Commentary: This chapter gets at the mechanics of the job search. Pierson offers scripts and ideas on advancing the network and locating opportunities. Not all are useful to your particular search. Use what works for you. Use this combined with the knowledge from the earlier posts to develop a strong plan and dig into the search. The following is a paraphrased summary of the chapter.
Pierson remarks that the single piece of advice in a job search is to talk to as many people as possible. If you are smart about who and what you talk about your search will go much faster. Pierson will present a series of ideas for job seekers to use and requests that the seeker takes what works for him and leave the rest. Remember the single most important activity in your job search is to talk to people.
Confidantes and the Broader Personal Network
You begin your search using those connections closest to you, the first degree. Then you will seek to move to the second and third degree. Cold calling, the outer fringe of the third degree, produces the lowest results whereas using your first degree connections to introduce you will produce much stronger results.
Early in the job search it is about talking to people. Most of these conversations are positive. If you have concerns or issues these should be discussed in close relationships and in the appropriate smaller network where negatives will be closely held. Remember you want to get the word out about your availability and your ability to do the work well. Any negatives on the grapevine will slow you down. Therefore, conversations about former employers and jobs you dislike should be closely held and shared only with a few trusted relationships.
You have common interest with your personal contacts
This is a look at your personal relationships and community members you are connected with. There are three circles of personal contacts.
- Inner circle - strong relationships, community connections. These people are close friends, family, and acquaintances you have contact with regularly.
- Middle circle - casual relationships, community connections. You have contact with these people less frequent and the relationship while warm is not close.
- Outer circle - Dormant and passive connections, possible community connections. These are connections that are dormant or passive. They include old college or fraternity friends or former colleagues that have not been in contact with for years.
Networking with personal contacts
The networking goals are the same for all three circles. However, the approach is different. The goals are:
- Make your network partners comfortable
- Get the word out
- Gather information to refine and expand your target list
- Get introductions to new personal and professional contacts
- Attempt to structure all conversation to have these four goals in them.
- Make networking partners comfortable
In order to make your networking partners comfortable you must tell the truth, express gratitude, tell them what you want and do not want, and most importantly clear up myths and misunderstandings.
The reasons someone may feel uncomfortable are numerous. Some of the members in your network may have had bad experiences with others who networked poorly or come to the network with preconceived ideas such they may believe in the myths posted earlier. Other networkers may have read books or learned methods then implemented them incorrectly, too aggressive, or become offensive. Some people feel like they have been networked to death. Sometimes people want to really help you but feel helpless.
The best way to make people feel comfortable is to tell them the exact truth and express gratitude. Asking them to share their job hunting experiences opens up a rich conversation. You will also want to keep everyone informed as a networking strategy and courtesy.
Get your message out
Getting your message out is like planting seeds. So plant a lot of them. In doing so, tell everyone about your core message, target market, and professional objective. Tell your network the basics. You should be able to cover all three in 30 seconds. Network will get messages to decision makers about good candidates at no cost and thus a very appealing resource.
NETWORKING WHILE EMPLOYED
Networking while employed is risky and should be held to close personal networks at first. When moving to professional networks the best approach is to name future goals it terms of "one day you would like..." You can reluctantly accept offers to interview. This demonstrates a sense of loyalty to your current employer while being willing to listen to alternatives. If confronted by the current employer, be honest but do not disclose every detail in a confession. Tell them that you are always keeping an open for new challenges then turn it into a positive asking if there are any potential challenges with your current employer. Do not complain what so ever.
Gather information to refine and expand
Your goals are to get your list up to 40 or more target companies, prioritize the list, then explain what you are doing and why.
If you are having difficulty achieving 40 companies then begin with your inner circle and ask people to help you review and develop it. Ask them questions like:
Are you familiar with any of these companies?
I'd be interested in hearing about these organizations?
The questions should be designed to open conversations that will refine your list. For a more complete list refer to the book. You'll also want to go in-depth at times with a specific target company asking question of the like:
What successes have they had?
How are they organized?
First hand information is far better than anything resource from the Internet. The higher you are in the food chain the more important these conversations become. When approached the right way, people in your network are most comfortable sharing information. This is the goal of networking and information is at the heart of the job search. The better the information the stronger your search.
Get introductions to new personal and professional contacts
The main points are to always request and discuss introductions, with middle contacts be cautious but do ask, and with outer contacts introductions will be less likely. Do not be too pushy in your request. The request should flow naturally making the network members comfortable. Politely confirm the sources of information. If they got information. From people inside the company then that is the most desirable. Whenever a network member mentions a name ask if you can be introduced through him. Middle network may make an introduction but do not expect it. You need to also ask when to make the introduction with middle contacts.
Networking with your outer circle of personal contacts
You cannot go as far with this group as you can with the other groups. You may be able to just get your message out. But if you have a conversation with an outer grow member, afterwards send them the appropriate portion of your target list. Then follow up with a second conversation but do not expect anything.
With dormant contacts you'll first want to catch up before dropping your byline and core message. You will have to see how they respond before go into any depth. With passive contacts you will need to look for multiple connections before approaching.
Outer circle cold calls
This is a fuzzy boundary between outer circle contacts and cold calls. Cold calls are connection attempts with people you have no relationship whatsoever. Cold calling is not networking. Although the dividing line is blurred. Walk in Verizon of folding is never recommended for professional level jobs. Telephone cold calls work but results are very rare. Success is usually because of some common interest with the stranger. Start with the strongest connections and then move towards cold calling. Usually you will be so busy with the strongest connections that you will never get to cold calling. Cold calling is the least productive.
Gather your courage and work in the cool zone
The movement in your job search is usually from the hot zone (closest contacts) to the warm zone then into the cool and finally to the cold zone. The cool zone is the zone where middle to dormant contacts are located. Experiences can be discouraging but if you don't push into this zone you may miss viable opportunities. You do not want to rush into this zone as the vast majority of your effort should be in hot to warm zones. They are are best and worst case scenarios that Pierson gives in the book.
Getting started with people you just met: When introduced to new people you must contact them almost immediately for the best results. The sole common interest is often the person who introduced you.
Playful personal networking: sometimes the best way to find a job is not to look. Instead, just talk to people and have fun. Making e job hunt fun can actually land you the dream job since people love to be around people they like. Sometimes helping others can make the search more interesting too.
Always give them your resume afterwards: by sending the resume too soon can result in an incorrect focus on the resume and who to send it to. The resume refinement is done not with prospective employers or network contact but instead decision makers in the field from former employers. Resume distribution is good and must be properly timed in the contact engagement.
Moving to new contacts, personal and professional: you move from personal contacts to more professional contacts. Not everyone will provide innumerable leads. Take what you can and grow your network naturally. The central theme of this chapter is to talk to everyone, make them comfortable and to have fun.
Pierson offers scripts in this section of his book as examples of how the conversations should go. They include:
1. Get started with the inner of middle circle network
2. Asking for introductions from the inner and middle network circles
3. Getting started with dormant outer circle personal contacts worse case
4. Getting started with dormant outer circle personal contacts best case
5. Getting started with a new personal contact after an introduction
I will explore in the next several blogs Highly Effective Networking: Meet the Right People and Get a Great Job. Should you have any comments or questions please feel free to email me at james.bogden@gmail.com.
References:
Pierson, O. (2009) Highly effective networking: meet the right people and get a great job. Career Press. NJ.
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