10 Tips for Effective Networking
1. Prepare
Have a resume ready along with your contact information. Be sure you have proofread your resume prior to making copies! Plan to meet with as many people as you can . You never know until you try. Some positions can easily transition into a creative solution to match your skills with an employer’s needs.
2. Present Yourself Well
Dress Your best, use a firm handshake and make eye contact. First impressions can be lasting impressions.
3. Always Be Ready to Give Your Pitch
You must be equipped to market yourself on the spot, no matter where you are. Know and be ready to communicate your strengths and what you can bring to the table. Prepare and practice your 30-second commercial.
4. Ask Questions and Listen
Don’t be afraid to start a conversation. Ask open-ended questions that will allow you to build on the answers. Remember that networking is about building relationships, not just making contacts. People want to know that you have heard and appreciate their experience and what they have to say.
5. Ask for Help
Asking for advice never hurts. Get insight from someone who has been through the same process as you. People usually like to be asked for help – it means that you value their opinion and see them as a good source of information. It’s helpful to clearly tell those that you contact that you don’t expect them to have a job for you, but rather you are seeking information and advice.
6. Utilize Your Online Presence
Making connections online can be an effective networking strategy. LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, and other social media sites offer great ways to learn insider information about your career path and connect with individuals and professional associations. Maintaining an active profile on these sites will keep you up-to-date with the most current information about the field, including hiring trends and job leads.
7. Be Aware of Your Online Presence
It is important to be aware of your online presence while using online networking tools. Some employers may actually check your social media sites as part of the screening process. Clean up your online identity by setting accounts on social networking sites, like Facebook, to private and/or removing questionable material, such as blog entries, photos, quotes, comments and applications. Be sure to present a positive online image. You may want to do a Google search on your name to see what results are generated and adjust your privacy settings accordingly.
8. Do Your Homework
Take time to research the employer before meeting and get to know him/her. Preparing in advance will help you can ask more intelligent questions and learn more in-depth information about the person, the work environment and the organization. Ideally, this will help you conduct a conversation that is comfortable and show that you are interested.
9. Stay in Touch with Your Network
The networking process does not end when the Baldwin Connect Career Expo is over. Be sure to give and receive contact information. Following up with your network continues the relationships and preserves those connections. If you are on LinkedIn, for example, personalize the note field in the invitation to remind the connection of where you met.
10. Keep Networking
Your network is a living thing and should always be evolving, even after you have found a job. You never know when you may need to call upon your networking contacts. Networking will always be essential to breaking into that “hidden job market,” so do not abandon it. Be sure to promptly follow-up on information passed along to you by your contacts.
Resources:
SAWDC Alabama Works
Alabama Career Centers
