Archive for the 'Social Networking' Category
We all know that networking is a vital aspect of our careers. It’s important to meet people, help them when you can, and keep in touch with them. Then when you’re in need, you have a network of people you can tap into.
But how do you build that network?
Fortunately, we’ve written about networking quite a bit here at Job Tuition. Past articles should help you a lot, and today’s post will provide a few more easy tips.
Here we go!
Let’s do lunch
There’s something to the concept that you should never eat alone. If you invite others to lunch and accept invitations when asked, you will naturally begin to form relationships.
Human beings are easy to connect with over food. Why does history talk about “breaking bread” together with friends and strangers? Sharing a meal brings us together in a concrete way, and it also eases the natural tension between us.
By no means do you have to eat with the gang every day for lunch. In fact, bringing a sack lunch some days can be great for other reasons (perhaps to get ahead on a project or make sure you meet a deadline). But you want to eat with co-workers often enough to form and maintain relationships outside the office walls.
Golf, anyone?
You should also make opportunities to connect with co-workers outside the work day completely. If your only relationship with a person is based on the office, that contact will not likely be solid when one of you leaves the current company. To prevent this, find some common ground outside the office.
An old classic is to go out for a round of golf on Saturday. Maybe you could organize a friendly poker game with some of the guys. What about inviting some people over for an informal barbecue?
The ideas here don’t have to be new and original. Just be yourself and find something you and your co-workers can enjoy together.
Thank you!
Today’s final tip is a simple one: thank others often. Your goal in building a network is to have a group of people who help each other out. People are more willing to help when a person shows gratitude. This is why showing your appreciation is vitally important.
For many things around the office, a simple verbal or email “thank you” would probably suffice. You definitely don’t want to go over the top.
But if someone really goes out of their way to help you out, go out of your way to thank him. Treating the person to lunch is a great idea, or perhaps you could get him a small gift card to a store or restaurant he frequents. Be sure your token of appreciation is appropriate, especially if the person is of the opposite gender as you. And don’t go overboard. But an occasional extra “thank you” can go a long way.
Now go build your network!
It’s all about who you know, or who you get to know.
There’s no big secret to social networking. Nobody can sell you a book or DVD that will automatically make connections for you. It’s all up to you.
Fortunately, there are lots of easy ways to improve your networking skills. You can do many small things that will add up to a powerful social network.
Here’s something that happened to me this week. Let’s see what we can learn from it.
I gave a compliment
I was on a website, and I really liked what the author was doing. I decided to send a quick email of appreciation for this good resource. It took less than a minute, and I didn’t really think about the email after that.
A few hours later, I got a reply from the website’s author. He complimented my own writing and said he was looking for writers for other sites. We discussed the proposal via email for a couple days. I’ve got a tight schedule, but I was really intrigued by the invitation.
I decided to jump in. Now we’re partners on a website venture. It’s not a big job, which means it doesn’t pay a lot (yet), but it also doesn’t take a big time commitment. I hope to learn a lot and have some fun in the process.
What we learn here
Compliments pay off. Not every compliment will end up in a job offer. In fact, the vast majority won’t. But most compliments will plant a positive seed with the recipient.
This is a great way to kick-start a relationship with someone. Give them a simple, sincere compliment. Surely there’s something you like or appreciate about the person or his work. If there’s not, maybe you really don’t want a relationship with him.
Once you’ve given the person a compliment, don’t give up there. Pay them another compliment down the road. Don’t become a stalker, but let the person know that you really appreciate him/her.
The recipient will likely become interested in you and begin to digest your work. You’ve thus started down the relationship path. Keep up this hard work, and you’ll begin to grow your social network.
Do you always carry business cards with you? Are you prepared to give out your personal contact information, if you meet someone who might want to contact you?
To build the strongest connections and broadest network base, you should answer “yes” to both of those questions. Here’s why:
Reach out for contact
We meet lots of people in our everyday lives. However, how many of these people do you ever contact again? How many of them contact you again? If you don’t give out your contact information, nobody can contact you.
If you’re currently employed, you can easily hand out your professional business cards. This will give new people a hook into your life, so they can contact you when the need arises.
However, some people may not get business cards from their employer. Or you may be planning to change jobs in the near future. What then?
Develop personal business cards
With so many printing options these days, both in stores and online, there is no excuse for a professional to be without business cards. If your employer does not provide them, you can easily print your own. In fact, even if you have work business cards, you might still print up a “personal” version.
So what’s the difference between personal and professional cards? They should both still look professional. However, your personal card should be broader than just your current job. These cards should be tailored to you as a professional, not just your employer.
Be yourself
The best thing about printing your own cards is that you can actually express yourself a little in their design. You should give yourself a little free reign in designing these cards. After all, they might be the only link a new contact has with which to remember you.
