Many job seekers hate networking. When asked why, they often give one of these reasons:
- “I don’t know a lot of people. I’m shy.”
- “How depressing is it asking someone ‘Do you know of any job openings…’?!”
- “I’m no good at small talk. Networking is just small talk with an ulterior motive, right?”
These reactions are totally understandable. At the same time, it’s well known that most openings are filled by a “known candidate” rather than just someone who – along with 200 others – saw a posting on line.
So here are some ideas that can make networking less painful.
First: It’s really easy to “know a lot of people” online. If you do nothing else, get on http://linkedin.com. Especially if you’re an introvert.
Second: It’s not about asking for job openings. That’s the start of a very short, sad conversation: “Sorry, I don’t know of any!” Instead, use the “Target Companies List” approach. Make a simple document that includes the following:
- A few lines summarizing your qualifications and the type of job you’re seeking.
- A few lines about what type of companies you’d consider. (What size? Corporate or nonprofit? What industries? Where?)
- A list of specific companies you might want to work for.
Third: With this approach, it’s not just small talk. You have an outline, and the main focus is your target companies: how they’re doing, how they hire, company culture, and especially, people who work there. You should also ask for names of other companies to add.
Ultimately, these conversations can lead to informational interviews with insiders, even hiring managers. You become one of those “known candidates” who get three quarters of the jobs out there, including jobs that were never announced to the masses.
Is that an ulterior motive? Merriam Webster Online defines “ulterior” as “going beyond what is openly said or shown and especially what is proper.” In other words, being sneaky. But with this approach you’re being up-front about what you want to talk about – the job market and certain companies. That’s interesting to many of us these days - even if we’re not looking for a job right now.
Try out the ideas in this article, and you may find you no longer hate networking!
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