Five Tips to Jump Start Your Network
If you’ve recently lost your job and you haven’t stayed in touch with your network, here are some strategies to help “reboot” old relationships and make new connections.
Get organized
Get your job search documents,rolodex, outlook contacts, recruiter contacts, etc. in order before you begin making any calls. Job seekers accumulate a lot of stuff…documents, business cards, phone numbers, etc. quickly, so find an electronic or paper-driven method for organizing information.
Make a list
Who do you know and how are you connected to these people? Make a list and categorize the list into three groups of people. Group 1 are people in your immediate world; your friends, family, neighbors, accountant, doctor, dentist, etc. Group 2 people are those that have direct connections into companies you are interested in. Group 3 people are directly connected to open positions such as recruiters and hiring managers. Once your list is made you can prioritize contacts and strategize who to contact when.
Create Visibility
If your network is a bit on the lean side, join a professional organization, community group, sports team, volunteer affiliation or online community/blog. Become a giver and share information to create credibility and reciprocity within the community.
Attend Events
Audit professional and social events that allow you to connect with others and make informed decisions regarding which events to attend. Don’t attend one event because it’s free and decide not to attend another event because there is an entrance fee. Research the potential of each event and try to determine which will give you the most “bang for the buck.”
Get Busy
Job search is a full time job and your greatest time committment should be given to networking. Plan to spend 28 hours of your “35 hour” work week building and following up on networking leads.
Barbara Safani, M.A., CERW, NCRW, CPRW, CCM
http://www.careersolvers.com
This CollegeRecruiter.com Blogswap article is courtesy of Recruiting.com at http://www.Recruiting.com and CollegeRecruiter.com at http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students and recent graduates who are searching for internships and entry level jobs.
Network illustration: paul.ellerman via flickr
Some great points but emphasis the usage of the new methods of blogs and social networks like Linkedin. The leaders are there already and everyone else should be too!
Good comment. Online social networks and blogs are indeed great ways to build your network.
The points in the post are the “what to do”; the “how to do it” definitely includes online stuff, but since not everyone’s there yet, not by a long shot, old-fashioned methods still need to be part of the mix.