Chapter 1. Real-Life Networking: Be Friendly
Real
Networking
Real
networking is not going on facebook, twitter and linkedin and connecting with
fake, phantom friends you've never met.
It's
being out and about in your field, having common experiences with people who
get to know you though working, talking and befriending you then when a
situation opens up, they think of you because they know you're familiar with
the field like they are.
If
you're networking online, don't just go where the desperado job seekers go.
Develop a presence where the employed people go looking for ideas and
advice. They get to know you're smart
and get to trust you if you post up good ideas in the field.
Start a
blog in your field or contribute to the top websites in your field.
Contribute
regularly, about once a week.
Write
great, error-free articles.
Share
your knowledge.
I’m Desperate, What do I
do?
Get
Career and job information at the following places:
School
career guidance office
Your
department
Graduate
School (various programs and offices)
Alumni
Association
Library
Learn
about who you are and what you want out of life by reading my book A Free
Spirit's Search for Enlightenment but even when you know your true nature, the
world is still hard because you have to earn a living. You just can't go off and pursue your
creative, inspired whims unless you get lucky and earn a lot of money somehow
through your creative efforts that buys you freedom but that's mostly a myth
put out by the mass media. Most creatively
inspired people can't work regular jobs because they won't sell their souls so
it's a life of poverty. Live in the real
world. Get a job that pays good money.
They
lied to you in grade school about how wonderful life is or can be. Your destiny is to be a wage slave and pay
income tax to pay the private bankers who run your national central bank,
create money out of nothing then lend it your government with interest. You will pay your government's debt for the
rest of your life.
Get a
decent, practical job that never goes out of style like plumbing or food
services.
Try
exploring careers by:
Reading
about them
Talking
to people in careers
Volunteering,
internships, work in different fields
Take
practical skill subjects at school that get you closer to a decent job as
opposed to English literature courses.
Prepare
yourself as a person by building up your looks, body, health, ability with
words, ability to talk, think and speak.
Ask
professors, classmates, alumni, colleagues, and contacts for job referrals
Connect
with the professional organization in your field for information.
Applying
to job boards.
Attend
career fairs.
If you
don't like a job, quit. Keep moving
until you feel a level of self-respect and well-being through what you do.
When
you do an internship, go there to learn.
If they use you for coolie labor, tell them that's fine to do some of
that but you want work that will enable you to learn about the field.
Make
contacts. Many employers end up hiring
interns.
Internships
look good on a resume.
Decide
on a field you like from the following list:
Agriculture
Arts
and Culture
Business
Criminal
Justice
Education
Engineering
Entrepreneurship
Environmental
Food-Beverage
Government
Healthcare
/Medicine
Hospitality
Internet
Law and
Legal
Law
Enforcement
Non profits
Philanthropy
Politics
Research
Entertainment/Film/TV/Radio/Music Manufacturing
Science
Social
services
Sports
Technology
Tourism
Writing
Find
existing internships. If one doesn't
exist, create one by applying at companies in your field.
Once again,
ask friends for ideas and leads.
Research
companies in your field then look for connections by finding people who work
for that company at linkedin.
Create
a linkedin profile. Present your
education, skills and interests.
Set
realistic goals. Don't expect too
much. The real world is average and dull
everywhere.
Be
professional, positive and productive.
Challenge
yourself but don't bite off more than you can chew.
Ask for
help if you feel lost.
Do your
best.
Thank
everyone.
Create
a portfolio.
Constantly
update your resume.
Talk to
people about jobs and internships.
internmatch.com
indeed.com
simplyhired.com
idealist.org
Networking Guide
Don't put friends and family on
the spot by asking for a job.
Don’t go out asking for a
job. Ask for a connection, somebody you
can talk to within a company.
Don't put pressure on
anybody. Ask for help but not a job.
Even old bosses and co-workers
might help. They might be working for
new companies. Simply call or email them
and ask for help in finding a job.
You can offer a reward of $500
if someone refers you and you get the job.
Church members and clergy can
help you if you ask for help.
Contact friends and
acquaintances from the past.
Many companies have internal
places with job postings, often online.
Your friends can check them out.
There are job support groups.
Prepare what to say that sounds
friendly like I’m looking for work, just looking around see if anyone can help
me with some leads.
