Is Networking Real or Fake?

One of the many reasons people give for not networking is that it's fake. When I suggest that you simply go in to gather information, expand your network, be seen and remembered, but NOT to pitch for or dig for a job, most people state that everyone knows you're really looking for a job and therefore believe that the whole network process is fake. 

Well yes, when you're out there networking you are ultimately looking for a job.  And on the rare occasion when someone uncovers a live one through networking, that's great.  But the immediate goals of networking are to...

• gather information 
• expand your network
• get to know more people and 
• enroll them as part of your search network - your cheering squad

You are out there to be seen, and assuming you make a good impression and nurture your network (meaning stay in touch) you will also hopefully be remembered.

AGAIN, the job I now sit in came through a network contact who sent me an e-mail to let me know about a  a new job posting in the field (in other words, not at her company).  When I me this new network contact  three months prior to receiving that e-mail, I knew there were no open positions in her department.  I went in just to meet someone new and expand my network.  I had no clue that this would be the network contact that would lead me to my new job.

The key to networking is to remember that it is an informational interview - NOT a job interview.  The fastest way to kill your networking is to ask contacts if they have any jobs.  If the answer is no you've just stopped the conversation cold. Even if the answer is yes, if you're not the right match it may be hard to transition over to a pure networking conversation.

If I've written it one time, I've written it 500 times - PEOPLE HATE TO BE PUT ON THE HOOK FOR A JOB.  PEOPLE LOVE TO GIVE GUIDANCE AND ADVICE.

So get out there and mingle with purpose.  Go in prepared to talk about who you are, what you're targeting and have a list of questions in hand...questions about the field, the industry, how the person you're meeting with got their job or the skills that are critical for success in that arena.  Your goal should be to leave with new information - the names of one or two new people for you to contact, perhaps some information about a new company or position to consider, and maybe some feedback on your resume.

We all know that the ultimate success at the end of this process is a new job.  Success along the way comes with every new network contact you meet.

Look in the Mirror - What do you see?

Great Suit BUT Why That Tie?
I interviewed a candidate the other day who, at first glance, portrayed a very professional image.  He wore a nice blue suit - not navy or powder blue - almost a slate blue.  Very sharp and well pressed.  He had on a nice light blue shirt that also looked fresh and well pressed.  White or a pale blue work well for interview shirt colors.  His shoes were polished, his nails were clean.  I thought he made a great first impression, until I focused on his tie.  It was a pale blue, darker than the shirt and lighter than the suit.  The color itself was a great match.  The issue - the tiny martini shakers and glasses that created the pattern.  They were indeed tiny so I didn't notice them at first.  When I did, my view of this candidate changed. 

Look Sharp But Save the Personality Statement
Wearing a tie like that can send a lot of different messages.  While it may be playful, it could also convey 'I love to party' or 'I love to drink'.  And, if I were a teetotaler or have had problems with alcohol in the past either personally, with an employee or co-worker, that tie could knock him right out of contention and he wouldn't even know that that's what got in his way.

Some 'no-nos' in interview attire...
For women: no short skirts, no tight or low cut blouses, no patterned stockings, avoid very high heels and some would suggest no sandals or open toed shoes, no large or distracting jewelry especially dangling earrings and bracelets that click when you move your arm, no black or day-glo nail polish, subtle make-up.

For men: no short sleeve shirts that show 5 inches of arm when you bend your elbow, no short socks that show 5 inches of hairy leg when you cross your legs, no power ties in pink or yellow, no beige suits (even in summer), and no funny ties!

For all:  no perfume or aftershave (you never know who might be allergic), no shoes that you just wore in the garden or clothes that should have gone to the dry cleaner or been ironed before you put them on.

REMEMBER to check dress code in advance if possible and, should they say business casual, dress on the high side of casual.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Cyberspace Crisis

Beware! They are out there and THEY ARE CHECKING UP ON YOU!

While people often suggest that comments in cyberspace can cause a crisis in job search, there is no doubt that employers are checking Facebook, Twitter and other places in cyberspace where people forget that they are currently or may one day be involved in a job search.  The Director of Career Services at a large community college told me that a panel of corporate recruiters said they always check popular social networking sites before they even call a candidate on the phone for a screening interview. If they see questionable tweets or pictures, they simply move on to the next resume. 

So please use discretion when sharing information in a tweet or on your Facebook wall.  One slightly questionable comment or picture may knock you out of contention for a great job and you won't even know it!  One picture is worth a thousand words, and the words you want to avoid are 'NO WAY'.

COVER YOUR TRACKS
Google yourself and type your name into PIPL right now. Go back and delete everything you can in terms of pictures and posts that may not portray the image you want potential employers to get when they check you out on-line.  This is such a big issue that there are new services for on-line reputation management. 

Make sure you show your best you on paper, in personal and in cyberspace! 

My Network Web

The anatomy of a successful job search based on networking. It all began at our neighbor's annual New Year's Day gathering.

Here's the short story...

 * an acquaintance at a party introduced me to her husband who used to work at a university I was trying to network into

 * he e-mailed his colleagues on my behalf and they agreed to meet with me

 * I had network meetings with two senior staff members in Career Services
   
 * my niece connected me to her best friend's father who happens to be the Director of Career Services at a major university

 * who connected me to one of his Associate Directors

 * who met with me to give advice and support and sent an e-mail to me several weeks later when she learned about an opening at the university the husband above had helped me network into

 * I applied on-line for the position and sent an e-mail to the person I'd networked into to let her know I'd applied on-line for the position

* 4 months from the time this network web began at that holiday gathering, I received a great job offer  

And the expanded version...

