Networking

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Networking

Whats Inside

INTRODUCTION Activating Your Network ....................................................................................3

Challenges & Solutions .........................................................................4

SOCIAL MEDIA How Does Social Networking Fit In? ................................................................5 Your Organizations Social Networking Platform ............................................5 Send Out the Right Message ..........................................................................6 Join Your Organizations Social Media Sites ...................................................6

INTERNAL NETWORKING THE 5 STEPS

STEP 1 : Find Jobs .............................................................................................8

STEP 2: Engage Your Manager ........................................................................9

STEP 3: Target Your Inside Network ............................................................... 10

Insider Tip: Informal Networking ....................................................... 10

STEP 4: Reach Out to Your Inside Network .................................................... 11Sample Questions to Ask ..................................................................... 12

STEP 5: Conduct Networking Conversations ................................................ 13Six Keys to Networking Conversations ................................................ 13

Insider Tip: Conquer the Nerves ........................................................ 13

Insider Tip: The Importance of Listening ........................................... 14

Types of Conversations: The Phone Conversation .......................................................... 15 The Impromptu Meeting .......................................................... 15 The 10-Minute, Scheduled Meeting ......................................... 16 The 30-Minute, In-Person Meeting .......................................... 17

LAST WORDS

Checklist for Networking .................................................................... 18

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Networking

Introduction

Activating Your Network

net-work-ing (noun): the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.

Networking is a vitally important part of any successful job search. You need people to turn to for information, ideas, contacts and support. Internal networking is no exception.

Ideally, youve already been reaching out to colleagues within your organization, even if your job doesnt require you to do so. Being an internal networker means you are looking outside your immediate, day-to-day activities and thinking about how you can connect with and create value for others in your company.

If your goal is to find another job within your company, its wise to strategize on how you can reach out to key people in a short amount of time. What if you really need and/or want to find another job within the company right away. Its time to strategize on how you can reach out to key people in a short amount of time.

What you need is to activate and build your internal networkand quick. Of course, dont just stop networking after that. But, this will at least give you a solid base from which to grow.

Your MissionAs you target other positions, you must network with people already working in, connected to, or who have information on the jobs you may want.

Start by focusing in on a small group of individuals whom you think will be the most beneficial in helping you land that job. Through both traditional and social networking, youll need to connect with them.Through this network of insiders, you can accomplish these important goals:

Find available positions.

Discover more of what the job entails; look beyond the job description.

See if youre qualified for the job.

Decide if the job offers the right culture for you.

Prepare for the interview.

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The Challenge: To Activate a Valuable Network in a Short Amount of Time

Solutions:

Polish your elevator speech and branding statement; create short introductions to present yourself in less than two minutes.

Be proactive and positive get the word out.

Use every available minute wisely.

Make the Internet work for you, especially social networking with your network of organization insiders.

The Challenge: Get Your Network to See Your Potential in Areas Outside of Your Normal Daily Scope

Solutions:

Network with insiders to find out exactly what type of skills and talents are needed to excel in the position. Then adapt your networking communications to reflect how what you do translates into those skills and talents.

Display your talents and accomplishments that would qualify you for the job through social media in the language and accomplishments that fit the new position.

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How Does Social Networking Fit In?Your Organizations Social Networking Platform

Many businesses have embraced social media to such a degree that they seek to implement a social networking platform of their own. These internal social networks are accessible only to employees and typically include message boards, profile pages, file-sharing software and private communications applications.

If your organization has adopted this system, you definitely need to consider using this as part of your networking efforts. Please consider any company guidelines about using an internal networking site. Youll get valuable information on the entire organization.

If available, also check out your organizations:

Website

Blogs

Career site (usually includes a list of all current openings)

Social Media

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Social Media Sites

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Send Out the Right Message

Make sure youre represented in the virtual world. If you havent done so already, set up an account on LinkedIn, the most professional of the social networking sites with more than 200 million members. The majority of employers today will examine your profile when considering your employment this includes the internal hiring managers.

Your profile should be updated and accurately mirror what is on your resume, which you adjusted for your new job search. Also, make sure you include a recent, professional photo that can easily identify you.

If you have accounts on other social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, check them closely. Make sure your virtual image is professional and do the following:

Turn on Facebook privacy settings to ensure youre not sharing too much of your personal life.

Update all profiles.

Make sure youre portrayed as a good fit for the job.

Join Your Organizations Social Media Sites

If you havent already, connect to your organization through social media sites. Organizations are increasingly representing themselves through these sites, especially the big three - LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Its important you get connected to your organization wherever it exists. Youll also want to follow postings from influential people in your organization.