With that said, you should still maintain a consistent, professional image. But if you’re a trendy person, marketing yourself toward like-minded people, feel free to choose a trendy design and color scheme.
Include the details
Once you have a design in mind, it will be time to decide what to include on the cards. Obviously, you’ll want to put your name. But beyond that, the sky really is the limit. These are your cards, and you should decide what information is best to include.
Since these are your personal cards, I would refrain from printing your current employer’s name, info, etc. Unless you really see that as important (and plan to be in this job a while), it might be best to put a general career description such as “marketing communications” or “family lawyer.”
Also, you probably shouldn’t go to the extreme of including your home address on the cards. You want to be free to hand these cards out to anyone, and you may not want to give out sensitive info like this.
At a minimum, you should include your name, non-work email address, and some type of phone number. Hopefully you should use an email address that you will keep for a long time, as well as a phone number that will be around. This minimizes the risk of changing email providers (or jobs) and having to re-print your cards.
Distribute them!
Now that you see the benefits of having personal business cards, you can go print up your own. Don’t forget to carry them around with you. Distribute them freely to friends, coworkers, associates, etc. You’ll be glad you printed them.
This is the final part in our series on jobs vs. careers. Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2.
So far we’ve talked a lot about focusing on your career vs. the individual job in which you are working. We’ve looked at applying this concept to the jobs you select. Now, it’s time to understand how to apply this to your career connections.
Keep networking
Everyone understands the importance of networking. It’s the key to getting the job you want. It’s how you reach more clients, make more sales, and earn that next promotion. Sure, you have to work hard, but you also have to network with the right people.
You can’t stop networking just because you’re in a job you like. Focus on the bigger picture: your career. If you settle into your current job and stop networking, your career will suffer.
So what do you do instead?
Most importantly, maintain your current network. Don’t stop networking. Keep in touch with your contacts. And also, expand your current network. Think about where your career might take you next and start networking in that direction. Lay the groundwork for your next job with the connections you make today.
Don’t burn bridges
Hopefully this goes without saying. However, I’ll say it anyway. Don’t burn any bridges. This is definitely part of continual networking to help your career.
Just because you don’t like your current job or had a run-in with a coworker, you should be sure to keep everything professional. Every job and professional you encounter should be an addition to your career and your network. But if you burn the bridge, that doesn’t happen.
This is not to say that you should love every job you have in your life. But you should definitely see how it fits into your career. Also, every supervisor you have should be able to provide a decent recommendation about the quality of your work. If that isn’t the case, make sure it’s not your fault.
Think “career”
Since that’s the mantra for this series, it’s worth saying one final time. Whenever a job opportunity comes your way, evaluate it in terms of your overall career. Don’t sabotage your career by burning bridges. And always keep up your network. If you keep the forest in mind, you’ll do much better with each individual tree.
Are you looking to expand your professional network? Perhaps you are looking for a job. Maybe you are always on the lookout for new clients or business partners. For these, and a bevy of other reasons, you should seek out professional organizations in your field.
What is it?
Wikipedia explains that a professional organization “exists to further a particular profession, to protect both the public interest and the interests of professionals.” Quite simply, professional organizations help advance the interests of their members, while at the same time watching out for the public interest and the future of the profession.
This applies to you in a simple, concrete way. By joining with a group of people in your profession, you are uniting under common goals. You instantly become part of the larger community in which you work, becoming part of a whole.
A few examples
If you are scratching your head thinking, “I have never seen one of these,” think again. Surely you have heard of the American Bar Association. What about the American Medical Association? Virtually ever professional field has some type of association to which you can belong. They are typically organized on the national and local levels.
An off-the-wall example is the American Society of Civil Engineers. These are the people who design and build the amazing structures in our world. Think “Golden Gate Bridge.” Perhaps “The English Channel Tunnel.” These guys made them. If you’re interested in that type of a career, check them out! See, there’s an organization for everyone.
Benefits to you
The major benefit you gain by joining these organizations is being connected. Isn’t that what networking is all about? You come together with people in your field and unite over common goals and aspirations.
To help with networking and learning in the field, most organizations have different events their members can attend. For example, bar associations typically host continuing education events. Some of these might be luncheons; whereas, others might be full fledged conferences. Most organizations also organize purely social events, just to become more familiar with your colleagues.
Even students can benefit from being members of professional organizations. Most organizations allow students to join and participate in many events. Are you studying to be an interior designer? You can join your school’s chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Many organizations will provide discounted fees for students. This allows you to join and begin enhancing your network before you even graduate!
Are you convinced yet? If you do not belong to your profession’s organization, go look it up. See if there is a local chapter near you. Connect with your colleagues.
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