The most important strategy in the networking process is asking your contacts for their help with your research versus asking them if they know of any opportunities. While it is possible that one of your contacts may have just turned down a job offer because it wasn’t the right position for him/her, but it would be perfect for you, in today’s economic crisis this is less likely.
Today your networking approach should spider out to include your contacts’ contacts and even the contacts of your contacts’ contacts. LinkedIn adopted this strategy and facilitates this three-tier networking concept beautifully.
In simpler terms:
LinkedIn Tier 1 = my contacts
LinkedIn Tier 2 = contacts of my contacts
LinkedIn Tier 3 = contacts of my contacts' contacts
Every person in your network has at least 100 people in his/her network who have 100 people in their networks.
- Business contacts:
These contacts may include consultants, recruiters, venture capitalists, private equity partners, board member peers, attorneys, bankers, community leaders, elected officials, corporate alumni, college alumni, and members of
associations, community organizations and groups.
- Personal contacts:
On the personal side, it may include their spouse or significant other, their brothers, sisters, cousins, neighbors, accountant, financial advisor, real estate agent, travel agent, coach/mentor/trainer, and members of organizations. So while your tier one contacts may not be able to assist you, their contacts may.
Exploring Potential Opportunities with Your Network
When networking with your contacts, be sure to ask open-ended questions that will perpetuate your network. Ask questions like: “Who do you know who...” and “Who else should I be contacting?” These types of questions will prompt your contact to think of others who can help you, which in turn will help you expand your network.
Conversely, questions like, “Do you know of any opportunities that would be appropriate for me?” or “Do you know of any job openings?” will generate a yes or no response that can dead end your line of communication.
Bottom Line
It doesn’t matter whether your contacts are employed or unemployed. The goal is to ask for help in reaching people that can provide the information you need versus specific job opportunities. And always remember to ask how you can be of help to your contact. In today’s economy, everyone needs some type of information or support. You need to give to receive. The foundation for successful networking is creating a meaningful connection that you can nurture and strengthen throughout your senior level career.
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© Copyright, 2010, Beverly Harvey. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Beverly Harvey has been coaching senior-level and C-level executives in job search, career transition and career management for over 18 years. She has helped thousands of executives land their next position quickly. Beverly is the founder of HarveyCareers.com and holds eight certifications in resume writing, branding, job search, career transition and career management. She is the author of Career News & Trends and is the contributor to more than 20 career books. Beverly is a recognized job search thought leader and is a contributor to the Career Thought Leaders Consortium. She is also the Director of the Job Search Academy. She can be reached at 386-749-3111 or 888-775-0916.
