Tag Archives: Communication

Networking Is Art and Science Combined

Networking has a practical purpose to prepare someone for connections when needed

Networking but why?

Networking has two purposes: (1) to get you your next job, and if that’s not right now, (2) to prepare for when you need to. Networking is the most effective way to secure a job nowadays. Gerry Crispin of CareerXroads—human resources consultant to the largest companies in America—says that if you network your way into a company to the point that someone internal there delivers your résumé to the hiring manager, that delivery increases your chances 10-fold. And that means a thousand percent!

Networking is an art because it requires imagination. At the same time, it’s a science because it requires practical and systematic activity and good administrative and follow-up skills. In this article, networking refers to in-person interaction—not social networking, which is a chapter by itself and complementary to in-person networking.

Networking for job hunting

Networking is an indisputably critical part in the job hunt, and it’s easy to make mistakes. As we all know, the first impression is a lasting impression. When meeting a person for the first time, introduce yourself by name, shake hands, and be looking into the other person’s eyes. Your elevator pitch is critical too: make it short, memorable, and intriguing. Let the other person ask follow-up questions—to a level of interest. Most people deliver a too-lengthy and way-too-detailed soliloquy about their professional past. How much appetite do you think the other person has for that? It’s better to talk about your future destination and not where you’ve been in the past. The listener may be inclined to help you but can’t do much about your past.

Networking is clearly about developing a professional relationship. The other person, too, knows one hand washes the other, so if he provides you with introductions and leads today, you could be doing the same for him in the future. Make sure, though, that during the dialogue you don’t make the other person uncomfortable. Never put the other person in an awkward situation by complaining or creating a situation in which you’re seeking pity. Be positive, show energy, and, mostly, have a smile on your face. A smile means the same thing universally: it says without words that you enjoy the other person’s company, and it’s very inviting.

How to communicate while networking

It’s a best practice to listen more than to talk. Once you feel the relationship seems positive, ask for the person’s business card. It’s likely that the person will ask for yours in turn. Once you have the person’s contact information, follow up later that day or the next with a short e-mail. If both of you feel mutually beneficial, this paves the way for further communication and mutual assistance. It would be a mistake to think the other person could offer what you’re looking for—namely, a job. But you never know whom that person knows or what leads and possible referrals you could get, and that’s ultimately what you’re after, of course.

Practice networking. It may not feel natural initially, but like other skills, the more you do it, the better you get at it. In fact, after a while, you may even actually enjoy simply getting to know new people.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Get a Job

Don’t misunderstand the title of this blog. It’s not about sexual preference. It’s about networking. Every morning, when I take my walk, I observe groups of teenagers waiting at street corners for their school buses. Two things are common to these groups. The kids are not talking to each other, and the majority of them have their ears plugged with MP3 players. They choose to live in total isolation despite the fact that these are the same kids who mingle with each other every day.

Now, why is this? Because in the American culture—in contrast with other cultures—one is not to approach another person until the two have been introduced to each other by a third party. This cultural habit is practiced by adults, and therefore their kids perpetuate it. In many cases, even after being introduced to someone, the kids lack the confidence or skills to communicate, connect, and possibly be of mutual benefit. Plainly put, to network with each other.

For people in transition, such behavior amounts to a tactical hindrance to their advancement toward getting a job. It’s commonly known that 60 to 80 percent of job seekers get their next jobs via networking. However, if lack of communication is practiced from childhood and if communications skills never get developed or encouraged to improve on later on in life—especially in times of need such as being in transition and letting the world know about your availability—that’s of course a major obstacle.

More and more people nowadays are letting me know they have landed. This is a very encouraging sign, indicating that companies have started hiring again. I always ask what led to the job offer, and invariably, the answer proves two things: first, that the lead came through networking, and second, that the person had prepared extensively for the interview. After all, winning in a tough competition takes not only skills but lots of practice. Have you ever thought how many hours an Olympian practices before the competition?

I have all the qualifications, so why am I not being hired?

AP-Photo-Chris-Pizzello

For you, the only thing you want is to get a job. For the hiring manager, making the hire is a priority competing with many others at the same time. So what is going on in the hiring manager’s mind? Most hiring managers take no pleasure in the hiring process. It’s just one more thing they have to take care of, and they often feel insecure in making that final decision, since some of their previous hires proved disappointing.

A hiring manager also knows that making a hiring mistake could potentially ruin his reputation and credibility. While reviewing resumes he is asking himself three questions: Why should he interview you? What can you do for him? And if hired, would you be effective in filling the job duties?

Now, provided that you get invited for an interview, the hiring manager has three more qualifying questions to answer before deciding to hire you: (1) Are you particularly good at what he needs done? He is not hiring just average people. This is your opportunity to recite your accomplishments eloquently and succinctly. Do not repeat what you said in the past. Highlight only your accomplishments and the results. (2) Do you fit into his organization? This is the primary area in which you have to be convincing. You may have all the qualifications, but if the hiring manager cannot see you as part of his organization, then nothing will help you. (3) Are you committed? The hiring manager sees in you an investment—hopefully, a long-term investment. And he wants to make sure it’s a good one. He also wants to make sure you are promotable and have the potential to grow within the organization.

As you can see, the hiring process is complex for both the hiring manager and the candidate. Both sides will share in the potential rewards as well as the associated risks. The question for the candidate remains: how to increase chances of getting hired by outshining the competition? The theoretical answer is to network to the max, because statistics have proved that 60 to 80% of people found their jobs via networking. The practical answer is to mock-practice your interviewing skills. You can do that with friends or your spouse or—best of all—with a qualified career coach. The reason that interviewing skills are vital to acquire is simply that hiring managers make their decisions based on how well you interview and not on your job skills.