Are you ready for holiday season networking?  So many people take a break from a job search at this time of the year, that those that stay with it have the added plus of less competition. 

If you’re a great networker you know this is a great and fun time of the year.  If you don’t like to network or haven’t mastered the finer aspects of networking and marketing yourself as you network you might not have feel the same excitement about this season.

Here are 8 quick tips to help you plan your holiday job search networking.

 1. Don’t only attend the mandatory events, expand your holiday networking

 Leverage the events you always attend and add others.  Consider stepping outside of your industry events, family events, and the networking events you do now, add several events where you can meet new contacts.  

 2. Set a budget for holiday networking

  You will have expenses, business cards, attire, event fees, food or beverage, or a donation to a charity or cause.  Be willing to invest in yourself, in your search and do it with a grateful heart.  Holiday networking is not about going to parties, it is about connecting with critical centers of influence and the opportunity to market you to your target audience.

3. Plan and Set a schedule for holiday networking

 The season is short and many events fall on the same day.  Plan which events to attend, who to connect with, what to wear, and how you will follow up. Having a plan and a schedule will help your focus.

4. Leverage your existing relationships, network and connections by giving

 Each holiday networking event is an opportunity for you to add value to others.  Discover who you can help and do so.  Connect someone, learn of a need and help, share a tip, do what you can do to help others in your network.

5. Support the event and the community the event serves

 Find a way to offer your support for the event or the organization before or after the event.  You could share event photos or highlights of the event via social media channels, or connect in advance with the organization or event supporters to offer your unique talent, skills or labor to support the event.

6. Don’t get lost in the crowd

 Know how you want to differentiate yourself from others searching for key contacts and your dream job. Know who you want to connect with, and be open to the opportunities before you.  Don’t sell, and don’t take your résumé to any holiday event.  It can be hard to predict who will show up, remember impressions count.

7. Don’t forget to leverage your online network and online events this season

 Many events are growing and some with combine both online and face-to-face experiences.  If get an “Evite” with an RSVP treat it as you would any invitation with an RSVP.  If you need to check in via a QR code to support the charity – do it.  Manners do count.

8. You Can’t Have It All Without Effort and Work

 Networking can be great fun.  You meet wonderful people, serve others, connect and build relationships and gain a lifetime of event memories, but all relationships take work.  During this season in North American the daylight hours are shorter, so it is a season of busy days, long nights, many events and extra commitments.  Your networking workload may increase, so adjust your schedule according.  Rest during the day if you know an event will end late, drink lots of water and plan your follow up so you can reconnect quickly and in an effective manner.

Do you have a networking tip to share or a comment?  Post it below.

It is so easy to spend time, energy and effort on the items that take up time yet net you little in real results from your network.  It is also easy to forget to pay attention to the little things that pay big dividends.

There are many tools to help you connect with your network – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.  Technology has made it easy and convenient to connect. 

Yet sometimes technology robs us of the opportunity to really spend quality time with friends, business associates, customers, and possible employers.  Rarely does a technology work as well as a face to face meeting.

One of the “right” things to do in marketing yourself is to meet face to face.  Face to face you have the rare chance to learn more about others and often to explain your business and what you do.

How much face to face time do you have planned for this week?

You must be clear about your expectations, the leads, referrals, and help you want or you won’t get help.  You must communicate your expectations in a clear way.

Weekly, I talk to hundreds of people who say they want to land the ideal job, yet they struggle with how to do so.  About 50% say they go to networking events, connect online and in person and never get a referral or a lead. 

Sometimes they are mad, on the verge of tears, or ready to just throw in the towel.  They feel as if they are begging for help, working so hard yet never make progress or get the help they want. They want help but don’t know what to do or where to find help.

The bottom line is referrals and leads don’t always come as quickly as we’d like, for most of us it feels awkward coming right out and asking for a referral (so, we beat around the bush), and even when we do ask directly it is at the last minute, like a day or two before an interview or when you see a job posting for the job you want.  Is this true for you?

Here’s what’s going on – you believe

                 – you communicate your expectations and that you want help,

                 - you help others everyday (you keep score, too),

                 – you ask for leads or referrals,

                – you clearly communicate you expect a lead or referral, and

                – you clearly communicate the exact job or referral you want. 

However the message is so diluted or cryptic, even I need a ‘magic decoder ring’ or to ask lots of questions to get a clear idea of how I can help.

If who, you are talking to or connecting with don’t have the foggiest idea what referral is good, what job you want, or what company is a good referral for you, trust me, life is too busy for them to stop and figure it out.  Not to sound like I am bragging, but I am better at sorting this out than the average person, because that is what I do!  So, if I don’t have a clue, I guarantee others are clueless too! 

    Do you have a clear message? 

    Are you receiving leads or referrals?

    Would you like help to craft a message in a way to ask for referrals that does not feel awkward?

Well, there is a whole list of things you can do to be clear and ask for referrals and leads to accelerate your job search, land the job you want at the salary you deserve and with less stress.  Here’s one for networking introductions:
 
“As you know most job leads come via networking and word-of-month referrals, I am a __insert your profession or the job title you are seeking___, I would like to help you, learn more about what you do, share leads and offer you referrals, please connect with me by email at xxx@gmail.com or ask me for my business card so I can learn more than 30 seconds worth of what you do.”

