The Importance of Personal Networking 

Nearly 80 percent of all jobs are never advertised, and they are uncovered through personal relationships. You cannot ignore this tactic in your job search. Often, people do not know how to reach out or do not feel comfortable asking for help.

 

Identify your network
Harvey McKay says everyone has at least 200 personal contacts. In fact, you probably
have many more thanks to social media. The problem with identifying our network is
capturing the names and contact information in one central place. Let's look at all the
places you have people's contact information: Gmail, mobile phone, LinkedIn, Facebook,
Twitter, business cards, written on pieces of paper, directories, or you just Google them.
It takes time, but it's worth the effort to capture all of these contacts and put them in one
system. It does not matter what the system is, just select one that works for you and is
easy to update and backup.

Getting started
You get started by conducting information interviews. The purpose of an information interview
is to expand your network by identifying people you want in it. The information
interview is designed to obtain information about a person, his/her company and industry.

 

Follow this 10-step process:
1. Write a handwritten note to the person. Why? When was the last time you got one? It breaks through the communication clutter we receive on a daily basis and it stands out.
2. Tell the recipient who you are and why you are writing.
3. Request a 10-miunte timeframe to ask about their company, industry, and interests.
4. Ask for a convenient day and time for the interview.
5. Say when you will follow up and do it.
6. Prepare for the information interview by researching the person, firm, and industry.
7. Be prepared to conduct the interview at any time.
8. Keep notes during the interview and do not go over 10 minutes.
9. Ask for referrals at the end of the conversation.
10. Write a handwritten thank-you note.

 

Once you conduct your information interview, you will need to add their contact information
to your electronic database. Take the necessary time for easy future retrieval. As you meet more people, it will be critical to create a systematic approach to keeping in touch. Keeping in touch may mean electronically on social networking sites, formal face-to-face visits, or anything in between. The important thing is that you do it and oftentimes this step in the networking
process is the most difficult to complete. Selecting a dedicated time and schedule will make it easier.

 

Expand your network
In addition to information interviews, attend offline events, join offline groups, and volunteer
for public speaking opportunities, as well as find a publisher of your written thoughts
and ideas about a topic of interest. Online activities such as blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter,
and Facebook are also useful but these popular social networking techniques are just
one avenue to building your network.

Build your network by attending some of these events...