How to Kill a Network Opportunity

This is an actual example of a lost networking opportunity.    

The Scenario

• You have recently been laid off and are just starting to network.  

• You connect with a former colleague who has been working in a company you'd love to work for and he agrees to meet with you. 

• You meet for lunch, catch up on old times and he gives you the lowdown on the company.  He also mentions that there are no current openings. 

• He walks you around the office and introduces you to his boss, who would be a likely hiring manager should an opening arise. 

• You follow-up with a thank you note to your colleague.

• You send a note to his boss along with your resume and portfolio letting her know you are open to either full-time or freelance work.

• She writes back and tells you that your resume and portfolio are impressive, but unfortunately there are no job openings at the current time.  

NOW WHAT?

What Went Wrong?  You were fine until you sent off the e-mail with your resume and portfolio attached.  By sending the resume and portfolio up front before booking a face-to-face meeting, you turned this into an outreach for a job versus creating the opportunity to expand your network. You  made it too easy for the boss to say there's no reason to meet as there are no jobs. 

REMEMBER people love to give guidance and advice but do not like being put on the spot for a job. 

So what should you have done?  The idea to outreach to the boss was right on track.  The focus, however, should have been to get in front of her to gather ideas, obtain feedback and walk away with the names of other potential connections.  You want to get in front of someone so you can engage them in your job search.  You want to put them squarely in your job cheering section and the best way to do that is in a face-to-face meeting where you become a person, not just another resume.

What can you do now?  Send her an e-mail acknowledging that you are aware there are no open positions and stating why a meeting with her would be helpful nonetheless.  Ask for a meeting so you can expand upon your background, share your thoughts on potential next steps and get advice about your search. 

REMEMBER the fastest way to short circuit your network is to ask for the job versus asking for advice.