Create a list of companies that
you want to work for and look for work with them.
Cold-call companies asking about
job openings. Call both the human
resources department and ask about the application process. Sneak around.
Find out the managers of departments then call them asking about job
openings or call the departments asking about job openings.
Be willing to help others. When you help others, they give you leads.
When making cold calls, the
receptionist is more likely to put you through if she sees your name on caller
ID than if she sees unknown which often means a sales person. Have a practiced script ready like a sales
person.
Cold-calling works if you call
the right person and convince them that you’re the person that can help them.
Send resumes and cover letters
to the HR departments and the managers of other departments of companies by
postal mail or a delivery/ messenger service.
Priority-mail from the post office might work.
Faxes work.
Call, email or send letters to potential employers in your
field that do not have open positions.
Don’t be a pest but you have to find hiring managers then
email them regularly like every month or every two months saying something like
I’m just checking in to see if there are any openings for the job of lab tech
or whatever.
If you live in the area, go to the company or building to
introduce yourself to the hiring guy or girl and drop off your resume.
That’s the best you can do.
Email all the hiring managers in your area and inquire about open
positions. Do it enough times so that
they will know you and email you for an interview when the job comes up.
If you call them or speak to them personally and they say
there’s nothing but keep checking back, ask them for their email address.
Make a spreadsheet out to keep track of every manager you
speak with or email.
When you send the emails, try to be friendly. Say a joke or include an interesting article
about your field.
Gatekeepers are the people that answer the phone for
companies and try to keep outsiders out.
You have to get past these people to either talk to or email the
personnel manager or the hiring person who could be the boss.
If you are unsure who the head guy is, call the place. Ask to speak with the manager or person in
charge of hiring. Ask if there are any
job openings. If they say no, ask for his or her email. Tell him or her you
want to email a copy of your résumé in case of future job openings. Thank him
or her.
Send an immediate email thanking him and saying you will
continue to check back regularly to inquire about any new job openings.
Attach a copy of your résumé.
Make a list of whom you email and when you sent it so you
don’t mess up.
You have to make contact with every manager in the area that
could possible hire you.
Repeat the process every month. Say you introduced yourself last month. You are checking to see if there are any open
positions. Attach a copy of your resume.
There is no end. Keep
emailing regularly.
Try staffing agencies for temporary contracts.
Networking as an Artform
1
Networking
possibilities are:
community
groups
public
people you know
chamber
of commerce
clubs/organizations
family
friends
religious
faculty
alumni
internship
People do business and give jobs
to people they know and like.
Network by helping people.
Be likeable. If you're an arrogant asshole know-it-all,
shut up and act like you're there for a good time.
It's not what you know but who
you know is an old true cliche. Many
jobs are found through networking, people talking informally about their work.
Join a professional
organization.
Go on online forums in your
field.
It's all about your abilities
with people. You're always selling
yourself. Unless you're so good that
people want your services or goods specifically, you have to sell yourself
first before you get a job or get someone's business.
The single most important
characteristic of making it anywhere is to culture a network of allies and
contacts.
Networking in its simplest terms
means having the right friends. In the
Asian culture, life is about relationships.
They call it quanxi. While we in
the West frown on patronage and nepotism, the truth is that this is what makes
the world go round; who you know versus what you know.
Granted, who you know will open
doors but you have to prove yourself afterwards. If the people you know don't respect you or
your abilities, they won't open too many doors for you.
When I lived in Ottawa, all the
young college grad, junior yuppie people were anxious to go out to the parties
and social events because they knew that even though it was hard to get a
government job through the front door by going through the application process,
the inside bureaucrats and politicians have the power to hire who they want, on
the spot.
You wanna talk about
brown-nosing and I'm not talking just about the guys. Young girls en masse wanted those cushy
government jobs. They used to flirt like
hell. It's no different in Washington or
with any bureaucarcy.
Why do you think people do
internships for free or for peanuts?
It's not because they want to learn more about the field. It's because they want to make connections to
hopefully land them a decent job.
Networking is simply the art of
using people you know to help you get what you want but they use you too when
they need a favor. It's called
symbiosis. It's what makes the world go
around.
Most really good jobs are not
advertised for potential applicants to see.