Step One:  I run into a woman at a holiday party for whom our middle daughter used to babysit.  We exchange info about who is doing what, and I mention that our son is a freshman at Rutgers.  She gets very excited and says, 'You must meet my husband, Patrick.  He took a job at Rutgers last September.'  She tells me to stay where I was so she can bring him over to introduce me.  After about 10 minutes I notice that she and her husband are chatting with someone else, and as my husband is ready to head out,  I wander over just to say a quick hello and my goodbyes.  Patrick and I start to talk and, remembering that social occasions are a good place to connect but not necessarily do business, I ask if he'd be willing to meet me during the week to give me some advice on my job search.

Step Two:  Patrick and I meet for a drink a few days later.  I ask him a few questions and for his advice about making the transition from the corporate sector to higher education.  We talk about my background and skills, my age and how it might impact my search and where I'd best fit in on a college campus.  In that I already have solid contacts into career services at Rutgers, he offers to contact some of his colleagues at Pace University on my behalf.

Step Three:  Patrick sends me an e-mail giving me the go ahead to contact the Director of the Career Services at Pace in NYC and the Executive Director of Career Services who oversees all of the Pace Career Centers.  I schedule an appointment to meet with each the following week.

The Scenario - I knew there were no openings in Career Services at Pace.  The point of going in was to be seen, make new contacts, be referred, pick up some new information, guidance and advice.  The fact that there was no opening made it easier to simply connect with someone in the field I was targeting to move into.

Step Four:  On January 26, I meet with Maxine Sugarman, the Director of Pace University Career Services in NYC.  We have a very productive meeting during which I explain my rationale for targeting a position in higher education, the benefit I would bring coming from the corporate sector and get some great suggestions about my search strategy.  Maxine and I 'hit it off'.  I feet like we've known each other for a long time.  Maxine mentions that there are some frozen positions in her department, but acknowledges that she has no idea when they'll be unfrozen.  Nonetheless, I leave feeling energized and more confident in the thought that I can make this happen.

Step Five:  While on vacation in March I receive an e-mail from a someone I'd networked into at Rutgers asking if I'd seen the posting for a part-time position at Pace.  In that I was on vacation, I honestly wasn't checking my usual on-line job search sites like indeed.com or highered.com.
And, regardless of the fact that I am on vacation, I immediately go to the Pace University website and apply for the position.  I then send an e-mail to Maxine letting her know I'd submitted an official application on-line.

How I felt?  I knew we'd had a good network meeting in January, and I also knew that what that bought me was a bit more of a personal/professional contact.  It was no lock-in on the job.  So, I was both hopeful and a bit anxious.

Step Six:  I do my best to stay in front of Maxine without being a nag.  I send her an article I received at a meeting of career counselors I attended at Rutgers.  It is a professional way to say ' hey, I'm still out here.'  I get an e-mail from her in response to the article in which she says they are still screening candidates, that she is going to have me come in to meet with her Assistant Directors and to just be patient.  JUST BE PATIENT!  Tough stuff when you're in the middle of transition and a you've applied for what reads like the perfect position.

And time seems to drag and drag and drag.  I know Maxine and her team are caught up with the rush of students who come in right before they graduate and other year end business.  Yet I watch my e-mail for an invitation for an interview, which never seems to come.  And from early March when I first applied for the position, it took almost two months for the process to unfold and that invitation to arrive in the form of a phone call from Maxine.

Step Seven:  On May 18 I interview with Maxine and three Assistant Directors at Pace.  I felt the interview went well and I also know they are interviewing two other final round candidates.  I send out my thank you notes after the interview, making sure I emphasize different things in each based on questions that had been asked during the interview.  And I anxiously wait for the results.  In that my interview date options were May 18, 24 or 27, and I chose to go in first on the 18th, I assume I won't hear anything until after Memorial Day weekend.  And to my surprise and delight, I get a call from Maxine on May 26 with the great news that I am their finalist!  I got the job!

How to Wind Down a Job Search

How you wind down your job search has a major bearing on how easy your next one will be.  It is critical to nuture that network.

You've worked hard to get to new people and bring them into your network.  Your task at the end of a search is to thank those who have helped, share the news about your new position and let them know you want to stay in touch.  AND THEN, DO IT! 

Send out your new contact information once you're on board.

Let your new network contacts know how you're doing a month into your new job.

Send articles and/or share information to stay connected with your new network.

Create a holiday outreach list and send a note, e-mail or card to everyone in your professional network at the end of the year.

It takes time and energy to conduct a good job search.  It takes almost as much diligence to make sure the fruit of all that labor doesn't end the day you start your new job.

The Journey's End?

While we are taught that careers should be predictive, for most of us they are post descriptive.  I can look back and see the linkages and common themes that tie the chapters of my career together, but there's no way I could have known about all of the steps in my journey when I first started working 35 years ago.  I've worked in the non-profit sector, in financial services, the outplacement industry and as a consultant in numerous companies and fields.  I've worked full-time, part-time and flex-time.  My graduate degree was supposed to catapult me into a career as a high school guidance counselor, and ironically that's the one place I haven't worked. 

Now onto the next step.  I was offered and have accepted a part-time position as a career counselor at Pace University.  In many ways this is the perfect job for me.  I've been working to transition from career counseling in the corporate sector to using these skills and experiences in higher education.  This position offers me the opportunity to do just that.  I've been looking for a team to join and a place to put down roots.  This position will allow me to do that.  And, the icing on the cake is that working  part-time nature will allow me to continue to work as a human resource consultant. 

How did this all come together?  What was the key to making this happen?  Networking!

I have met a lot of people while networking for this position and the key now is to nuture this new network.