Networking 101

Do these 3 things and opportunities will flow your way. 

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been working in your field for 15+ years, networking is critical. That old saying “it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know” is actually true! 

Examples of Networking Paying Off

Consider the following 2 examples and think about which candidate you would choose.

Example #1: If you had to choose between a candidate that seems to be very knowledgeable in project management and a candidate that was recommended by your long-time family friend, who would you choose?

I’m taking the candidate that my long-time family friend suggested. Why? Because I trust my friend. The last time I trusted someone who appeared to be very smart turned out to be good at interviewing but lackluster in everything else. 

Example #2: If you had to choose between a candidate that seems to be very knowledgeable in project management and a candidate that happens to know your distant friend from an affiliation to a non-profit, who would you choose?

I’m taking the candidate who happens to know my distant friend. Why? Because, if they know my distant friend, they must be a good person, right? Wrong. But most people will STILL choose the person they have some, albeit minimal, connection to. This is why networking is huge. 

What Networking is Not

While many people understand the significance of networking, they have a false sense of what networking actually is. Are you:

• Passing your resume to as many people as you can on a daily basis? 
• Sending hundreds of LinkedIn requests to people you don’t know? 
• Filling your days with back-to-back coffee chats to tell everyone what you're looking for in your next career move? 

If you answered yes to any of these three questions, you are officially doing what I like to call notworking. Because these strategies DO NOT work. If anything, you might be pushing people away.

Three Strategies to Network Effectively

Luckily for you, networking is much less work than the strategies most people hear about. To network effectively, you simply need to:

1) Be a nice person

It's amazing how far being a nice person can take you. When you are kind to others, they unconsciously feel the need to do kind things for you (like go out of their way to pass your resume to a friend). More specifically, you can start being a nice person by helping people, giving genuine compliments, and practicing active listening.

Help People: There’s enough opportunity in the world for everyone. You can still help someone with their resume without thinking you’ve created more competition for yourself. You can also help your peer complete a task for your manager without being concerned about that person ranking higher than you during performance reviews. Helping people will ultimately help you, because that same person you helped will go the extra mile when you need it most.

Give genuine compliments: If you’re trying to give compliments just as small talk, it’s easy to see right through those. For instance, if you say, "that was a great presentation," it's a nice statement to make, but it doesn't set you apart. On the other hand, if you say, "great presentation earlier, I love how you incorporated live polling with the WebEx to include the audience," that makes the other person feel like you genuinely enjoyed the presentation. It’s these moments that many times come full circle - you may find yourself interviewing with that same leader one day. And you know what, they will remember you because you were the nice person who complimented the inclusion of WebEx polling, which they spent a large amount of time preparing. 

Practice active listening: When you’re having conversations with people, actually listen to them. Don’t let everything go in one ear, and out the other, just waiting on your opportunity to ask the next question. Active listening is important, regardless of who you are speaking to: employer, partner, child, etc. I’m sure you’ve experienced conversations on the phone where you said something to which you’re expecting a response, but you don’t get one. Why? Because they are busy texting someone else. Well, talking to someone face to face while you are just thinking about what you’ll ask next feels the same way. Listen, and ask pointed questions so that it’s clear you are interested in the discussion and you value that person’s thoughts. 

2) Be relatable

Think of a time when you went on a date and you couldn’t relate to the person at all. Did you want a second date? Probably not. The same applies to networking. You have to be relatable. Is there a cool hobby you can talk about? Like gardening, swimming or making ceramic pots (I know, pretty unique, but that’s the point!). Are you going through an annoying situation at home (not something too far left) that you can share? Like how your dog keeps knocking over the trash can in the kitchen? Talk about it. Be open, honest, and even vulnerable. People relate to that, and those deeply rooted connections will last a life time. 

3) Be consistent

Meaning, don’t start being a nice person or attempting to relate to someone just because you found out they have a new job posting you’re interested in. If you’re nice and kind only when you want/need something, it won’t work. It makes people feel like they’re being used, and that definitely won’t make you a front runner in the hiring process. Therefore, it’s essential to be consistent in your pursuit to connect with people; whether you are already in your dream job or you are in-between jobs, always keep in touch with people you know and frequently make connections with new people by being a nice person and relating to others. The next time you're looking for your next opportunity, it will be much easier if you have executed all three. 

• The hiring manager will be the person you sent a pointed e-mail to regarding a project at work that they executed flawlessly (nice person)
• You’ll spend the first 10 minutes of your next interview helping the interviewer with tips about how to grow eggplants in her garden (relatable)
• And most importantly, you’ll be applying to work in an organization that you connected with 6 months back, when you weren’t looking to move but were interested in learning more about that department, and they remembered your informal touch base (consistency)

Remember these three things and networking will happen naturally. Keep me posted on how you’re networking is going! And don’t worry, you can thank me later for saving you hours applying for infinite positions, adding random people to your LinkedIn, and drinking endless cups of coffee while trying to think of intelligent things to say. Happy Networking!