These social media connections could benefit your networking efforts in many ways:

Possibly find out more about the organizations openings.

Keep you informed of your organizations direction and news overall.

Make you better prepared for networking meetings and interviews.

Twitter also provides a good avenue to keep up with industry trends, which will help make you more knowledgeable as you enter a networking session or interview.

Youll further see how social media is entwined into the networking process as you proceed through each of the following steps in internal networking.

Networking

Internal Networking - The 5 Steps

The Steps to Successful Internal NetworkingOne of the advantages of working within an organization especially a large one is that internal job openings are posted. Just dont get tripped up by taking the application process too casually because you work there. Its important to remember that similar rules and standards are in place when applying for a job, whether inside or outside a company.

The five steps youll need to take in the internal networking process are:

Find Jobs

Engage Your Manager

Target Your Inside Network

Reach Out to Your Inside Network

Conduct Networking Conversations

Lets take a look at each step individually.

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STEP 1

Find JobsYoure eager to find a new job within the organization. So how do you even begin?

The very first thing to do is to learn about your companys policy for finding jobs within the organization. Then you must find out what job openings exist. Try these suggestions:

Check the organizations website what jobs are posted?

Check the organizations social media sites.

Is there any other place within the organization where jobs might be posted? If so, check it out.

Talk to the Human Resources Department or equivalent in your organization to make sure you havent missed a good opportunity.

Do informal networking to uncover information and leads.

Is the Job a Fit for You?

Focus your efforts and only apply for good fit positions. If there are several openings available, assess yourself to determine the jobs that are the best fit for you and your skills. Depending on your situation, you might want to apply for more than one position. Consider the following:

How can your abilities be adapted to suit another job?

What do you really want to do?

What are your goals and objectives at this stage of your life?

Do you have the skills and talents to do that job well?

Do you have experience doing similar work?

Will you have accomplishment statements to prove your skills?

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STEP 2

Engage Your ManagerYour boss will find out quickly if you become a candidate for another internal position. Its almost always better if they find out from you.

Let your boss know that you are applying for a position within the organization and tell him or her exactly what it is.

Its definitely in your best interest to recruit them as an ally. You may even want to ask your boss to act as a reference. That recommendation would go a long way toward your goal of securing that new job.Check with your organizations policies on internal postings in case there are specific protocols to follow.

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STEP 3

Target Your Inside NetworkLets say youve found a job opening in your organization that seems perfect for you. Now its time to make a list of your target contacts. Some things to consider:

Think about everyone who currently works in the area in which you are applying. You should also consider people who work in other areas but have a lot of contacts.

If you are already friends (or even acquaintances) with someone associated with the area, add them to your list first because youve already established somewhat of a rapport.

Be prepared to tell people what you want emphasized when speaking about you, especially the roles you are targeting. Expand peoples thinking they may know of a job that is not posted yet that fits your skills.

Do your research on LinkedIn to discover who can provide the most valuable networking opportunities.

Be realistic about how many people you can reach in your limited amount of time. Narrow your scope of potential networking contacts to those who will benefit you the most, and make sure you make a connection.

Take advantage of impromptu meetings. If networking opportunities arise with people (whether they are on your list or not), dont hesitate to capitalize on the situation.

Insider Tip to Succeed: Informal Networking

Networking doesnt need to be formal it can simply be sending an email to someone with a link to an article that might interest him or her. The important part is staying connected.

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STEP 4

Reach Out to Your Inside NetworkAll the connections in the world wont help you find a job if no one knows about your situation. Start making contact with the people in your network. Let them know youre looking for a job. Be specific about what kind of opportunities youre looking for, and ask if they have any information. Dont assume that certain people wont be able to help. You may be surprised by who they know.

Use Social Media

The use of social media is especially good for reaching out to your network.

Social networking websites, such as LinkedIn, are great ways to start a new connection. You can figure out who is best to network with, make initial contact and then prepare for a one-on-one meeting or phone call.

LinkedIn is the professional network most used by hiring managers, so youll want to start there. Begin by finding each person on your target networking list on LinkedIn. Then do the following:

Ask them to join your network (if they are not in it already).

Examine their profile closely, paying particular attention to how they describe their current position. Look at how long they have been with the company.

Check out their recommendations. Did someone in the same area write them? If so, would that person make a good contact for you?

Take note of their special interests; this will help you develop rapport when you do connect.

After learning as much as possible about your networking connection, reach out to him or her to arrange a time for you to have a conversation. You might want to call rather than send an email for several reasons:

Its more personal, and you need to develop rapport quickly.

