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Fine-tune network skills for job hunts Connect without wrecking prospects

An e-mail that a veteran marketing executive recently blitzed to 12,000 contacts begins: “On Sept. 11, to my complete and utter surprise, I was terminated …”

She identified her ex-employer and why the small market-research firm fired her. Copies of her message inadvertently landed in her old boss's inbox, prompting the company to make her sign a separation agreement limiting how she spoke about her departure, her attorney said.
The otherwise effective technique could have been hassle-free. Broadcasting bad news about your job is a bad idea.

“I am a prolific networker,” the dismissed executive said in an interview.

But in hindsight, she concedes, the emotionally charged e-mail “wasn't the most professional or politic way to do it.”

Everyone knows you must network to find work following a job loss.

Too often, however, unemployed people make networking missteps, prolonging a job hunt.

A common flub involves name-dropping without knowing how a contact feels about the person.

A few weeks ago, an out-of-work executive phoned recruiter Jane Howze for permission “to stop by your office and have you look at my resume.” He cited an unimpressive candidate whom she met once in 2000 but never referred to an employer.

Howze, a managing director at Houston's Alexander Group, refused to see the job seeker. “He was a little presumptuous,” she states.

Exaggerating your relationship with mutual acquaintances can set you back, too.

Recruiter Fred Whelan conferred with a financial-services marketing vice president soon after his layoff because he had claimed to be a client's friend.

But when asked how he knew the client, “he awkwardly explained that they weren't really friends, he just knew of her,” remembers Whelan, a partner at Whelan Stone in San Francisco.

The recruiter cut short their session and ignored the prospect's subsequent e-mails.

Whelan also gets peeved when jobless applicants he fruitlessly wooed while employed suddenly crave his attention. That happened after a vice president for a video-game publisher lost his position last year.

“He never acknowledged that he had been unresponsive in the past and so I didn't meet with him,” Whelan says.

A smarter strategy: Apologize for spurning recruiters' past feelers.

You also may sabotage an informational interview by ending up asking for a job.

The question puts contacts in an awkward spot, especially because “the majority of the time, the answer is no,” notes Damian Birkel, founder of Professionals in Transition, a support group.

A jobless broadcast-industry executive alienated former colleagues and acquaintances with opening remarks such as, “I'm networking. Do you have anything I’ve the capability to look at in terms of a job?” He expressed zero interest in their careers.

“I don't really care about them. I just want a job,” he told John McKee, a career coach and author in Thousand Oaks, Calif. It took the executive 14 months to find work.

Networking “is supposed to be mutually beneficial,” McKee states. Even initial e-mails should include an offer of reciprocal help.

You might say, “If you need contact information in our industry, I'd be happy to pass along some names as well,” recommends Steve Swanson, a managing partner for recruiters Princeton One in Princeton, N.J.

“Giving back is very important,” agrees Kevin Gillespie, an unemployed sales and marketing manager from Old Westbury, N.Y.

Introductions that he arranged inside and outside the chemicals-and-plastics industry since his September layoff have begun to bear fruit.

Experts recommend that you reiterate offers of assistance — and alert individuals about any results from their suggested leads.

Bothering contacts excessively also can weaken networking efforts.

An unemployed former sales director at a software business e-mailed Whelan Stone each month for a year. Each message contained the same subject line, introduction and pitch.

The firm replied only once. “This was incredibly annoying,” Whelan complains.

A jobless ex-senior executive at a telecom concern wore out his welcome with many prior associates, sometimes phoning several times a day, according to McKee.

He reached out “again and again until they would no longer even return his calls,” the coach recalls.

McKee persuaded the executive instead to schedule his phone chats through e-mails that proposed dates and topics.

Acquaintances “appreciated his respect for their time,” the coach reports. The man landed a job in August.

It isn't absolutely clear, however, whether casting a wide net hurts job hunts. Diane Darling, founder of Effective Networking, a Boston consultancy, favors targeting close contacts.

The marketing manager who e-mailed 12,000 contacts disagrees. “I don't want to discourage people from doing this,” she says.

A youth marketing bureau expressed interest in hiring her immediately after receiving her Sept. 28 missive.

She joins the New York firm in January. When she sent out an e-mail blast trumpeting her new job, she got hundreds of hearty congratulations.

Networking for Success: Who Will Connect You to Your Next Job? by Emily Breckenridge

According to New York career-management firm, BH Careers International, 80% of all available jobs aren't posted in the classifieds or on job boards. Additionally, 60% of people surveyed by BH stated they got their last job by networking. Though networking can be awkward and uncomfortable, the fact is, it is the best way to find a job. Here are a few tips to help you develop, and successfully execute a networking strategy.

