1. Concentrate on the industries in which you are interested. Networking is an effective strategy for exploring career options, gaining insider information, and learning about hiring practices. If you want to learn more about the challenges, rewards and demands of certain industries, talking to people who actually work in those fields is one of the most effective strategies.
2. Develop a well-rounded network. Contact people you already know and ask who they know in the industry you’re targeting. Your network base should be divided into two categories: personal relationships including relatives, friends, and members of social organizations in which you participate; and professional relationships including colleagues in your organization, colleagues in other organizations, members of professional associations, customers, clients and collaborators.
3. Know what you want and what you can offer. If you want others to take your job search seriously then you have to be serious about your job search. This means that you have to take inventory of you skills, be able to summarize your situation, and be able to articulate you career objectives.
4. Educate your network base. People love to feel that they’ve helped someone in need, and this is exactly the case! Ask for specific information and/or referral or recruiter contacts. Prepare in advance for what you want to ask them. Above all, communicate your needs with confidence.
5. Ask each person for more names. You must ask for referrals in order to build your network base. Set a goal of three contact names per networking meeting.
6. Keep your contacts informed of your progress. When someone takes the time to offer advice, be sure to let them know much you appreciate their help and how their support has helped you in your search.
7. Keep a record of each person you talk to, even if they say “no”. This way, you won’t duplicate a call, and can track who referred whom. Use a Networking Activity Log for this purpose.

Successful Networking: “The Rules”

DO:

• Tell people who referred them and how highly regarded they are. “Joe Smith in maintenance said you would be a wonderful resource to give me some feedback.”
• Let them know you’re considering a job change and want to “test” your résumé before you send it out.
• Ask people to take 5-10 minutes to meet with you to review your résumé and tell you if it contains the type of information that would help them decide whether someone is right for the positions you’re targeting.
• Thank each person for his/her input, even if it’s poor advice like “Your résumé should be only one page.”
• Ask each person who gives you feedback to give you a couple of names of other people who could provide you with valuable input from another viewpoint–preferably someone who actually makes hiring decisions, so you would get an opinion “straight from the horse’s mouth.”
• Prepare a few 30-second stories that summarize who you are, your experience and personal characteristics.
• Listen for needs the company has that you could meet. Mention how you have had a similar experience, and how well you solved the problem. Don’t make it sound like an interview; instead relate it to an accomplishment on the résumé. Then, ask if it is presented well in the résumé.
• Send thank-you notes. This demonstrates that you have respect for your contact’s time and that you recognize and appreciate their efforts.

DON’T:

• Ask for a job interview. Most employers aren’t interested in doing a job interview based on your call, so don’t give the impression that you currently want to come work for them.
• Take over 10 minutes, unless they ask you to stay. Instead, say something like, “I know your time is valuable, and I see we’ve taken the 10 minutes I asked for.”
• Change your résumé based on every piece of feedback you receive. Remember that everyone has different ideas – you’re looking for general feedback and will get some very good input, probably mixed with some ineffective ideas.
• Be “threatening” to people in your network. Don’t ask for feedback from someone who would be replaced by you if the company hired you.
• Act like they owe you the time; be gracious if they aren’t interested.
• Be a pest. Following up is good, but too much can make a person feel overwhelmed. Once a month by phone is enough, while thank-you notes can be sent weekly, if you have a legitimate reason.

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Before doing anything else, it is imperative that you set up a networking management system. As you build your contacts and start sending résumés and interviewing, you are going to need to maintain records or you will almost certainly get lost in the process. For instance, you may decide to send résumés that you have tweaked to specifically target a particular job. If 3 weeks later, the hiring manager asks for another copy of your résumé, you want to make sure you remember to send him an exact duplicate of the “tweaked” résumé – not your standard résumé that could confuse him and lose you the interview. You can maintain records by using a networking log that is an easy to modify MS Excel spreadsheet, a PDF, or you can set up your own index card system. (Click here for some examples of networking logs.) The important thing is that you track your contacts.

Your Networking Campaign

Write down all of the contacts you can think of. Check your address books, holiday card list, email lists, etc. Now separate your networking contacts into 3 separate categories:

1. Level 1 contacts are people who know you best. These are most likely people you have worked with or for in the past. The higher up the food chain, the better – such as senior managers, executives, etc.
2. Level 2 contacts are people you know on a more casual level, including church or civic organizations, clubs, school, etc.
3. Level 3 contacts are mostly new people you run across in your search that you think might be able to help you. For instance, if one of your Level 1 contacts says that you should give his friend, Joe Smith, a call because Joe is a hiring manager for a large company, you should add Joe to your Level 3 list.

The Process

Level 1 Contacts: You should telephone or meet with these contacts in person. Tell them you are job searching and ask if they would help you. Do not ask them for a job. If they have one available, they certainly shouldn’t keep it a secret. If they agree, as most Level 1 people would, then ask if you can send them a copy of your résumé and a few networking business cards with your contact information. Send them a formal printed résumé along with a cover letter outlining the types of positions and or businesses in which you are interested. Your contacts will take you much more seriously if they see you’ve taken the time to send them a printed copy versus an e-mail. Besides, e-mails get easily lost or deleted. A printed copy is right there in front of them. You should follow up by calling them two to three weeks later to check that they received your résumé and ask them if they have any advice, recommendations, or referrals. Make it a point to log your calls and keep the dialog going by calling them every two to three weeks to update them on your progress and keep them thinking about you and your campaign.

Level 2 Contacts: You should always meet in person with as many contacts as possible. As with all sales related endeavors, face-to-face meetings make the best impressions. However, it is understandable that you may want to reach out to your Level 2 contacts by telephone or email. As with Level 1 contacts, send them your printed résumé after determining their willingness to help you with your search. Send your Level 2 contacts a follow-up email every few weeks to inquire if they’ve run across any leads for you.

Level 3 Contacts: A Level 3 contact can be a referral from a Level 1 or 2 contact, or can be someone new you meet during your search. If you think they would be a good networking contact for you, give them a few of your networking business cards so they will have your contact information available if they find an opportunity for you.

When you hear back from any specific networking contact, you should also send them a thank you card or note. You want to let them know you are appreciative of their efforts on your behalf, and you want to encourage them to continue working for you.

Remember, execute, manage, and document your networking activities. A well-managed campaign will lead to quicker and potentially better results.

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