Networking Strategies

Meet? tweet?

OR

Doug Elliot, Career Counselor

Career Services / cds.sdce.edu

Assess your

work values,

interests,

abilities & skills,

personality,

long-term

career goals.

Adjust for clarity.

Create a SWOT

Explore

occupations

businesses,

and industries

found in the

San Diego.

Learn about the

local labor

market.

Evaluate

options,

make decisions,

develop a

strategy for

achieving your

short and long

term career

goals.

Plan A. Plan B.

Take action!

Acquire skills,

education,

training and/or

conduct a

job search

campaign .

Career Change Steps

…identify your career goals that match your

interests with people in occupations

…be true to your personality type and

personal/work values

…don’t kid yourself about your

future…idealism vs. realism

Self-Assessment

1. You can do the job: Your skills and Interests

2. You fit in: Your personality and values

3. You can be counted on: You are reliable

4. You want to be there!! You are motivated

What Employers Want

“Networking is a business strategy of

learning how to rely on people

professionally and ethically, and to

volunteer yourself to be relied on

professionally and ethically.”

“It’s developing maintaining contacts with

people you have a mutual interest.”

What is Networking?

People you know

Family

Friends

Co-workers

Teachers

Supervisors

People who know people

Career services staff

Chamber of Commerce

Better Business Bureau

Volunteer organizations

People who don’t know

Friends of friends

Professional associations members

Potential employers

Fellow participants of training programs,

workshops, job fairs, mutual interesting event

… gets you the job

… closes the deal

… helps keeps you in the running!

... can be formal or informal

… can be preceded by a phone screening

An Interview is…

It is not what you know, it’s…

…who you know.

It’s not who you know, it’s…

…who knows YOU!

1. Networking

2. Professional Trade Organizations

3. College Career/Alumni Offices

4. Cold Contact/Direct Mail

5. Job Fairs

6. Online Job Boards/Job Sites

7. Corporate Career Centers

8. Recruiters/Head Hunters

9. Online Want Ads

10. Direct In-person Contact

*quintessentialcareers.com

How Job Seekers Find Jobs*…

1. Use your network

2. Make it personal

3. Ask for advice or informational interview (foot-in-the-door)

4. Cold contacts

5. Build your own website

6. Join professional/trade organizations

7. Contact college career/alumni office

8. Attend job fairs

9. Use online job sites and job boards

10. Use recruiters/headhunters

11. Create a Linkedin.com page

12. Follow-up every lead

*salary.com

How Job Seekers Find Jobs*…

26% of external hires made from referrals vs. 13% from online job boards

Obtain job leads, a job, or more contacts

Gain information to help you obtain a job

Practice interviewing

Gain visibility with people who could hire you

Benefits of Networking…

Be open, Be prepared, Be friendly!

Professional appearance (clothes,

grooming, body language)

Communication (small talk)

Business cards (simple)

Personal Pitch (commercial)

Informal Networking…

• Remain poised and relaxed

• Minimize distracting body language

• SMILE; Convey enthusiasm

• Speak clearly - not too fast or slow

• Shake hands confidently

• Look at contact in the eye

• Listen carefully to the question

• Sit up and lean forward

Developing Rapport…

Be open

Be prepared to ask questions

Be informed

Be a good listener

Look for common ground

Avoid controversial topics

Start with “tell me….”

Tips for “small talk”

Who are you? Your background

Where are you headed? Your objective

Why are you going there? Your motivation

What is unique about you? Your brand

Your Personal Pitch…

I am an Administrative Professional with extensive experience in office management, event planning and presentations. Some of my key strengths include organization, diplomacy and creativity.

In my last position I was a Senior Administrative Assistant supporting the Vice President of Marketing for ABC company. In this capacity I planned opening events for 500 to 1,000 participants, created Power Point presentations incorporating movement and sound, and met the administrative needs of a marketing staff of 10.

I’m very proud of my contributions at ABC, and I’m looking forward to contributing my strengths in organization, diplomacy and creativity to your company.

