Linkedin

Tips on how to enjoy networking

McRae PattersonLeave a comment

When I ask people how they feel about networking, typically they have a negative response. The majority of people say it makes them feel uncomfortable and awkward. Another problem is that they leave a networking event with 15 business cards and don’t know what to do with them. Here’s some advice to ease the anxiety about networking. I usually ask questions that center around these categorizes: interests, desires/goals, and needs. This makes it easier to break the ice because people enjoy talking about topics they’re interested in discussing.

Interests: In the last post, I discussed asking people about something they’re currently working on that they’re passionate about instead of asking what they do. Some other questions you could ask are, what causes/charities are you interested in? What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Desires/Goals: What are some career goals you would like to accomplish? If you’re attending a conference, what are you hoping to gain from attending this conference?

Needs: What challenge is your top priority to get resolved in your business/career? What brought you to this event?

When you exchange business cards, if there isn’t a picture of the person on the card, on the back write down a brief description of their appearance. Also, write down one interesting they said during the conversation and a possible common interest. This will help you to determine which people that it could be beneficial to follow up with after the event and remember what was said during the conversation. Before you call them, make sure to look them up on Linkedin to discern if there are some other ways you can bring value to each others careers.

Tap Into the Hidden Job Market

McRae PattersonLeave a comment

In recent conversations, I’ve discovered that the “Hidden Job Market” is truly hidden because a lot of people have never heard of it. That’s why I want to give this information to as many people as I can. Recent stats show that up to 80% of jobs are not advertised. Employers would rather save time and money by hiring suitable candidates within the company or getting referrals from current employees.

So how do you find out about these job openings? I read a Forbes article that recommends a few key tips.

  1. Make networking a practice, not just something you do when you need a job. Make a point to regularly contact former colleagues and make new LinkedIn connections so you can stay in the loop about new job openings in your network. Also, you have to be willing to give in order to get, so share information with others so they will in turn want to give information to you.
  2. Tell people the specific jobs you’re looking for, follow up the conversation with an email and find out if they can introduce you to any hiring managers or other decision makers.
  3. Build your network by joining professional networking groups and going to conferences. I’ve gone into specific detail in previous posts about how to be effective at networking events for those that cringe at the idea of networking at big events.
  4. If you have a specific company in mind, see if any of your LinkedIn connections have contacts at that company first to set up an introduction. If all else fails, be bold and contact the hiring manager at the company you want to work for directly. Email or call to introduce yourself and explain how your background and experience would be useful there. This way, even if the place currently has a hiring freeze, you’ll be top of mind when positions do open up.

There are millions of jobs in the Hidden Job Market that are just waiting for you. I hope these tips help you to be proactive in leveraging your connections to tap into these career opportunities.

Why traditional networking doesn’t work.

McRae PattersonLeave a comment

For those who consider themselves to be a professional, at some point I’m sure we’ve heard that in order to be successful we need to network and get some connections that will help boost our career. Okay so in today’s world that typically means two things, either start going to events with people in our industry or join Linkedin.

Let’s start with the first option. We decide to attend an event and start conversations with people in the room that we usually don’t know much or anything about. During these conversations, we talk about our work related achievements, how we could possibly help one another and exchange business cards. After the event, we leave with some business cards which seems like a good start. Here’s the rub, most of us don’t follow up by calling the people we talked to and let’s say we do, most likely the other person vaguely remembers us because they met so many people at the event. Generally speaking, most people aren’t willing to help strangers by giving them access to their connections.

Another option is using social media platforms like Linkedin which has proven to be valuable because we’re networking with people in our career field that we already know, who in turn can help us gain access to their connections. For people that are well established in their career this works out pretty well but for those just starting in their careers like recent college graduates, their networks are small and don’t usually generate the connections they need.

What is effective networking? When both parties agree whether it’s in person or online, it would be beneficial to help each other by giving their connections. So instead of joining the traditional networking groups or platforms, there’s a different approach that produces mutual participation.

I joined a networking group called I Know Somebody based in Houston, TX with the purpose of helping their members find the connections they need to get a job, find a reputable service, a mentor, etc. There are people in the group from various professional backgrounds. The premise is if you willingly help others get connections they need in return they will help you.

I recently went to an event and was very impressed with the format of the meeting. There was a speaker that gave relevant information about enhancing your career, then the members individually stood up and gave a brief professional bio and if they had a particular need. When the meeting was over, instead of networking with everyone in the room, I knew the specific people I needed to talk to for my exact need and the assurance that they would be more interested in assisting me. If you don’t have a group similar to this in your area, I highly recommend you pitch this idea to some upwardly bound professionals you know and organize one. This model has proven to be very advantageous to meet the needs of the members that participate.