They exist in a hidden job market accessible only by connected insiders
in the know. This method helps these
people in power avoid dealing with all the hassles and riff-raff that goes
along with advertising for a job opening.
Networking will help put you on
the inside, in the know. It's that
simple. People want somebody they know
or somebody who knows somebody they know because to them, it gives them the
security that you're united by a kindred spirit bond since you run in the same
circles and know one another.
Networking is a proactive
approach. At the very least, through
networking, you're telling people indirectly that you're a happening person,
you're out there mixing it up with life rather than sitting home timidly,
sending letters out, hoping something comes to you rather than going out there
making the scene like wow. It makes you
look cool, in the flow, a sociable animal.
Networking is much more powerful
than rules and regulations. Some people
call it patronage or nepitism. It's the
ones with the power using it amongst themselves to get what they want. You scratch your buddy's back, he scratches
yours and nobody's the wiser.
You can network to find a job or
to find customers in business and continue to network when you have a job
because that's where you find out about the opportunities in your field.
No matter how good and talented
you are at anything, it won't matter unless you have some skills to find the
right people and be able to deal with them in a charming way such that they
come to like you and would see no problems working with you or recommending you
to a buddy looking for a worker.
No matter how good you are, if
you don't have social skills, people don't need the hassle. They will wait for the next good person they
can deal with in a mutually beneficial way that comes along.
Networking as an Artform
2
Virtually no one on this planet
is indispensable so you're probably not that good in which case you have to
become a good guy in order to win people over.
I recently went to a concert of an aging pop star and as I watched him,
I thought to myself, he's history. He
doesn't have the spark anymore. He's a
has-been. If you want jobs as you age,
culture some contacts now.
Networking is not about
quantity, it's about quality. Target the
people who can help you out in some way and devise strategies to meet
them. That's not to say disregard everybody
else. Respect everybody, especially
secretaries and low-level clerks. They
can help you with information and some day when they move up the corporate
ladder, they may be in a position to really do you a favor.
Join groups, clubs,
associations, trade associations, etc.
Make it a point to go to the local bar at least once a month where the
people in your profession hang out. Be a
team player.
Play golf or tennis with the
people at the office. Socialize,
schmooze. Don't just do your job and go home,
hang out and talk to the work cronies.
Go to fundraisers and charity
events. Do homework on your business
contacts to impress them. Do what you do
best and meet people that way. Church is
a good way to meet people. Find the
right church that believes in socializing and helping its members out.
Join your local chamber of
commerce and go to their events, especially conventions. I know several people who got jobs at
conventions.
You must find out what the trade
organizations are in your field, get on their mailing lists and when there are
conventions, trade fairs, etc., even if a distance from your home, you must put
on your charming face and go.
When you're in networking mode,
I read an article that said prepare your pitch like you were a TV commercial. Be ready to talk yourself up to people
without sounding like a braggart.
Don't let shyness or modesty get
in your way. You have to get in front of
people and talk to them.
Join a professional association.
Join the local chapter of a
national organization.
If you're in college, join
student organizations.
Get business cards made up to
pass out. Bring a few resumes in a file
that you carry around with you.
In order to make an impression,
it's not enough just to meet people; be helpful or offer to be helpful in some
way. Be persistent and energetic in
life.
Don't bother much with Christmas
cards but if you want to be memorable, send Christmas gifts to the children of
your important contacts.
If you want to impress people,
find out their birthdays and anniversaries and send cards then. You might find some information in the Who's
Who directories at the library.
Always be polite. Don't just be generic. Try to come off as an upstanding, cool
person. Get on committees at work. Be in good standing among your peers.
Befriend your boss but always
show proper respect. Golf with him or do
whatever else he does with him. Treat
everybody with dignity. One way to get
noticed is to start a newsletter or interoffice weekly message sheet or write
articles for your office and trade publications.
The law of karma lives in the
workplace. What goes around comes around
so always be a good guy. Don't screw
anybody over just to get ahead.
Share your skills and your time
with people. Never pass up an
opportunity to meet someone new. Bring
something to the situation always even if it's just your charming
personality. Have fun, exude that air
about yourself. Be nice to secretaries
who may help you out with a tip.