You can get a more immediate response.

It might be harder for them to say no.

If you cant get through right away, send an email. Remember, you must proceed quickly.

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Prepare Your Questions

Your research will help you prepare a list of open-ended questions to focus and direct the conversation. Craft your questions to reflect what you want out of your talk.

Think about each individual person on your networking list. There will be some questions youll want to ask everyone. Conversely, some people may have different knowledge that you may want to inquire about.

For instance, one employee may have worked in the area for eight years and is extremely well-versed in all the procedures. Another employee was hired only six months ago and would give you a better perspective of someone just entering the area.

Sample Questions to Ask in a Networking Conversation

If you could ask just one question, what would it be? You must ask the most important questions first. The time you have with each networking contact will probably vary greatly.

Most important questions:

Can you tell me more details on exactly what the job entails?

What skills does your manager value most?

What is the key to success in this position?

What type of culture exists in your area?

Can you refer me to other individuals who might be willing to talk to me about the position?

Other questions to consider:

What can you tell me about your team as a whole?

How did you break into this function?

Do you enjoy what you do?

What do you like most and least about your job?

What do you consider your biggest accomplishments in this role?

Do you see a person with my skills as a good fit for this position?

Which of my strengths would be most desirable to the team?

Do you have any advice for a person going into an interview for this position?

Remember, this is a networking meeting, not an interview.

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STEP 5

Conduct Networking ConversationsYour primary goal will be to receive advice and information. At the same time, you want to take the pressure off people if they dont have exactly the information you need. You still want them as advocates in your job search.

Ideally, you will find out more about exactly what the job entails and what the managers expectations are. Perhaps the job description didnt give you the full picture. The more you can find out now, the better prepared youll be for your actual interview with the manager.

Its helpful to have a personalized agenda or list of questions to ask your contact. Do your research on the person you are talking with; look at their LinkedIn profile.

Six Keys to Networking Conversations

Stay focused. Even if social interaction is a challenge for you, remember that this is business. Youre there to get the inside track on the job you want.

Regardless of how well you may know the person you are talking to keep the meeting fairly formal and professional. Just as in any other business conversation, take notes.

Set a goal. What are your expectations of this meeting? Strategize for the meeting with the purpose in mind of learning something valuable.

Take charge of the conversation. Be prepared and know your questions ahead of time.

Show appreciation for the time that your networking contact has taken to meet with you. Also, its very important that you ask what you can do for him or her.

Follow up. Dont let the meeting end there. Send an email thanking him or her for the meeting. Then stay in touch.

Insider Tip to Succeed: Conquer the Nerves

Nerves are natural in the case of networking or interviewing. It can be especially challenging if youre shy. The biggest key to overcome this would be preparation. Even for impromptu conversations in the hallway, you need to have an idea of how you would describe your current situation and what questions you want to ask. Other suggestions:

Rehearse a general encounter by doing a role play with a friend.

Take a deep, calming breath beforehandand remember to breathe during the conversation.

Dont apologize when asking for an individuals help because you see networking as an imposition. That will merely demonstrate your lack of confidence.

Be yourself. Be authentic, but make sure you get the information you need.

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Insider Tip to Succeed: The Importance of Listening

A major key to making your networking conversation productive is simply to listen.

Effective listening means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding how the speaker feels about what theyre communicating. To listen effectively:

Focus fully on the speaker. If you find it hard to concentrate, try repeating the speakers words over in your head. You also might take notes.

Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns. Listening is not the same as waiting for your turn to talk. You cant concentrate if youre forming what youre going to say next.

Be interested! Let the person you are speaking to know you are listening by restating what you understand the speaker to have said.

Ask questions about what you hear or what you think you are hearing from the speaker.

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Types of Conversations Realize that in this fast-paced form of networking, many of your conversations are going to be short.

The Phone Conversation

The telephone is a critical tool in your job search. A confident, informative, focused call to the right person can garner another lead or provide a great referral.

Internal Networking: The 10-Minute Phone Conversation

STEP ACTION COMMENT1 Thank them for their time. Let them know immediately that the call will be brief and that

you value their time.

2 Set the intention of the meeting. Tell them that you are applying for an internal position and would appreciate any insight they could provide.

3 Ask questions. Ask your most important questions first because if they elaborate on a topic, the number of questions you ask may be limited.

4 Confirm follow-up activities. If this contact seems especially valuable and you have more questions, ask if you can talk again at a later time either on the phone or, better yet, in person.

