What is networking?

Networking is nothing more than talking to people. When you’re looking for a job, you should talk to anyone and everyone who can give you ideas, leads, suggestions, and referrals. You should not expect that most people you talk to will have real job leads, but everyone you connect with can refer you to one, two, or more people, and the cycle goes on. Your goal is to build a knowledge and support system that will eventually lead you to the right person at the right time.

What should you tell your contacts?

What you say and how you say it is important. You will need to prepare and practice your message so that it is clear, concise, and lets people know how they can help you.

* Keep your introduction to 90 seconds tops. Longer than that, and you risk losing the interest of your audience at this early stage in the conversation.
* Don’t recite your entire biography. Give your listeners just enough information so they understand what kind of work you do, what you’re really good at, and what kind of companies and opportunities you’re interested in.
* Be sure you tell them what you need. Are you looking for an introduction at a specific company? Do you need some industry information? Do you want to tap into an alumni group or nonprofit organization? Be specific so your listeners will understand how they can help you.

Follow up on every lead.

If your contacts have been helpful enough to give you some names and phone numbers, be certain you follow up quickly and professionally, even if at heart you don’t think the referrals have much value. For one thing, you never know — perhaps your contact’s cousin has an “in” with your target company. For another, it’s good etiquette, and you’ll be able to go back to your contact for more help only if you’ve done as he or she suggested.

Get organized.

Networking involves lots of names, phone numbers, and cross-connections. Set up a good system so you can accurately track how you got someone’s name and how that person is connected to others in your network. Take notes every time you talk with someone, and schedule your follow-up activities on your calendar so you don’t forget.

Keep your contacts in the loop.

Periodically, send a brief status report to your network. At that point you might be able to ask for more help with a new, specific request. As long as you are polite, professional, and never ask for something your contacts can’t provide (like a job), your phone calls and emails will be welcomed.

Let people help you.

A lot of job seekers are hesitant to reach out to their network and, beyond that, to strangers they’re referred to. For some reason, it’s much easier to give help than to ask for it! Understandably, you don’t want to be a bother. But put yourself in your contact’s shoes. Wouldn’t you be willing to spend a few minutes trying to help a friend or the friend of a friend? Don’t you get a lot of pleasure from helping others? It’s best to get over your reluctance and open yourself up to the help that others want to give. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by how helpful and generous people are – whether your own friends and colleagues or people you don’t even know. This discovery is one of the true joys of networking – and once you experience it, you will certainly be a helpful network contact for your friends as soon as you land your next job.