1) Prepare an elevator pitch. Data shows that when you initially meet someone, their first impression of you is formed within the first two minutes they spend with you. After that first impression is formed, it is extremely difficult for it to be changed. A 30-second elevator pitch should be a part of each professional's job search arsenal, including yours, for this very reason. An elevator pitch is a swift speech that you've memorized in case you ever meet someone who you need to make a good, professional impression on. It is also a great starting point for beginning a conversation with employers at job fairs, or as a way of summarizing yourself at the beginning of an interview. Make it upbeat, and to the point, stating who you're, what you do and what you're looking for. For additional information on elevator pitches, check out First Impressions: How to Deliver a Professional 30-second Elevator Pitch from the September 18, 2007 issue of TechNews.

2) Keep your marketing tools up-to-date. Keep your resume, and any social or professional network profiles up-to-date. You should provide a resume to all of your networking contacts as an initial point of reference, and send them a new one each time you add something new to it (i.e. a new degree or a new job). If you've a MySpace or other social networking site profile, make sure that it is appropriate, and that nothing on it would prevent a job offer if a potential employer saw it.

3) Tap into your existing network.� It's a small world, and you never know who your parents' friends or your friends' friends might know. Spread the word that you're looking for a job to family, friends and ex-colleagues, and ask if they might be able to offer any advice. Then have that network connect you to a broader one, by asking, “Do you know anyone else who might be helpful for me to meet?”

4) Become involved in an industry-specific association. Professional organizations and associations are one of the best ways to expand your network. Student membership fees are usually affordable, and the benefits of membership definitely outweigh the cost. Professional associations are an simple way to connect with others in your field, and these connections often result in job referrals. Many associations also post job ads on their websites, sometimes limiting access to members. Many HR representatives report that they like to advertise, sometimes exclusively, on these sites, because good candidates are usually members of professional organizations. Additionally, many HR representatives report that they use association conferences and/or trade shows to seek potential hires, because attendance and participation show that a person is committed to staying on the cutting edge of the field. To increase your visibility to HR at those events, don't just attend association events or trade shows – instead, participate! Volunteer to help organize a meeting or a part of the event, offer your expertise by presenting on a topic, or simply just ask educated questions.

5) Take it slow. If you've met someone for the first time whom you think would be a great person to have in your professional network, don't rush it. Build your relationship with your new contact before asking for help. Stacey L. Bradford of the Wall Street Journal suggests that you “Consider dropping a personal note to any new contact you meet at an industry event. Then follow-up, perhaps with a helpful article or introduction to someone you know.”

6) Networking is a two-way street. Show your concern and interest for your networking contacts, and make sure that you're a benefit to all of them by referring them to positions for which you think they're qualified, and by putting them in touch with people whom you think might help them, etc. Ask them questions about themselves and their business experience. The more you help them, the more they’ll be inclined to help you.

7) Don't ask for a job! Instead, ask for advice. When you ask someone about their experience in a field, or for their advice on job searches, they're typically more generous with their time. If you're qualified for a job that they might have open, they'll ask you to apply.

8 ) Mind your manners. Always follow up a conversation or meeting with your networking contacts with a thank you note or email. Also, keep the contact updated on your job search by mentioning any interviews you've had recently or any offers you've received.

9) Respect your contact's time. Your contacts have their own responsibilities. Make sure that you respect their time by always being flexible, and by not continually asking for favors. Additionally, make sure that you don't call too often. If you're not sure what's too much, just ask them.

10) Be in it for the long-run. Your relationships with your networking contacts should not end when you begin a job. These should be relationships that you maintain long-term. Plan on staying in touch by arranging a monthly touch base with a few contacts where you call them or send them an email to update them on your career, and to find out if there's anything new going on in their lives. Fostering a long-term relationship can lead to further opportunity years from now.