Be honest. Don't be phony. Try to hang out with the extroverts or the
sociable people in any group.
Help people when they're down
and having problems. They remember and
will reward you when they're on the up.
Take all your phone calls
immediately such that you're not sending out the message that you're blowing
people off.
Professional networking groups
are business people who get together and help one another promote each
other. For example, if I'm a lawyer in
the group and another guy is a doctor, if someone asks me who's a good doctor,
I say he is and if someone asks him for a good lawyer, he refers them to me.
If you want a backdoor way to
look for people, go to any professional networking site, type in the company
name and you'll probably get a few members who work for that company.
Think of a networking website as
a place to put your business homepage.
You're telling people who you are.
Put the website address on your business card.
Networking One-Liners
Listen patiently to people
before you speak.
Look for those who are
knowledgeable and have power in your field.
Before you email or contact
someone for the first name, slow down, create a good letter or statement.
Be concise.
Identify yourself. State why you are contacting this person.
Be friendly and helpful.
The X Factor of Business
Success: Socialize, Develop Relationships
Be sociable. Go to social events. Make friends and connections.
linkedin.com
Job Networking Websites
careercenter.georgetown.edu/major-career-guides/networking,
Networking
careercenter.georgetown.edu/career-exploration/networking/how-to-make-contact,
networking
university.linkedin.com/content/dam/university/global/en_US/site/pdf/TipSheet_BuildingaGreatProfile.pdf,
how to build your LinkedIn profile/ PDF
Chapter 2. World Business Networking
Australia Business
Networking
local-services.com.au
linkme.com.au/groups/public
British Business
Networking
localbusinessenterprise.co.uk/basic-business-networking-skills.html
localbusinessenterprise.co.uk/find-out-about-local-business-schemes.html
business-business.co.uk/thinklocal4businessshow,
how to network.
homeandbuild.co.uk/bc-contact-search,
contacts in british construction
bcan.co.uk, british commercial
alliance network
trustedcontacts.co.uk
citylocal.co.uk
Canadian Business Networking/
Canadian Professional Networking
Americans and Canadians go on
all the big networking websites.
ca.linkedin.com
probook.ca, professional
networking site for canada.
beanstalk.ca, explores the soft
skills valued in canadian business and accountancy.
canadianbusiness.com
cbc-dubai.com, canadian business
council.
ccckw.com, Canadian business
community in Kuwait cdnbizwomen.com
cnbpa.ca, canadian-netherlands
business.
dcbc.ca, dutch-canadian.
dcbccalgary.com, dutch-canadian.
ecbn.ca, egyptian.
germancanadianbusinessassociation.com
grupohispano.ca
hispanotech.ca
makefive.com
mississauga.ca/portal/business/resourcesandtools
networkingtoday.ca pdtg.ca,
professional development and networking
probook.ca
sbinfocanada. dead website, try
dotdash.com, thoughtco.com and thebalance.com
is dead, try thoughtco.com /od/networking/business_networking.htm
sbinfocanada. dead website, try
dotdash.com, thoughtco.com and thebalance.com
is dead, try thoughtco.com /od/womeninbusiness/women_in_business_resources.htm
bnicanada.ca
bnn.ca
cabinet-business-network.ca
canadianbusinessnetwork.com
canadianbusinessnetwork.com/events.html
canadianiranian.com
canadianspeakers.org
canuckabroad.com
tagza.com/general/allan_madan__business_partnerships_canada_canadian_business_networking-1/
vbnf.com
vcpa.ca, Vietnamese Canadian
Professional Association
welcomewagon.ca, canadian
welcome wagon association.
yellowpages.ca
Chapter
3. Unadvertised Jobs Through Networking
The Hidden Job Market
Info
The hidden job market is the people any manager or boss
thinks of before he goes to the formal route of placing an ad, hiring a
recruiter or going to an employment agency.
It's much simpler for them to fill a job by calling someone they know
rather than posting an ad then interviewing twelve strangers.
The hidden job market is mostly about networking but it's
also about checking corporate websites to find the exact names of people who
could possibly hire you then send letters to them by name with a compliment or
two about the company that you got from the business news.
In order for you to be part of the in-crowd for the job
market in your field, you have to be out there socializing, doing stuff,
getting to know people for two reasons:
1.) Some manager might know you and think of you when he has
a position to fill.
