January 2001
January 2001
Cyber NetWorking
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
Cultivating Networks
It’s a common image that comes to mind when you hear the word "networking" to think of a bunch of suits jammed in a room, handing out business cards, saying stuff like "Let’s do lunch." Networking is perhaps the least understood, though most successful, job search strategy. And although it’s not easy to learn, if you work on developing and strengthening your networking skills while you’re employed, your ability will help you through possible unexpected job changes and economic slowdowns.
Try and think of networking as planting a garden:
Start with a fertile base. This means that you’ll develop several strong electronic resumes and your career objectives to present to potential employers. Choose the seeds to plant. That is, identify and choose a wide variety of people to connect with. Tend to the first seedlings. This means developing relationships via email, phone, and in person. Reap the bounty of your work. Continually collect new contacts and become a super sleuth on the Internet by conducting informational interviews and researching the company, career, and industry that you’re interested in. Replant! On the basis of the success of your first garden, make a new plan to add new names. Certainly follow up on new contacts and don’t let the old ones wither.Laying the Groundwork
Networking begins with your having a career direction and several electronic resumes that communicate your qualifications and skills. No contact can help you unless you have some idea about your career objectives — no matter how tentative they are. Visit an independent career counselor or visit your local community college to find out what your strengths, interests, and passions are if you’re confused about what path to take.
Networking starts in one of two ways: "warm" contacts, i.e., people you know directly, and "cold" contacts, that is, people you don’t know but want to know. Because of the facility of the Internet, it’s easy to find "cold" contacts and turn them into warm ones. That’s one of the main reasons that I choose the name "NetWork" for my book. It’s not just using the Internet to find work related job sites. It also stands for cyber networking that job hunters can do easily to expand their list of contacts on a job and certainly during the job search. There are seven pages of contacts in NetWork to get you started. For example, phone books online, trade associations, professional groups, company websites that have career sections, and labor market information websites will direct you to the names of key people and their email addresses, too. In addition, I cite many networking groups around the country that meet weekly to help members find better jobs. Examples are the Forty Plus Clubs around the country that help professionals and managers network for jobs. Operation Able has networks of job counselors who set up informal networking groups in the Chicago area and other major cities. The list goes on and on!
One of the most basic networking activities is the informational interview that allows you to ask questions about a career field, company, or industry. In the days before the Internet, this meant getting dressed up for a formal interview after locating the appropriate person to contact. Not any more! In these days, a job hunter can cut the process short by accessing information on the Internet about a company and industry. Resources include Hoovers.com and companysleuth.com that have tons of information about companies and their competitors. Business newspapers of all kinds are now online provide additional information. The Financial Times, Forbes, regional business papers online, and Fortune are just a few of hundreds available. Labor market information can also be invaluable to a job hunter. Take a look at Eriss.com to find out current salary information and names, websites, and email addresses of employers and HR managers in your local area.
Another favorite source of mine is Vault.com where folks in a company will give you an insider’s look behind the numbers and statistics about the corporate culture that really exists. Taken with a huge grain of salt, this is a wonderful place to anonymously ask sticky questions such as: What is it really like to work here? How can I get an interview with the hiring manager and not be shunted off to some HR clerk? Are the benefits really what they’re cracked up to be? What are the opportunities for advancement at this company? How seriously do they take training and my personal advancement? Tell me examples of how the team environment pervades this company. Etc. etc.
In fact, if you don’t do an informational interview on your own with the help of the Internet, you’ll be blackballed right from the start if you do get a formal interview. Companies are investing tons of money and time to present themselves accurately and in the most favorable light on their own websites and through these resources mentioned above. If you don’t do your homework thoroughly, they have good cause to wonder about your interest in their company and your willingness to do some background work on your own about them.
Making Your Career "Blossom"
In summary, maintain relationships with people who’ve taken the time to help you via the Internet or through the networking groups mentioned above. Follow up on the contacts that they supply and provide them feedback on what you’ve accomplished. Don’t let old contacts linger too long without a follow-up. The manager whom you emailed last week or the brother-in-law of a company HR director may have an opportunity present itself tomorrow.
In a word, networking can help your career "blossom". It can help you gain valuable information, colleagues, and mentors as well as learn about new job opportunities. Cultivate and maintain this valuable skill now; it’s one that can carry you throughout your work life.
Next month we’ll take a look as to why electronic resumes are becoming a very important tool for job hunters and I’ll show you examples of effective ones.
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