as slick as they say, but most of us can't. That puts networking in the same category as the rest of what you do when you're looking for a new job: it's work that must be done. Put networking in your list of "things to do this week," and be sure that you do some networking while you're contacting potential employers, applying for advertised positions, keeping your documents fresh, and honing your skills. It's all a part of the process, and it will all do you good over the long term.
You know, the long term, when you're working in that new career? That's the ticket!
Steve
Labels: information, networking
posted by Steve at
6:00 AM
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