Job loss and the art of networking
By Kevin Press, BrighterLife.ca
I have an update from Roy. You may remember him from Job loss and the art of patience, posted last month. He’s doing well; pursuing four solid opportunities right now.
I’m not surprised. Roy is one of the more effective networkers I’ve met. By that I don’t mean he uses LinkedIn and other social media sites well, which he does. What sets Roy apart is his aptitude for face-to-face relationship building. He’s an absolute natural at one of the toughest parts of job hunting.
“Today’s job search market is very much about networking and using Internet resources for research purposes,” Roy told me. “It’s a disciplined, job-like process where you’ve got to put enough time into it every day to make it work.”
You hear that a lot from experts in this field. Approach your job hunt like it’s a job. Okay, we get that. But what if your job has been to shuffle paper around for the last 15 years? What if cold calling strangers and asking them for a chunk of their time makes you nauseous?
Roy’s met with more than 100 people. Here’s how he does it.
“You go into these networking opportunities to get information, to learn about a company, an industry, etc.,” he explained. “It’s not about saying: ‘Hey, do you have a job.’ That would be a pretty short meeting.”
Approach the discussion like it’s a fact-finding effort. You’ve got experience and a set of skills that are of potential interest to multiple employers in multiple fields. The purpose of your meeting is to learn about the industry (or part of the industry) that the person on the other side of the table works in.
Ask if your background fits. If you hear a positive response, ask for other contacts in the field. As Roy put it: “At end of the day, it’s about getting a lot of people talking about you.”
This can feel awkward. It may even feel like an imposition. It’s neither.
“Essentially, you are selling yourself and your experience, so you have to be persistent without burdening your network. It’s not a natural activity for everyone, but not putting forth the effort will likely be a worse problem in the long run.
“Timing, and ensuring you give people something for their time and attention (i.e. info, leads, news, etc.), are important considerations in this process. Just like a sales process for products or services, you want to be constantly filling your pipeline, tracking activities, recording what you learn and evaluating all contact for future effort. The more efficient you can be in finding people who can really help you, the better your chances of landing the next role.”
As Roy’s experience has shown, professionals will respond favourably. Of the 100-plus people he’s approached, Roy’s been unable to connect with fewer than 10.
“It’s not the easiest thing in the world,” he told me. “But I find that at a time like this, people are more open to seeing you … People want to help.”
For me, the toughest aspect of job hunting is not applying for jobs and not getting interviews or even not getting the job after an interview, it is the unprofessional and insensitive conduct of many HR staff and hiring managers. They do not get back to you at the time they say they will, they do not return your calls for days and sometimes they do not bother to get back to you at all. This makes job hunting very stressful. Job applicants should be treated respectfully, like potential customers.
Michael, thanks so much for your candor. It certainly is tough out there, for everyone. I’m going to take this to a couple of my HR friends. I expect what you’re experiencing isn’t unique and I’d love to know why this sort of thing happens. Stay tuned.
Michael I agree. It’s too bad so many hiring managers miss the opportunity to broaden their reach.
Something for Roy to look into is HAPPEN: http://www.happen.ca
It’s for executives in career transition. They meet weekly in different parts of the GTA and it’s a good resource to tap into. It’s set up with a presentation about something career-related then a networking session with other people who are also looking. It’s a sort of “”how can I help you?”" place. They also have online resources. It may be something to his interest. I don’t work for them, I just went to a meeting last week is all.
This is a great article! I’m pleased that Roy is doing well and on his way to finding a good fit for him. Informational interviews are a great way to make connections and learn more about a specific role or industry. I have been doing the same thing in my search and one question I ask is “What is your best career advice for someone starting out?” More often than not, it’s “Continue talking to people”. People have also mentioned that cold-calling is a bit rough but if you are a second or third connection, it’s much easier. An important aspect of networking is doing it authentically and genuinely. People are more than willing to help even in times like these, you just have to try. Be bold, make connections, and expand your network – this is an investment in your future. Something to pass along to Roy and other unemployed marketers or advertising people is the Toronto Unemployed Marketing and Advertising Group meetup. They’re meeting May 6 at 7 pm at the Duke of Richmond Pub: http://www.meetup.com/The-Toronto-Unemployed-Advertising-and-Marketing-Group
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