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Practical Skills to Find Work
How do you network?
- Get started by making a list of the people you know – the graph below can help you do this.
- Talk to them about your interests – they may be able to make helpful suggestion to improve your job seeking or introduce you to new contacts interested in your skills and experience.
- Agree on a way to keep in touch – remember networking is about sharing information and building a relationship over time.
- Keep any commitments you make – don’t waste people’s time if you are not particularly interested in what they have to offer.
- Look for opportunities to expand your network eg joining a special interest group or professional association.
- Share information with others – eg if you are talking to an employer who has a job offer that is not right for you but you have a friend it would suit you might like to say: “Thank you for thinking of me. It is not exactly what I am seeking but I do have a friend who I think would be very interested. Do you mind if I give her/him your details?” Two things have happened here; you have been professional and clear about your own goals but have created an opportunity for the network to expand.
- If your network does generate employment opportunities ensure you show your appreciation to everyone who helped and keep the network alive by remaining in contact – you may find it advantageous for changing jobs or going for promotion or contributing back by making yourself available to future students and graduates who will be appreciative of your advice.
Some helpful hints for networking:
| Some Positive Ways |
Try Not To |
- Follow up any invitation to get in touch or meet quickly (the next day is ok)
- Be purposeful in your contact – have some questions to ask or a suggestion to meet up
- Keep up the communication – any method is ok (telephone, e-mail, card)
- Always thank people for their time and assistance
- If you have been introduced by a mutual contact keep that person in the loop (i.e. cc them in your email or make mention of them when getting in touch with your new contact)
- Build a personal reputation for being polite and reliable
- Invest time and energy into meeting people – participate and practice if it is not something you are already comfortable doing
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- Call without an introduction or invitation to do so - if you collect someone’s details at an event check with them that a follow up call is ok
- Overdo the calls – there is a fine line between being proactive and being a pest
- Be regimented in the timing of contacts – just aim to keep in touch
- Be too disappointed if a job doesn’t eventuate straightaway – networks can be helpful over long periods of time
- Monopolise a person’s time at an event – gatherings usually involve meeting and mingling
- Turn a networking opportunity into a sales pitch
- Expect that people can always meet your time frames – it is important to be flexible and negotiate
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