2.) Some guy in company x or a relative of J.J. Bigshot
might know that J.J. is looking for somebody in a certain job so because you're
a good friend of theirs, they call you and tell you that Old Man Bigshot is
looking for someone at position z and they'll put in a good word for you if you
want.
It's that simple.
Nothing has changed since the gang of senators got together and decided
to kill Ceasar. It's who you know. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. It's basic Machiavallean ideology.
It's too bad but introverted genius nerds rarely make it big
unless they start their own companies and call the shots. I could tell you stories of networking and
you'd see the lengths people go to in order to promote themselves.
One girl who was trying to get a record deal went around to
dozens of music events, always with a purse full of her CDs. Can you imagine some introverted song writer
doing that? No way. You gotta be out there. Everything is about people and about selling
yourself.
Arrogant people don't find jobs unless their resume is so
stellar that it's enough. You have to
have a modest, friendly, sociable air about yourself.
Why do all these middle-aged nerds play golf when they'd
rather be home playing computer games.
It's because they're networking.
jobsearchtech. dead website, try
dotdash.com, thebalance.com and thoughtco.com
jobstar.org/hidden/index.php
jobstar.org/hidden/quiz.php
job-hunt.org/hiddenjobmarket.shtml
uwec.edu/career/students/jobsearch/hidden_market.htm
esqadvantage.com/tools/hidden_job_market.html
careers4graduates.org/vacancies/vfempl.phtml
3dnet.org/individual/hidden.html
Hidden Job Market
Websites
Peterson's annual book Hidden Job Market usually profiles
what they consider to be the high-growth companies.
linkedin.com, go to job insider.
jobstar.org/hidden/index.htm
1st-writer.com/hiddenjobmarket.htm
abtech.edu/student_services/career/jobsearch.asp
acap.army.mil/transitioner/job_assistance/explore_market.cfm
accountingnet.ie/content/publish/article_969.shtml
albany.edu/rockefeller/career/newpdf/careerhandbook_hiddenjob.pdf
aresumes.com/networking.htm
armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292313-268619.php
asktheheadhunter.com/hahiddenjobs.htm
asu.edu/studentaffairs/career/files/tappingthehiddenjobmarket.pdf
bakosgroup.com/hidden_job/hiddenjobprices.htm
bellaonline.com/articles/art17765.asp
bellaonline.com/articles/art44211.asp
bridges.com/framework/activities/choicesexplorer/hiddenjobmarket/hiddenjobmarket.pdf
business.uiuc.edu/bcs/uncoverhiddenjobmarketcobcareerguide(2).pdf
campuscareercenter.com
campuscareercenter.com/students/article_print.asp?news_id=916
canterbury.ac.nz/student/careers/documents/tappingthehiddenjobmarket.html
career.berkeley.edu/article/020419a.stm, the hidden job
market: using temp jobs to get inside.
career.clemson.edu/students/hidden.htm
careerfair.com/tips/networking.asp
careergames.com/hidden-market.html
careerjournal.com/columnists/qanda/strategies/20030314-qandastrategies.html
careerjournal.com/jobhunting/strategies/19971231hidden.html
careerperfect.com/content/job-search-tips/
careerperfect.com/content/job-search-tips-hidden-job-market-strategy
careers.ed.ac.uk/cpp/making_it_happen/hidden_jobmarket.htm
certmag.com/articles/
che.umn.edu/img/assets/4906/internship_and_job_.pdf
cioupdate.com/career/article.php/1016501
cpa2biz.com/career/hidden+job+market+secrets.htm
cpa2biz.com/career/hidden+job+market+secrets1.htm
cvtips.com/g_hidden_job_market.html
denver.jobing.com/news_feature.asp?story=1360
dol.state.ga.us/js/tap_into_hidden_job_market.htm
eastvalleytribune.com/index.php
easyjob.net/career/hidden-job-market.html
ejobcoach.com/networking.htm
en.mimi.hu/career/hidden_job_market.html
extra.rdg.ac.uk/wcj1/student/helphidden.html
fastcompany.com/magazine/11/spy11.html
fei.org/download/coldcallingtips_7_1_04.pdf
finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/fthjm, finding the hidden job
market.
