Networking
involves contacting or connecting with family, friends, employers
or others for one or all of the following purposes:
to
explore careers to
connect to the visible and hidden job markets to
market yourself – your skills and abilities to friends,
family and prospective employers to
find support
You may network or make contact with individuals in the following
ways:
What is the Hidden Job Market?
Success Tips for the Hidden Job Market?
Researching Companies
Get Networked!
Step-by-Step Plan For Finding Jobs that are Never Advertised.
Networking Comes in Many Forms.
How to Identify Networking Contacts.
Benefits gained by Connecting with People You Know.
Making Cold Calls in Person or on the Phone
When contacting people by phone or in person, it is important
to be prepared:
Do
you have a script written out in your mind or on paper? It
may include:
- the purpose of your contact - Is
it for a job lead? Information on occupational job trends?
Or how this individual has succeeded in his/her career?
- your skills and abilities and how they match with a prospective
employer’s needs
- use the telephone script found in the Job
Search Handbook to get you started.
Do
you have your job search binder or a notebook and a pen to
record information?
Do
you have a calendar to check and record times for other possible
meetings?
There is a good chance that you will not connect with the person
you want directly on your first attempt. So be prepared to talk
with an administrative support individual or be ready to leave
your message on a voice mail or answering system. Here you may
even want to write out and practice the script that you would
leave.
The following sites gives some excellent information on how
to communicate effectively on the telephone.
Many individuals experience anxiety around contacting employers
in person and on the phone. If you are one of these individuals,
you may want to explore stress
management techniques.
Writing Letters
Letters are another way to network and make contact with possible
employers. Letters may be used in the following ways:
To
ask for an informational interview
To
follow-up after a telephone call
As
a cover letter with a resume
As
a follow-up letter to an informational interview or a follow-up
letter to an actual interview
Electronic
Networking
The internet is becoming a more popular place to network for
a variety of reasons including finding job leads, researching
occupations, and finding support.
These sites provide help on how to network electronically:
E-mail
Etiquette lessons - How to keep your email out of employer's
computer trash bins.
to
explore careers 
