Professional organizations hold meetings on a regular basis—some monthly—and will frequently allow you to attend a session as a guest. For information about these meetings, call companies in your locale or search online and get the name and phone number of the local organization's president.
Attending trade shows will usually be more productive if you're planning to make a job change at a future time, since you won't be able to meet people until the next event takes place. The professional organization's president will be able to give you information about these functions as well. Contacting this person also presents an outstanding opportunity to get advice about companies to see. When going to professional meetings, you'll find it easy to meet people and strike up conversations. Many organizations, in fact, schedule time for this networking activity before a meeting begins. To remember the different people you'll meet, plan to note on a sheet of paper, or on the backs of business cards you'll be given, anything that makes an impression on you. It could be what someone looks like, a that statement the person makes, a question he asks, or a topic the two of you discuss.
If you're employed, always bring with you an ample supply of business cards. If you're unemployed, bring several copies of your resume. Be judicious, however, about how many copies of your background you hand out. You don't want to appear desperate. You can always call someone on the phone the following day to continue your networking effort.
In the event that you've just moved to a new part of the country, contacting the president of a professional organization will be an excellent way to begin your job search by launching a networking process.
Clearly, the cornerstone of networking is the development of referrals. Your pursuit of these introductions, however, shouldn't be limited to the networking strategies.
Consider anybody you speak with, regardless of the strategy that initiated contact, as a source for referrals to other companies. For example, if you're told that your background isn't appropriate for an organization's needs, ask for introductions elsewhere. Or, if a manager sends you a letter informing you that he won't be extending an offer, call to thank him for advising you and ask if he knows of openings for you at other companies.
The suggestions from these managers are especially valuable. Since they have interviewed you, they understand your abilities and personality. They can judge accurately where you will fit in at other organizations.
Unfortunately, few job-seekers take these additional steps. This costs them an immeasurable number of interviews and offers.
A further way to set up a meeting for advice—as well as to start a networking process in a specific field or industry—is to write a letter to an executive who holds a senior-level position at a company in the field or industry you're interested in. This approach will be especially helpful if you're just starting out in your career or have recently moved to a new part of the country (in these instances, job-hunters can't expect to have a wide circle of contacts to draw upon).
Begin your letter by giving a brief summary of your back ground. Be sure to include one outstanding accomplishment, responsibility, or set of strengths.
Then explain that you're writing this person because of the responsible position he holds at a company in the industry or field that you're trying to arrange interviews with companies, and that your hope is that he'll be able to suggest good organizations or people for you to contact.
Conclude your letter by stating that you'll call in a few days to see if a brief meeting can be arranged for this purpose.
When you place your follow-up call, you may reach a secretary who will ask why you're calling. Explain that you're following up on a letter you recently wrote to the person you wish to speak with. This will facilitate your call being put through.
When using this approach, some individuals won't take your call. Others will tell you that they have no idea of people for you to contact. But then there will be those people who will be sympathetic to your situation and who will want to help you. They will agree to set up an appointment, and you will have successfully begun your networking process.
If you're ever tempted to try to save time by calling people on the phone instead of writing letters when contacting executives for advice without a referral—don't. Since you're asking someone you don't know to do you a favor, you'll have much more success if you go through the trouble of writing a letter. The person you're writing to will appreciate your effort and the length you've gone to; in turn, he'll be more inclined to help you.
Granted, going on interviews for advice will be time-consuming, and you'll probably have to meet with a large number of people before you're made an offer. But meeting many people is what networking is all about. In fact, there's a saying in the employment field: "Networking works if you work it." Meet as many people as you can-your perseverance will be rewarded.
Whether you should ask your contacts to arrange job interviews for you or introduce you to people for advice and additional referrals is a matter you need to decide at the outset of your job search. Discuss this with your closest contacts and get their opinions as to which approach would be more effective. If you find that you're having difficulty getting job interviews, however, asking your contacts to refer you to people for advice is clearly the next step. Needless to say, if you're able to arrange interviews for advice with people who also work at the companies you're interested in joining, you'll be covering two bases at the same time.
Another point to consider when getting interviews through personal contacts is your need for confidentiality. If you're unemployed or if confidentiality isn't important, you're free to approach as many people as you want and to generate as much exposure as you can. Clearly, the more people who are aware of your availability, the more openings that will be brought to your attention.
If you're employed and must maintain a low profile, you'll have to be selective about the individuals you approach. One of the outstanding features of generating interviews through personal contacts, though, is the enormous ground a contact can cover for you, especially if he's well known in your field. He can call managers, describe your background, and try to find openings for you or interest managers in creating a position without revealing your identity. Ask your contacts to make as many of these calls as possible.
