How to Network With Different Types of Connections
You know that networking is almost essential to getting a job -- it's vital to have some kind of "in" at the company you apply to. And there are a million ways to network. Where and how do you begin?
Maybe you've already reached out to friends, family and former colleagues. If so, good work! That's the first step in a long list of possibilities. To make sure you're networking well and reach more contacts, check your approach against the suggestions below.
[See: 25 Best Business Jobs for 2017.]
If it's someone you already know. You may have talked to your close contacts to let them know you are job searching. Some of them may automatically forward your resume on to other contacts or within their companies, but others won't. You need to explicitly make the right "ask." Ask each contact if there is one person they think you should meet or talk to as you explore opportunities. Make it very easy for them to forward on a message to a contact by drafting a short version that you would send to someone you don't yet know. Include only a few sentences -- a brief greeting, a short description of your background and what you are seeking, and an ask: "If you think I may be a good fit for your organization, would you kindly review my attached resume?"
If it's someone you meet at an event (social or professional). Focus on making a meaningful connection when you meet in person. This is your chance to be personable and create chemistry, which is how people land jobs after an interview. It's like a jump-start to a potential job application without the pressure of interviewing! The ask in this case is easy -- offer your business card and ask for theirs. This gives you what you need to follow up the next day with a meaningful short email that states how nice it was to meet, includes a snippet from the conversation that you found interesting and asks if the person wouldn't mind taking a look at your resume to see if you might be a good fit for their organization. The key to maintaining these connections is a timely email follow up referencing something about which you spoke, and staying in touch at regular intervals (say, every few months).
[See: 7 Ways to Crush a Phone Interview.]
If you have a second-degree connection to someone on LinkedIn. Before you do any contacting on LinkedIn, make sure your profile is complete. This doesn't mean uploading your resume and expecting people to click and download. Your profile needs to be filled in section by section. Why? Because when you write to people on LinkedIn (or even off) they may go check you out, so you want to put your best foot forward. You can go about contacting a second-degree connection in one of two ways -- ask your mutual connection for an introduction, or write to the person you want to connect with directly and mention the common connection (as long as it's someone you actually know). If you take the former approach, offer to send a script to the intermediary that explains who you are and why you want to connect with their contact.
If you have no connection but want to create one. If you are interested in a company, find a manager or a recruiter from the company on LinkedIn. Go to LinkedIn's website; if you use the mobile app, you won't have a chance to include a personal message with your connection request, which you absolutely must do. Send a personal message and address it to the person by name, such as "Dear Joe" or "Hi Joe." Only use three to five sentences. First, greet the person and say why you're contacting them (e.g., "I'm interested in your company because ..."). Briefly state how your experience is a match. Next, ask if you can send them your resume for review via email. Do not do any more than that, as people are busy and don't usually have time to talk, offer advice or give you job search tips. Do not paste your resume in the message. While there's no guarantee you'll get a response, they just may give you their email address to send along your resume and possibly share it with other recruiters.
[See: The 25 Best Social Services Jobs of 2017.]
As you go through the avenues above, remember to follow the networking golden rule: If someone helps you out in any way, send a thoughtful email to say thank you and offer to return the favor by asking how you can be of help to them.
