Networking - Bah Humbug!

NETWORKING: BAH, HUMBUG!

 

When Steve contacted me to see if I could help him understand why his job search was not going well, he was clearly discouraged. He was a former high-level executive with substantive experience in a power position. I asked Steve to record his activities in a tracking sheet so that I could see what methods and venues he was using. Immediately, I noticed that Steve was relying solely on responding to jobs that he found through the internet and publications. When I told Steve that his failure to engage in interpersonal networking was the likely cause of unsuccessful search he responded with “Bah, Humbug!” Well, maybe those weren’t his exact words, but they might as well have been. He was clearly not a believer.

When my clients get stuck on networking, I ask two questions:

            What are your assumptions about networking?

            If you believed it was effective, how comfortable would you be doing it?

Steve examined his assumption that networking was not an effective career transition method and when he saw the facts, he was willing to look again at networking.  But the process as he understood it was intimidating. He saw himself as an introvert who would rather listen than speak. And he felt vulnerable when he thought about talking about his job search.

Over the next few coaching sessions, Steve learned how to start a conversation that (1) is not self-serving and (2) that fosters professional relationships. He practiced the form and the content of his conversations. He learned how to approach a group and individuals and how to follow up after the event or meeting.

If you have the Bah Humbug reaction to networking, here are the facts that caused Steve to reconsider: In 2007, an annual study of 303,000 job openings reported that 80-90% of new hires were from referrals.  Of the remaining new jobs, 25.7% were from job boards.

Networking is assumed to be a “gimme” function. That’s a misconception.  Networking, done right, is a reciprocal activity. For more about this, including how to develop a conversation in every instance, see the article available on my website www.rcmassociates.com Networking for the Shy and Reluctant: The Why and How of Effective Networking.

                       

 

 

Comments

[Loretta Perry]

Great post on networking because it is so difficult to get people to understand the importance. Sometimes a good old fashioned hand shake and look in the eye is the best way to find a job.