Networking to find jobs with people you've lost touch withWritten by Scott Brown
Most people realize networking is an effective way to find jobs. But networking isn't a subject that's taught in school so not everyone knows how to do it. In this job searching tip, we're going to address question of how to network with people you haven't talked to for a while.QUESTION FROM A SUBSCRIBER: I have been out of work for several years, and am now looking to get back into workforce. I know they say that networking is preferred way to find jobs, buy I haven't talked to my old network for over two years. I feel reluctant to call people I haven't talked with in several years, since it's obvious that I'm only calling to see about help finding a job, no matter how I couch it. I'm over 50 which I know doesn't help. I should add that when I first started looking (before having to stop), my contacts weren't helpful. Is it worth trying them anyway? -D.S. Dear D.S., It always makes sense to try networking with people you already know when looking for finding a job. Even if they weren't able to help you a couple years ago. People are constantly meeting new people, so people in your contacts' networks have changed since you last talked to them and some of them may be in a better position to help you. The average professional person has at least 200 contacts in their rolodex. Even if you have only a fraction of that number in yours, let's say 50, you still have potentially 10,000 people who can help you find a job because 50 times 200 = 10,000. The key is to motivate people in your network to make them want to help you land a new position. You are right that when you first make contact with people you haven't talked to for a while, at least some of them will believe your only motivation is to get help finding a job. That is not necessarily a bad thing. People understand how important it is to have a job and most people in this world are good-natured and want to be helpful. Even if you just reach out to people in your network and explicitly ask them for help finding a job, you will most likely get some positive responses. However, if you want to get people to really go to bat for you and to really think about who they might know that could help you, there has to be something in it for them -- whether it's a professional motivation or a personal one. People who are really good at networking tend to be genuinely concerned about other people and constantly looking for ways to help people they know. When you call someone you haven't talked to for a while, find out what's going on with them personally and professionally. Find out what their interests are. Networking expert Harvey MacKay developed a list of 66 questions ranging from Spouse's name to favorite foods and sports teams. When you're starting a relationship with someone -- or in your case, re-starting a relationship, one of your initial goals should be to learn about person and their motivations and interests. It's not really important that you get them to help you find a job on first phone call. If you're really looking to maximize value of your network, you should look to create a relationship with person and have a reason/excuse to talk to them again in near future.
| | Job Search EtiquetteWritten by Scott Brown
For most people, word "etiquette" conjures up images of privileged wealthy people and esoteric rules of social behavior that have no real meaning. When it comes to business interactions and especially those relating to job searching, etiquette is an important component in coming across as a candidate worth considering. Business etiquette is not about being a snob: in fact, it's about *not* being a snob. It's about being considerate of other peoples' feelings and helping them feel comfortable with social aspects of interacting with you on a professional basis.MAKING A GOOD IMPRESSION Part of having good etiquette is making a good impression. If your appearance is in good taste and not wildly different from employer's own manner of dress and style, they will feel much more comfortable with you. In a job search setting, your "appearance" really begins before you even meet person face-to-face. It begins with having a well-written cover letter and resume. You'd be surprised how many people have spelling and grammatical errors in their resume. Most word processing software, including Microsoft Word, includes a spelling and grammar check. The formatting of your resume should be neat and easy to read. Don't use lots of jargon or come across as condescending to reader. E-MAIL AND PHONE ETIQUETTE If employer gets past reading your resume and is still interested in you, one of two things will happen: they'll e-mail you or call you on phone. This is where you need to make sure experience this person has interacting with you by e-mail and/or phone is professional and pleasant. Don't use an unprofessional e-mail address like "hoochiemama1000@hotpants.com." You can get a free e-mail account from Hotmail.com or Yahoo.com if you need to. If you're using an email account that has a storage limit, make sure you check your messages often enough that a recruiter's email to you won't bounce back because your mailbox is full. If you might not be around to answer phone, make sure message on your answering machine sounds professional (and make sure answering machine works). Even better is to change message on your voice mail daily and when you go out so caller knows you are checking messages on a regular basis. When corresponding with an employer by e-mail, rules of proper writing style apply. Don't write in all capital or all lower-case letters because this is improper writing style and comes across as lazy. Do attempt to create a warm and personal connection with person in your messages, while remaining professional at same time. The same goes for phone calls: when answering phone, it's important to sound warm and receptive -- even if you're busy with something else. When you get a voice mail from someone, call them back as soon as possible: even if it's just to let them know you're busy but you will get back to them with an answer as soon as you can. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
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