A Different Approach to Networking

The Third in a Series on Job Searching

I’m a career coach for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Job Forum. 

Many books and articles have been written about job searching, but the people I work with don't want to read a stack of books, they just want to go out and get their next job. The goal of this blog is to equip you with the least information you need to know, to go get that job.

Each article will set the context in the Introduction section, followed by The Essential Details, and then we’ll wrap up with some additional reading in the For More Information section. Here we go ...

A Different Approach to Networking

Introduction

Here are some generalizations about how some people go about job searching:

• A job seeker may spend a significant portion of their time applying to jobs online

• However, the job seeker often will have gotten most or all of their previous jobs through personal connections (and conversely, rather few through online applications)

• Many (most?) job seekers dislike networking

This suggests a disconnect, and that we could expect better results if we invested more in networking versus applying to jobs online.

I've been complimented for my networking ability, which I find ironic because it's as uncomfortable for me as for the next person. I don’t enjoy or feel proficient at hunting down the hiring manager for a position I’ve applied to, or asking my friends to help me get jobs. And although I have truly wonderful friends, they may not like being approached with my requests either – because everyone is insanely busy. I'm sure they want to help, but they probably don’t feel like they have the time.

If this is true for me, and people think I'm a capable networker, how painful must this be for people who are naturally a bit more reserved or introverted, or just completely uncomfortable with large social groups of total strangers?

And more to the point, how can we change this dynamic into something that’s more comfortable and effective for everyone involved?

A few years ago I was being groomed for a high visibility role – an industry thought leader role. However, I wasn’t well-known and I didn’t have a brand. To be taken seriously for this position, that needed to change.

My mentor guided me towards achieving my goal by doing favors for others - following a 12-week program developed and published by John Stepper (details in the For More Information section at the end). I didn’t get the job and I’m not sure how many people think of me as a thought leader. But, I learned that doing favors for others is a powerful way to achieve one's goals. 

I think of it as “good deeds” networking. Some career coaches call it Serendipitous Networking. You can just think of it as karma. You will work towards getting the job you want, by giving more than you hope to get.

The Essential Details

Exercise #1: Target Lists

• Assignment 1: List 10 companies you'd like to work for - keep it short, focused, and update it frequently

• Assignment 2: List 10 people who can help you achieve your goal (of getting a job)

• Assignment 3: Rate the people on an intimacy scale of 1-5: '0' means they have no idea who you are, and '5' means they know your work very well

Review

• What kind of people did you list? Friends? Former colleagues? Are they currently employed at your target companies?

• Did you list anybody you don’t currently know, but if you did, they could be very helpful?

• Do you have ideas about how you might move people up your intimacy scale? That is, how can they learn more about you and your work?

Exercise #2: Personal Facts and Favors

Perhaps you were aspirational, and your list of people included the CIO of your #1 target company. What kind of favors can you do for that person? Actually, there are probably a number of opportunities, especially if that person is active on social networks. Do they tweet? Follow them and re-tweet the things you like. Do they post on LinkedIn or on a personal blog? Like and comment on their posts. 

One of the best and easiest ways to contribute to others is to act as a Connector. Some people are natural Connectors, whereas other people have to work at it - but it really is easier than you might think.

• Assignment 1: Write down 50 facts about yourself - this will become your "connection toolkit." Consider, where were you born and where have you lived? Where did you go to school? Where have you worked? What do your parents and siblings do? Do you have children? What challenges have you had to overcome? What do you love doing? What makes you different from most people you know? 50 facts will come faster and easier than you expected.

• Assignment 2: Review your list of people. Try to list at least one favor you could do for each of them - a Like, a Retweet, a compliment, and Thank You letter, or an introduction to someone with similar interests.

TIP: I often hear people undervaluing their unique talents. "Because it comes naturally for me, it's probably not anything great." But what comes easily for you may be difficult and important for others. Check in with a few friends and colleagues to ask, "What do I do, that you think is uncommon and valuable?"

Exercise #3: Opportunities to Meet New People

The magic comes from doing favors for other people - but to do people favors, you have to at least know they exist. The more people you know, the more people you can do favors for.

• Assignment 1: List online places you can make yourself known – for example, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc) discussion forums, and Slack groups.

• Assignment 2: List opportunities to meet people live – invite friends and colleagues to coffee, professional meetups, non-job related meetups (photography? museums?), conferences, networking events, non-profit organizations and other functions. It doesn't have to be about professional networking, it just has to be about meeting people - because you never know who is going to be able to help you.

• Assignment 3: List things you can do to increase your visibility in these groups – such as posting to social media or discussion boards, or volunteering to help at events.

For Extra Credit

• Google on your own name - how far down the results do you have to go, to find yourself? What could you do to boost your visibility? One simple strategy: Use a common profile photograph anywhere you have an online profile, e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, other groups. Google will recognize the common name and photo, and your search results will get a boost

• Consider your list of 50 facts. Identify someone you want to connect with, who shares one of your personal facts. Use it to connect.

• Identify 5 groups you'd enjoy getting active with

• Write Thank You notes to at least 2 people

• Let your friends know what you're doing and how it's progressing so far

• The next time you write a follow-up email, lead with WIIFM (What's In It For Me) - is there something you can offer them that will make them want to read and engage?

• Ask somebody for their advice (people love to give advice). Then when they offer it, REALLY LISTEN. Make sure they know you appreciate their advice and will act on it.

• Post a blog article to LinkedIn about a top ten list, e.g. your top ten favorite business books

• Watch Seth Godin's TED talk about Tribes. Identify your own tribes. Pick one related to your professional interests, and engage deeply.

For More Information

This is a distillation of ideas mostly taken from John Stepper’s book Working Out Loud. Also take a look at his very excellent 12-week program at www.workingoutloud.com/en/circle-guides/ (I've personally gone through the process several times now).

A Blog on Job Searching

Jan 28 2019: Tell Me A Little About Yourself

Feb 4 2019: Communicate Your Accomplishments

Feb 20 2019: A Different Approach to Networking