| Job-Hunt® |
| Intelligence
For Smarter Job Search |
|
By Liz RyanIf you hate face-to-face
networking, you're not alone. If the top-of-the-list most-feared activity is speaking in front of people, how can launching a conversation with a stranger be far behind? I used to hate networking events, myself. I simply wouldn't go to them. Eventually, someone dragged me to an event where lo and behold, I met a woman who became a great friend. After that, things got a little
easier -- but I'm still judicious about the events I choose to attend. Networking with strangers can be lively and fun, or it can be a shoot-me-now experience. Here are some tips for easing the strain. 1. Choose
WiselyIf you're thinking of attending a face-to-face networking event and you're nervous about it, pick an event with content - a speaker or a panel. That way, you won't be forced to spend several hours networking without a net. If you aren't a natural
networker, you can prefer to attend events that feature structured networking of some kind. Structured networking activities organize the conversation so that attendees don't have to find their own conversation-mates and begin and end conversations organically - the event host sets up a networking activity that makes the conversation less stressful. 2. Bring a
FriendIf you don't enjoy conversation with people you don't know, bring a friend (or two) to networking events with you. I perform this service for my friends all the time, and bringing a reluctant networker to an event with me raises my fun-quotient for the evening, as well as my friend's, because we can take a break and compare notes on the networking, the people and
the food whenever we like. For most of us, the least appealing networking situation is the one where we find ourselves in a room full of total strangers, who all seem to know and be cozy with one another. If you bring a friend with you, you'll never be the only newbie in the room. By Susan P.
Joyce Many people make the mistake of underestimating the impact of the Skills & Endorsements section of their LinkedIn Profile. Don't be one of them. Even though you can add nearly any Skill that comes to mind (up to 50), think of these existing Skills
as suggestions for the most common keywords used in your field. Skills & Endorsements have become critically important!
Here's why they matter: - According to LinkedIn, "Skills are among the most common queries
performed by recruiters and hiring managers," so Skills make you more visible to the people who are filling jobs.
- Only your 1st level connections can endorse you, so Endorsements strengthen your professional credentials. LinkedIn may highlight the credibility of those who have endorsed you by naming some as "highly skilled" (usually meaning they have more
than 99 Endorsements for that Skill) and as colleagues with your current employer who are thus assumed to be very familiar with the quality of your work.
Skills allow recruiters to find you based on the keywords those Skills represent, and they may also provide you with greater credibility in your field, particularly after you hit the top (99+) level. Done well, they may
also strengthen ties with members of your network. Don't confuse LinkedIn Skills & Endorsements with LinkedIn Recommendations. Skills & Endorsements are required for an "All Star" (a.k.a., "complete") Profile, unlike Recommendations. Recommended Reading... - The Point of Networking by Liz Ryan
Networking won't get you a job
offer on the spot, but it may open the door to a fruitful conversation later on. If you begin to think of your job-search networking as a seed-planting exercise, you'll notice that in our vegetable gardens and flower beds, not all seeds bear fruit. You will start far more networking conversations during your job search than you will have job interviews. If you plan to talk to ten or twenty new (and old) networking associates for every job interview you get, you'll have a realistic sense of how
networking typically translates into later steps in the job-search process. - Is Your Mind on the Right Networking Prize? by Liz Ryan
This is one of the most important networking lessons to understand and integrate. Thrusting a handshake at a person we don't know is the second-best way to meet that person. Being recommended by a person already credible to that individual is better. Wouldn't you rather be recommended to Bill Gates by his
best friend, who has become one of your biggest fans, than have three minutes of networking time with Bill directly?" We rely on the goodwill of our new and old friends to make kind introductions for us, and to tell the people who haven't already met us why we're worthy of THEIR time and attention. The year-end holidays can be the BEST time to job hunt, MUCH better than January, because
employers are trying to be fully staffed before the New Year. These 101 tips will give you insight into how to leverage those holiday get-togethers to land a job by January 1. |
Like This? Share This!
If you found this newsletter useful, please pass it along to anyone you think might benefit. | Did a Friend Forward This to You?Subscribe here so you can get your own copy every Tuesday. | |
Privacy Statement: You are receiving this because you subscribed at the Job-Hunt.org website. Job-Hunt.org respects your privacy and has a strict anti-spam policy. If you no longer want to receive this newsletter, simply click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this message. |
|
|
|
