I Hate Networking. I Love Talking to People.
When I was in college, I remember hearing about networking in our career class. I loathed that word. It made me feel uncomfortable, icky, and like something I wouldn’t be very good at. I imagined myself at huge events, really uncomfortable trying to mingle and talk to people.
Now, almost 20 years into my career, that kind of networking still doesn’t sound fun. However, since then, I’ve shifted how I think about networking. I’ve come to view it as talking to people and building relationships. Those are things I truly enjoy. That is the kind of networking I feel comfortable doing.
Note: this post is geared towards people that are looking for a job, but can be applied to lots of things like: learning about different industries/jobs, building a business, or learning more about any topic that interests you.
Why Connecting With People Is Important
I work with many clients that are job searching. Similar to me 20 years ago, a lot of them are hesitant to ‘network’. They are reluctant to reach out to others to let them know they are looking for a job or to ask them for help. I can understand their hesitancy. Reaching out to people when we need something can feel vulnerable. Also many of us don’t want to ‘bug’ people. What if instead, we viewed it as connecting with someone or reaching out to catch up. We are humans, and humans are meant to socialize and talk with one another.
Also on a practical level, the more people that know you are looking for a job, the more that are able to help you. When you talk one-on-one with someone, it is personable. They can learn more about what you are looking for, you can ask them questions, and it may spark ideas for you that you both wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. You are planting a seed and that person is more likely to think of you if something comes up in the future.
How to Start
Make a List of at Least 20 People
This can be family, friends, former colleagues, acquaintances, really anybody that you would like to catch up with. This is a brainstorming exercise. If you get stuck, think about the communities or groups that you are a part of and pick people from there. If you write a name down, you aren’t committing to reach out to them. You are just coming up with ideas in this phase.
Reach Out
Each week reach out to at least two people and see if they want to catch up on Zoom or meet in person. You can start with the ‘easy’ people to help you get used to the process. You can let them know you’re looking for a new role and would love their help and advice (also let them know you genuinely want to catch up, if that’s the case). People love to help and give advice. They likely are going to appreciate that you thought of them and reached out. And if they aren’t able to meet or don’t reply, that’s okay too. It’s not personal.
How to Prepare for the Meeting
Be curious. Come up with some questions you’d like to ask them. Here are some examples, but also brainstorm some on your own:
What specifically is their role? What do they like about it?
Can they tell you more about their industry? What do they like about it?
Is their company hiring? If so, are there any jobs they think you’d be a good fit for?
Do they have any ideas about anyone else you can talk to?
Can they keep an eye out for any jobs that may be a good fit for you at their company?
If they were you, is there anything else they would do?
Be prepared to tell them the type of role you are looking for. Make it short and sweet. They may also want to know about other information like the size of the company you are interested in working for or if you are interested in remote work. So get clear on those items before meeting with them as well.
How to Go Into the Meeting
Be open, tell them you are looking for a new role and would love any advice they have. You can start by asking them how they like their job [see brainstormed questions above] and get to know more about what they are currently doing. Then you can pivot to ask more questions related to your job search.
Enjoy the conversation. If nothing else, you are catching up with and connecting with someone you haven’t seen in a while. Also maybe in that meeting, some ideas came up for job opportunities for you or maybe you planted a seed and the person you chatted with will think of you when something comes their way. Either way, enjoy connecting.
Keeping the Momentum Going
It’s important to take small actions every day or week. Keep referring to your list and reach out to at least two people a week. This will add up over time and help create more opportunities and connections for you.
Also keep track of the people that you reached out to and the people that you talked with. Looking at that list will help you see the progress you are making in networking and connecting in your job search.
I have talked to numerous people that have done this and they all comment that they really enjoyed catching up with people that they hadn’t spoken to in a while. People really do love to help each other out, so think about who you can lean on for support.