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What is Networking?Are you sick and tired of trying the same old job search strategies? Have you sent out piles of online resumes only to hear absolutely nothing back from employers? Do you dread “the cold call?” Networking, more than any of the other job search tools, is the key to finding a great job fast. With good networking, a great resume becomes more of a formality than an absolute necessity. And people who you would not otherwise get the opportunity to meet can end up helping you tremendously, and sometimes even offer you exciting and worthwhile employment. Then you need to learn more about networking.
Hello, my name is Eric Weir, and welcome to my Networking Skills Hub Page. As I explain on my home page, I'm an employment counselor with many years experience. I'm very excited to tell you about networking, because it can make your job search so much easier and even help you get a better job than you've ever thought possible. I know this for a fact because it's happened to me, my spouse and many of my clients, co-workers and friends. And now I want it to happen for you too. What is Networking? “Networking” is a word that we throw around a lot, but its specific meaning is not well understood. So exactly what is networking, anyway? Networking is “building professional relationships.” Career networking is the process of building strong, lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships with employers and other people: In your field and outside of it – directly and indirectly – in any way you can! Through job networking you link to people and you also link other people to one another. And there are so many great ways to network! It can be fun, and it can also be challenging – but it doesn’t have to be scary! And it is vitally important - I can't overestimate the importance of career networking for your job search and career success! I encourage you to use the variety of job networking methods that I teach you for free in this site to see which ones work best for you. Develop and commit to a schedule – a networking “game plan” for best job search results. Prerequisites to Successful Networking: Optimism and Openness Before we talk more about what is networking in terms of methods of techniques, let’s talk about attitude. Where job searching is concerned, and especially in networking and interviewing, attitude is number one – the key factor in your success. Approached from the other direction, this may require us to "drop the attitude” if we have been holding a grudge against a former employer or feel it’s unfair that we have to look for work again. We absolutely need to take a very positive and open approach to other people. We need to give everyone we meet what author Wallace Wattles calls the "impression of increase." Networking is first and foremost a way of approaching the world. It’s an attitude of genuine optimism and openness that naturally attracts people to you, and only secondly a set of techniques to help you find work through connecting with others. I call it “contagious enthusiasm” or a “friendly confidence.” A client of mine recently called it “cheerfulness.” And an old friend of mine speaks about how people need to “perk it up” when they’re communicating in a professional context. It’s also what’s contained in the short and sweet advice we sometimes receive from others: “Smile!” (It works for me! :-)) My mother sought to set a strong example of this very positive trait. If you were to ask her what is networking, she would likely respond that we have a choice to smile and say hello to everyone we pass by on the street. It doesn’t even matter if the other person chooses not to look or smile at us, or decides not to greet us in return. There are plenty of people who will respond positively to us, and those are the people we want to network with! Networking can happen anywhere, and often does – if we’re open to it. One day you may find yourself waiting at a traffic light in the middle of a warm summer day with another person - a complete stranger. If you’re in a good mood and open to meeting the person - in “extroverted mode” and genuinely interested in connecting with others – then that other person may say hello to you and start a conversation that could ultimately change your career or change your life. You might smile, start a friendly conversation with her, and before you know it she has provided you with a hot lead that turns into a great new job. This could just as easily happen in unexpected places like on a plane, at the hairstylist or in the middle of a late-night party. On the other hand, if you are not really open to connecting, then people may not want to talk and share with you. They may remain quiet, pass you by, or not continue that conversation with you. So when I’m networking I try to remain open to finding the right person at the right time, and know that it can happen anytime, anywhere – not just at a “networking event.” "Be Yourself" When You Network Another important part of the answer to the question, “What is networking” is genuineness. We all know how uncomfortable we feel when someone is acting "friendly" toward us in a false or pretentious way. In a similar way, networking doesn’t require you to act any different than you usually act within your professional workplace. We don't need to act phoney or pseudo-professional in any way – only to be ourselves. We can naturally reach out and build mutually-beneficial relationships with other people. These include people you already know, and people you have yet to meet but who can help you to find work and advance in your career. Everyone benefits when we approach a professional conversation with the underlying attitude of, “I”m wondering if there’s a way we can help each other?” Everyone can use help from everyone else, and wouldn’t the world be better for it!
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