Support for your Career Networking Needs

Today it seems everyone is starting to agree that career search networking works better than mailing resumes and responding to want ads.  But even though everyone is agreeing that networking is more effective, they also agree it is significantly more difficult to initiate and sustain.  Some people even claim that career search networking is so difficult and foreign to them that they simply cannot do it effectively.  

"I've been an IT Director for 20 years.  I have worked with and managed over 40 people at a time and have always been comfortable in public speaking and making presentations.  But when it comes time for me to present myself to a hiring authority, I freeze up."

"I'm a technical person, not a salesperson.  I have no earthly idea how to present myself to someone for a job.  No one ever taught me networking."

Well then.  Is there a way to make this networking process easier for the average career seeker?  Is there someway to find out what works and what doesn't other than through personal trial and error?  Yes there is, and the solution is a very simple process.  Join or form a "networking support group."

Ok, so what in the world is a networking support group?  Simply put, it's a round table discussion group that focuses on the problems experienced in career search networking.  A support group can be of 5-10-20-30+ people who get together regularly, I suggest weekly, to help each other understand what works and what doesn't work in communicating with hiring authorities.  

Meet for breakfast at a local deli that will offer a private corner for your group.  There's nothing better than having breakfast with 30 of your closest friends.  Especially if you're helping each other find new careers.  You can meet at fellow member's houses and rotate the locations.  Local libraries and other public facilities have meeting rooms which are available for little or no money.  

To form this group you can put a news paper ad in the "public calendar" of your local paper.  These ads are typically free of charge as they are public service announcements.  "The Career Search Networking Support Group is meeting every Tuesday morning for breakfast, 7:30AM at Dimples Deli in Brentwood.  There is no charge and all who are interested in Career Search Networking help are welcome to visit or join."  You can also spread the word at local churches where there are usually career search classes of all kinds. 

Once you have your group started, create a simple weekly agenda.  1. Introduction of members and overview of individual skill sets, backgrounds and goals.  2.  Discussion around the table of each person's weekly accomplishments, frustrations, comments, opinions, tips, leads, job search news.  3.  How to make the resumes and biographies better.  4. What are the best tactics to use to contact the hiring authorities?  What are the best things to say?  How do you professionally handle voicemail?  5. Role Playing.

The introduction at the beginning of each meeting will do more than simply remind everyone of each others talents.  It will bring the group closer together and help it function as a personal and close group.  Further, by remaining aware of what each person does professionally, you can share job leads more actively.  And discussing goals will help everyone in the group to better define their own personal goals or create new ones where none exist.

Discussing each person's weekly accomplishments is greatly beneficial to the group.  Picking up the phone and calling upon strangers is difficult.  Hearing of someone's successes is not only motivational but also inspirational and promotes a "Can Do" atmosphere.  Talking about last weeks frustrations in a group is a great way to develop methods to overcome difficulties and negative encounters. 

Working on your resumes and biographies in a group actually produces end products as good as those developed by professional writers.  Together you learn how to be "word smiths", stating professional accomplishments succinctly and with effective meaning.  Short biographies, used for introductions, need to boldly show your professional value and clearly state why the hiring authority would want to consider bringing you on board.  Creating well written resumes and bios, and then "bouncing" them off each other to check effectiveness, is in itself all the justification you need to form this group.  

One of the hardest parts of networking is determining communications tactics.  What works?  Alone it's pretty difficult to figure out what to do.  A career search support group, where everyone shares unified goals, is a great place to quickly discover answers to these very important questions. 

What do you say when you finally get connected with your targeted hiring authority?  Everyone knows you have to keep it short, the normal attention span of a cold call is 28 seconds.  Your group will help you make sure your 28 second introduction is solid and an attention getter.  After all, the goal of the conversation is a face to face interview.  (A Sample introduction: "Hello, Ms. Hiring Authority, I'm a CFO and I'd like you to know that your company is a firm I have always admired and would like to be a part of someday.  My past accomplishments of, 1/2/3/, are a few reasons why I might be of value to your team."  Whatever you say be certain it's sincere and make sure it's personally comfortable.)  

Dealing with voicemail is an art and the group can help here as well.  I always recommend prewritten scripts so that you do not leave voice mail messages that are filled with errors and misspoken words.  Don't ask the person to call you back.  Rather, leave your number but tell them you will call back at a later date to help the hiring authority avoid additional work. 

And finally, the career search networking support group can help you role play your calls, your interviews and your negotiating and offer meetings.  Practice makes perfect.  And when you're all focused on the same target, a job, the practice in a group gets pretty real. 

I've hosted and conducted career search networking support groups for over a decade.  If you need help establishing or running your group, I will gladly provide you with effective tips, without charge or fee.  You may contact me at dmreid@dmrnet.com .  

Good Luck and Happy Hunting.

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