Example of a Personal Pitch…

Tell me

about

yourself

Write your own personal pitch ASAP

Recommended time: 30 seconds

Debrief with Teacher, Counselor or Career

Counselor

Who is in your network?

Create lists of primary contacts by

identifying groups or categories of people

you could network with

Be creative and expand your thinking about

who could help you

Targeted Networking…

COLLEAGUES

Family

Friends

Colleagues

Supervisors

Customers

Who is in your Network?

FRIENDS

FAMILY

CUSTOMERS

SUPERVISORS

YOU

Professional associations

Social/recreational clubs

Volunteer/service organizations

Coworkers/former coworkers

Children’s activities

Service providers

Building Your Network…

• Create a personal business card

• Keep a portfolio of your work with you at all

times including an online portfolio

• Develop a formal letterhead

• Have a resume with you at all times!

• Obtain or make Thank You cards/note

• Create a website or blog

• Maintain a contact file to manage your

network…hard copy or data base

Networking Tangibles…

1. Look for discussion boards or groups on

browsers and social media sites

2. Formalize your professional online presence

3. Search for people and companies, not jobs

4. You must have an online profile with a bio and a

link to a website, blog or LinkedIn profile

5. You must have a network of followers – offline

and online!

6. Create a blog of your skills, interests, passions

Social Media…

Online Networking…

In 140 characters or less, it’s…

In pictures, it’s…

Musically, it’s…

It’s also the places you go…

And the things people like….

Lastly, it’s the stories and ideas that you share…

Professionally it’s…

Some, like Ernst & Young, the accounting firm, have set

ambitious internal goals to increase the proportion of hirings

that come from internal referrals. As a result, employee

recommendations now account for 45 percent of non entry-level

placements at the firm, up from 28 percent in 2010.

The company’s goal is 50 percent. Others, such as Deloitte and

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, have begun offering prizes like iPads

and large-screen TVs in addition to traditional cash incentives

for employees who refer new hires.

Excerpt from New York Times article

Statistics tell the story…

Info gained from a myriad of resources…

65-70% of job leads gained via networking

75-90% of recruiters are required to conduct online

searched of applicants

57% of men negotiate salaries / only 7% of women

35% of hiring managers screened applicants out

based on their social media content

30% of google searches are employment related

Statistics tell the story…

Recruiters reported to have hired via the following

social media sites as follows:

LinkedIn: 89%

Facebook: 26%

Twitter: 15%

Statistics tell the story…

Create a profile and keep it current

Add and update skills in your profile

LinkedIn Profile…

Meet with person doing your job who may assist you with your job search

Start with friends, family, neighbors

Meet with your referrals, using your contact’s name to get the meeting

Ask for information, suggestions support, feedback, other referrals

DO NOT ask for a job

Informational Interviews…

Schedule for 15-30 minutes

In person preferred, not on phone

Dress professionally

Be prepared to ask questions

Get 1-2 additional names

Schedule 3 in the coming month

Send thank-you notes (a must)

Informational Interviews…

Create a chart or spreadsheet of your contacts

Include dates, contact information, action items

Remember – your network grows exponentially

Name of

Contact

Source of

Contact

Action and

Date

Follow up

Status

Mitchell Garcia

mg@yahoo.com

619-234-2341

Carol Jon

(neighbor)

worked w/him

at Petco

Sent email

requesting info

interview 11/1

Send thanks to

Carol; schedule

meeting w/MG

Organizing Your Job Search…

Use your Personal Pitch when meeting people

Sit with people you don’t already know

Stand near the food

Keep moving and meet new people

Introduce people you meet to others

Use your business card

Leave with at least one contact who can help with your networking

Think “close”

Prepare with Practice…

Join an Association…

Weddles

http://www.weddles.com/associations/

San Diego Professional Associations

http://www.sandiego.edu/careers/resources/online/professional-associations.php

San Diego Business Organizations

http://www.sandiegobusiness.org/sites/default/files/files/data_demographic/8_2_1

2BusinessAssistanceOrganizations.pdf