subject: Networking For Jobs [print this page] Contacts, contacts, contacts; connect, connect, network and network Youve heard it all! But is it possible to have plenty of contacts in your network? Does every contact in your network lead to a job or a professional assignment? Is your network filled with classy contacts?
Of course being well connected can lead to influence and success that is the dream of every professional. But by just becoming part of online networking sites or adding unknown people to your Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, do you really become enriched with contacts that can help you network for jobs? Not really.
So, how can you take advantage of and make the most of your contacts?
Keep in touch
Invite old colleagues, establish a one-hand-shake relationship with current employees of prospective companies that you may be engaged in and write to them or where possible invite them for an open house or a high tea. Start doing it with a small group, so that you get an opportunity to establish a personal equation with them. You are not trying to impress them, so you dont have to spend a lot. You are trying to build relationships and indulge only to the extent you can.
Log on to TalentPro
For a start you can log on to the website of Talentpro - an industry leader in HR consulting providing end-to-end HR services viz., staffing, recruiting and executive placements, training, compliance and payroll services. They can position your resume at the right places with the right pitch.
Volunteer for a cause
Get involved in a local charity. By volunteering for a cause, you make some important connections and you build relationships that can go beyond networking.
Become a thought leader
Even if it is a small event, if someone approaches you to share your thoughts on the dais, accept the invite. It is an opportunity to network, and also establish yourself as a thought leader in your domain.
Courtesy pays
After making that good first impression, most people dont follow up on contacts. The best way to expand your network is to let someone know that you are glad to have met them. Send them a small handwritten note or a card to that effect. You will be remembered.
Card Connect
Have a set of business and personal cards on hand always. They are your best promotional tools. If you are in-between jobs or are looking for job change, it is best to handover your personal card. Your personal card too should carry your area of expertise, and not your job designation. So instead of Senior Programmer a Java Expert or .Net Specialist would make sense in your personal card. You can be a little unabashed with your self-promotion through business cards, but do not forget protocol.
Most importantly, remember that building contacts that work, is an offline activity, not an online activity.