LinkedIn offers the following 10 tips for improving your on the web profile:

1. Don't just cut and paste your resume. LinkedIn hooks you into a network, not just a human resources department. You wouldn't hand out your resume before introducing yourself, so don't do it here. Instead, describe your experience and abilities as you would to someone you just met. And write for the screen, in short blocks of copy with visual or textual signposts.
2. Borrow from the best marketers. Light up your profile with your voice. Use specific adjectives, colorful verbs, active construction (”managed project team,” not “responsible for project team management”). Act naturally: don't write in the third person unless that formality suits your brand. Picture yourself at a conference or client meeting. How do you introduce yourself? That's your authentic voice, so use it.
3. Write a personal tagline. That line of text under your name? It's the first thing people see in your profile. It follows your name in search hit lists. It's your brand. (Note: your e- mail address is not a brand!) Your company's brand might be so strong that it and your title are sufficient. Or you might need to distill your professional personality into a more eye- catching phrase.
4. Put your elevator pitch to work. Go back to your conference introduction. That 30-second description, the essence of who you're and what you do, is a personal elevator pitch. Use it in the Summary section to engage readers. You've got 5-10 seconds to capture their attention. The more meaningful your summary is, the more time you'll get from readers.
5. Point out your skills. Think of the Specialties field as your personal search engine optimizer, a way to refine the ways people find and remember you. This searchable section is where that list of industry buzzwords from your resume belongs. Also: particular capabilities and interests, the personal values you bring to your professional performance, even a note of humor or passion.
6. Explain your experience. Help the reader grasp the key points: briefly state what the company does and what you did or do for them. Picture yourself at that conference, again. After you've introduced yourself, how do you describe what you do, what your company does? Use those clear, succinct phrases here — and break them into visually digestible chunks.
7. Distinguish yourself from the crowd. Use the Additional Information section to round out your profile with a few key interests. Add websites that showcase your abilities or passions. Then edit the default “My Website” label to encourage click-throughs (you get Google page rankings for those, raising your visibility). Maybe you belong to a trade association or an interest group; help other members find you by naming those groups. If you're an award winner, recognized by peers, customers, or employers, add prestige without bragging by listing them here.
8. Ask and answer questions. Thoughtful questions and useful answers build your credibility. The best ones give people a reason to look at your profile. Make a point of answering questions in your field, to establish your expertise, raise your visibility, and most important, to build social capital with people in your network — you might need answers to a question of your own down the road.
9. Pat your own back and others'. Get recommendations from colleagues, clients, and employers who can speak credibly about your abilities or performance. (Think quality, not quantity.) Ask them to focus on a specific skill or personality trait that drives their thought of you. Make meaningful comments when you recommend others. And mix it up — variety makes your suggestions feel authentic.
10. Build your connections. Connections are one of the most important aspects of your brand: the company you keep reflects the quality of your brand. What happens when you scan a profile and see that you know someone in common? That profilee's stock with you soars. The value of that commonality works both ways. So identify connections that'll add to your credibility and pursue those.

Most job search experts find networking to be the most successful way to secure a new position. Networking opportunities are everywhere. The next person you meet could be a future employer or could lead you to a new job opportunity.

Here are 9 tips you can use to improve your networking skills:

1. KNOW EXACTLY what it is that you want from others. Have a plan in place before you start your networking. Prepare questions in advance of a meeting. Be prepared, courteous, succinct, and appreciative.

2. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE that manifests itself throughout your networking efforts. No one wants to help a glum person who has no self-confidence.

3. TALK TO STRANGERS. Despite what your Mother told you, it is OK to mingle with people you haven't been formally introduced to at meetings, concerts, sporting events, political rallies, and even on airplanes.

4. SHARE INFORMATION, ideas, resources, and contacts with others. “The more you give, the more thou shalt receive!” Networking is ideal treated as a two-way street.

5. DON'T ASK for too much at one time. Limit the amount of help or information you seek from any one person to avoid becoming a burden on that individual.

6. DON'T FORGET to follow-up on leads provided by the people you talk to. You can never predict where a tidbit of information might lead.

7. HONOR OTHERS' desire for confidentiality. Trust is a vital part of networking.

8. KEEP IT BRIEF and don't monopolize other people's time. It might even be necessary to make arrangements to call or meet at another time if you discover areas of vital interest.

9. CONTINUE YOUR EFFORTS to network even after you've secured a new position. Networking should become a part of your each day business life because there will always by ways an active network can help you achieve your goals. It is also a powerful tool for enriching your life and the lives of those in your network.

LTC Donald B. Skipper, USA (Ret.) has been associated with the military to civilian transition process as a senior consultant for 22 years and is currently the CEO of Career Beginnings, Inc. He's a Credentialed Career Master, Certified Employment Interview Consultant, and Certified Electronic Career Coach. Don is an active member of the Professional Resume Writing and Research Association, the Association of Job Search Trainers, and the Career Master's Institute. You might visit with him at http://www.nofeartransitions.us