gmphost.com/_seo/job_market.html
goshen.edu/careerserv/students/jobsearch/networking.php
halife.com/news/news2/hidden_job_market.html
hilbert.edu/hiddenjobmarket.asp
hku.hk/cepc/new/forstudent/hiddenjob.html
jist.com/excerpts/j0295ch7.pdf#search='hiddenjobmarket'
jobbankusa.com/careerarticles/career_advice/ca4306a.html
job-hunt.org/hiddenjobmarket3.html
job-hunt.org/hiddenjobmarket3.shtml
jobs.utah.gov/jobseeker/workshops/mountain/access.asp
jobsearchtech. dead website, try
dotdash.com, thebalance.com and thoughtco.com
/library/weekly/aa090897.htm
jobstar.org/hidden/hidden.php
jobwerx.com/dirsub.html
jobwhiz.com/, recruiter who opens doors to the hjm.
jobwhiz.com/cold_calling_your_way.php
kstatecollegian.com/stories/112801/new_jobmarket.shtml
lynnberger.com/cnn2.html
marshall.usc.edu/career/crc_resources/handouts/jobsearch/hiddenjobmarkethandout.pdf
marshall.usc.edu/career/crc_resources/handouts/jobsearch/jobsearchworkshopoutline.pdf
medhunters.com/articles/dearcphiddenjobmarket.html
montevallo.edu/careercenter/handouts/careernotebook17-jobmarket.pdf
njit.edu/directory/admin/career/crc/hidden_job_market.htm
novaworks.org
ns.msu.edu/acrc/quick_guides/hidden_mrkt1.asp
ns.msu.edu/acrc/quick_guides/hidden_mrkt2.asp
ntid.rit.edu/nce/job_process_networking.php
okanagan.bc.ca/page11420.aspx
olin.wustl.edu/wcrc/pdf/networkinginfoguide.pdf
ou.org/ou/event_more/parnossah_works_effective_job_search_strategy_and_networking
phenix.troy.edu/cs/hiddenmarket.htm
placementmanual.com/jobsearch/
provenresumes.com/jobsrchpg1.html
quintcareers.com/foot_in_the_door.html
recruiterscafe.com/findcareer.asp
regent.edu/acad/schbus/career/students/documents/unlockingthehiddenjobmarket.doc
resume-solutions.com.au/career-advice/the_hidden_job_market.html
robinryan.com/article_market.htm
roudenbush.org/summer_brochure/adult_programs/financial_planning.html
seek.co.nz/editorial/0-4-11_hidden_jobs.htm
seek.com.au/editorial/0-4-11_hidden_jobs.htm
services.admin.utas.edu.au/fact_sheets/hidden_job_market_networking.doc
shelbyshacks.com/career/hidden.htm
shrm.org/students/getstart_published/cms_003157.asp
stpaulcareers.umn.edu/jobsearch/find_positions/hidden_market.html
tafe.sa.edu.au/students/pages/studentservices/hiddenjobmarket
teens4hire.org/hiddenjobs.asp
totalwoman.com/careerperfect/cp/job.strat4.htm
totalwoman.com/careerperfect/cp/jobsearchhiddenstrat.htm
twu.edu/o-cs/hiddenjobmarket.htm
ualberta.ca/caps/wordfiles/tappingintothehiddenjobmarket.pdf
ucalgary.ca/careers/students/job_search_strategies/hidden_job_market.html
ups.edu/ces/handout/jobsearch.pdf
usq.edu.au/studentservices/careers/getjob/jobsearch/network.htm
uwec.edu/career/students/jobsearch/hidden_market.htm
uwec.edu/review/career/students/jobsearch/hidden_market.htm
vuw.ac.nz/st_services/careers/publications/career_editorials/hidden_jobmarket.html
warwick.ac.uk/services/careers/graduates/jobhunt/hidden/
workopolis.com
Canadian Hidden Job
Market
ca.hotjobs.yahoo.com/findingajob/unlocking_the_hidden_job_market_2004825-1512.html
umanitoba.ca/student/employment/resources/search/markets.php
fedpubs.com/subject/career/job_dir.htm, the canadian hidden
job market directory.
jobsetc.ca
workopolis.com, some articles.
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