5 Closing. Be sure to offer your thanks.

The Impromptu Meeting

This type of meeting is going to inevitably happen when youre working within the same organization. Perhaps it happens in the hallway as youre leaving work. Be ready with your elevator speech for the impromptu conversation.

Start by explaining that you may be applying for another position internally and would appreciate their advice.

Then be prepared to ask basic questions, such as:

How do you like working in your area?

What types of skills and talents are most valued?

Is there one thing you can share that would help me?

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The 10-Minute, Scheduled Meeting

As youre networking within the organization, you have the convenience of scheduling a short, in-person meeting with some of your contacts. This will probably last only 10-15 minutes, so make every second count.

Internal Networking: The 10-Minute, Scheduled Meeting

STEP ACTION COMMENT1 Set the tone. Greet with a smile. Offer a firm handshake, and set a professional tone.

Tell them you will keep the meeting brief as promised.

2 Set the intention of the meeting.

Be upfront and tell them about the internal position for which you are applying. Tell them you would appreciate any information or advice they may have to offer.

3 Ask questions. Ask your most important questions first. Take notes if you need to.

4 Confirm follow-up activities.

If this contact seems especially valuable and you have more questions, ask if you can meet again at a later time. Also, ask if they can recommend anyone else who might help.

5 Closing. Say thank you for their assistance and time.

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The 30-Minute, In-Person MeetingTry to arrange longer meetings with your more valuable contacts. Then you can really capitalize on the value of networking. First thing, arrive 10 minutes early this will help put you at ease before they arrive. Then follow these general guidelines to ensure success:

Internal Networking: The 30-Minute, In-Person Meeting

STEP ACTION COMMENT1 Greet and confirm time limit. Greet your contact in a friendly manner, such as a smile and a

firm handshake. Thank them for their time. Tell them that you know their time is valuable, and you will strictly adhere to the 30 minutes you agreed upon.

2 Establish rapport. The better the connection with the person, the better the chances he or she will provide information that can help you. Perhaps your research on LinkedIn has uncovered a commonality, such as the same college. Bringing this up might help break the ice. Take advantage of a short introductory time to begin building a relationship.

3 Give a brief description of your target functions and areas of expertise.

Include where you are currently in your career and that youre applying for the internal position. Also, share what you would like to accomplish from the meeting. Remember, this is a networking meeting, not an interview.

4 Ask questions. Ask the questions that youve prepared before the meeting for this particular individual. If the conversation invokes other questions, ask those as well.

5 Reciprocate. If appropriate, add value to the meeting. Perhaps in your research you came across an article that you thought may be of interest to your contact. Share it and leave an impression.

6 Close. After 20-30 minutes, remind your contact that you had agreed to that time frame and are prepared to leave. Often, your contact will encourage you to stay. Once youre finished, bring the meeting to a close.

7 Confirm any follow-up activities.

Thank your contact for the time, help and advice. Ask if they would mind if you called with any further questions.

8 Follow up. After the session, write a thank you note within 24 hours. This could be a simple email or message via social media. Be sure to cite something discussed during the session to confirm that you were listening.

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Last Words

Networking, by nature, is an ongoing process. To be highly effective in your professional endeavors, you should continue to network at every opportunity both virtually and in person.

Your network of connections may start small, but it will grow rapidly as your contacts reach out to other contacts, who reach out to other contacts, and so forth. The word about your abilities and talents will spread quickly.

Take a moment and consider some ideas to grow your network.

Checklist for Networking:

Use your elevator speech. In 30 seconds, you need to be able to describe who you are and what problems your expertise can solve. Practice until it comes naturally.

Choose your personal brand tagline. Find a 3-4 word phrase that says who you are professionally and puts you in a positive light. You want people to think of that phrase when they hear your name.

Be active on LinkedIn Groups related to your profession. Respond to questions and draw other LinkedIn users into connecting with you.

Follow industry blogs for latest trends.

Become a member of professional associations. Being part of such groups can keep you informed on the latest information and trends in your profession.

Talk to the people you see regularly. This includes neighbors, parents at your kids school, friends and people at the gym.

Reach out to people in your network from time to time. Perhaps simply ask, Is there any way I can help? Its a great way to stay in touch and not be forgotten.

Keep track of your networks needs. Fill those needs whenever you can.

Always follow up. Perhaps you can confirm a referral or send a link to an article you discussed. Even if you cant find a reason, you should follow up within 24-48 hours to make sure the new contact does not forget you.

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Lee Hecht Harrison, LLC. All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced by photocopy or any

other means without written permission of Lee Hecht Harrison, LLC