A Natural Approach to “Networking”

 

True confessions of a long time job search coach and resume writer:  I hate networking. In the ‘traditional’ sense of the word, anyway. So I hardly ever do it, too. 

GASP!  

Isn’t that what we’re all “supposed” to do be doing to “get ahead” and “hustle” and “Go go go!” and all that??

To “Just DO IT” and “make things happen”??

Well, I actually have a lot to say about that (hopefully more in future posts) – but for now, summed in this nutshell: No. Not if it’s NOT YOUR STYLE.

I like THESE EXAMPLES of what I’m going to just call “more natural type of “networking” – reaching out to your contacts, or ways to make new ones.

Because come on, we’re just not all the “get out there & DO, GO, “MAKE IT HAPPEN” TYPES. (thank all the gods!)

So I hope these two examples are helpful directly, these ideas, and/or, get you thinking about ways you can connect with or add to your own personal and business connections, naturally.

First example:  A Great (IMO) Example of a Post on Your *Personal* Social Media

 

This is not my client, I just a post I saw on a friend’s page and liked her approach. This is a positive, clear way to connect with your network (and maybe their networks, too!)

Job seeker wrote:

“Do you know a front desk that needs a friendly face? Or an office in need of some office manager-type lovin’?

My office just streamlined its staff and my Executive Assistant job was eliminated. I loved that job and loved those people, but now I need a new office to embrace (and organize and bring some professional sunshine to).

Excellent phone skills, proficiency at Word/Excel, 10+ years of experience. Looking for a M-F, F/T position with benefits that I can drive to from (her town).

Hold off on the sympathy, but bring on the job opportunities! 

I will be putting up a LinkedIn post; message me if we can connect there. First person who gets me a job gets a basketful of Toni’s homemade cookies! ( Woot! Signal boost!)”

 

What I like about it:  It’s fun, and clear: it states what kind of work she’s looking for, a few of her core skills, and, she conveys her personality, which for a public facing and office organizational role, is actually important, that’s she’s good with people, upbeat, and positive. She also includes a ‘call to action’/how to reach her, and, an enticing incentive/thank you for helping her with leads – love.it. !

 

Second Example: Expanding Your Network AND Relevant Experience

Here’s how one client is using her unemployed time to *strategically* network AND build her resume with skills she has, and wants to promote/strengthen, but weren’t job titles in the past. She’s looking to job change.

She was a talent agent and now wants to use her related event planning/management skills to get into that field.

Her email said,

“I’m going before the Board of the (local non-profit) and offering my services as the event organizer for a 5K Run event they do each summer.”  

THAT’S how to do it! Brava to this client!

What I like about it: 

It’s pro-active in a way that suits her (she’s clearly an outgoing personality, given her professional interests mentioned, so approaching this organization is natural to her.

PLUS – it’s a way to give back to her community and support charitable causes ALL WHILE gaining important career changes skills, contacts, and hopefully, references/recommendations for a job well done. Love.it.!

 

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I have it on my (very long, I always have more ideas than I have time to pursue!) list of topics to share more about here on the blog, in my newsletter, and on my LinkedIn and Facebook pages:  what for now I’ve been calling in my head “Job Search YOUR WAY”… ideas that work beyond the “get out there and push!” strategy we see SO often. 

In the meantime, if this appeals to YOU, please

1) drop me a line of interest, and/or share anything  you’ve done that works for you and why, and

2) in the meantime, google perhaps “introverts and job search” or something along those lines, I think it’s mostly those extroverts that like the “make it happen” approach that I can’t pull off without feeling extremely uncomfortable and/or pushy or just “BLEK/YUCK” feeling. (no offense to extroverts and their ways, of course, it’s just that not all of us operate or are built in a way to do that stuff!

More soon!