Why, does it work? 

It is a clear message.  It tells what you do, how you will help, it makes it easy to connect with you, it gives you an opportunity to learn about what someone else does, it clearly sets the expectation of sharing leads and offering referrals and in creates an opportunity to connect with you to learn exactly what you do, what type of job you want to land and what type of referrals and leads you want.

Be sure you are prepared to continue the clear communication when someone contacts you and you plan to meet.   Here is one more tip, if you need help with your message, join the Q & A calls and ask for help or feedback on your message. 

Being prepared, having a clear message and planting the seed early in all interactions and relationships, sets the expectation upfront and ensures more leads and referrals – guaranteed!

I love success stories and comments.  Will you share yours?  Add your comment or success story below.

Have you stopped to think about the reach of your network?  What about the reach of one event?

If not, think about the numbers.  In a job search your number one focus is marketing.  To market effectively you must measure your marketing reach and marketing results.  You need to think about and look at the numbers.

According to Facebook, in February 2011, there were 500 million active Facebook users sharing 30 billion pieces of content.  The average Facebook user has 130 friends.  130 Friends!

What does that have to do with numbers and networking in person?

Here is the connection and the assumption.   If you are job searching and you go to a business networking event, you can assume that the professionals at the event have at least 50 solid business connections, most have many more.

Do the math.  At an event with 50 people, who have 50 contacts (50×50=2500) you have potential access to 2500 possible first degree connections, at one time, in one place.  That can be powerful.

Additionally, if you think about power and generosity of in-person connections and the potential for sparks and energy flow, if you are open, what an opportunity.  One event could connect you to the right person, who makes a phone call to a person who will hire you to do your ideal job or to the one person who changes your view of something for ever.

The catch is it rarely happens at the first event, or even the second event.  Why?  Usually, it has to do with your planning, your comfort and your openness to connect.

May I share how I know this?

Now, I love to network.  It allows me to connect, build relationships and help others achieve success on their terms.  But there was a time that I didn’t know how to network, I didn’t like to network, and I didn’t do it.  Frankly, at one time networking terrified me.

I remember when my heart raced for hours before and after networking events, sometimes I would drive to an event and never go in, I would just sit in the car and look at my plan.

Then I learned about making a specific plan with the number of people you wanted to connect with at an event and finding out what you could offer.  So one time I tried it.

I changed my plan and I purchased a $75.00 ticket to an event.  When I got there the only parking was valet parking, so I spent the two hours in the powder room, sitting in a chair, because I was terrified I was out of my league and I was worried about what the parking attendant would say if I asked for my car after he just parked it.  I was so nervous my heart was racing and didn’t know what else to do.  Near the end of that event, a woman stopped as she passed where I was sitting, she smiled at me and said, “You showed up, that’s today’s success”.  I was mortified.

Then I looked down at my plan, it read: “Buy ticket, go to event, be open, successfully connect with one person, and get specific information about networking and become successful”.  One spark of energy, one tip, and one connection, my changed plan with a specific number in it worked!  Not the way I thought it would, but it did work.

It still took me some time to “love networking”, to become comfortable and to learn to be open to the opportunities and the reach of networking.  At that one event, I did learn both about reach of networking and the power of changing my plan.  By being open to measure my success and look at the power of specific numbers what I achieved was success!

I like being successful, it is fun, and gives me a boost. So I tried it again and again until I got good at networking.

Here is the formula I used, it works.  Try it and let me know about your results.

Ask – What can you do for your network? Where will you network? How will you tell your network about what you do? What results do you want?  Create a plan to connect with your network using the answers to these questions.  Execute the plan with openness, next evaluate the results.  Celebrate your success and adjust the plan accordingly.

Looking back when I assessed the results I did have a WOW to celebrate.  By changing my plan, adding a number of connections to make and by being open and willing to receive what was offered I was successful and my view of networking changed forever.  At that point I was still terrified of networking and I would not call sitting in the powder room for two hours networking – yet I discovered the how to leverage the reach of one person and a few words at a networking event.

What would happen if you changed your plan?

Do you need help to leverage the reach your network offers for your job search?    Join the next Q & A call.

First the power and generosity of your network is amazing, second the reach of your network extensive.

Networking allows you to connect with people. 

When you network, you have the potential connect and build relationships with people.  The energy generated from connecting and sharing with people can be a simple spark or a flow of energy.  The spark can be an idea, tip, or a trigger for you.  The flow of energy can be an exchange of information lasting minutes, days or years. 

The energy exists, just walk into a room.  The energy only becomes power if you are open to it.    

Much like a small appliance plugged into an outlet with the switch off, the energy is flowing however the power of the energy is not available to run the appliance because the switch in the off.   When you attend an event or network, you put yourself in a place where the energy is, you plug-in.  If you want to connect to the power of the energy your next step is turn the switch, to be open to the flow of energy.

If you are new to networking or uncomfortable with networking, show up.   By being at an event in person, allows you to be available to plug-in to the energy and power. 

I have connected to some amazing opportunities just by showing up and being open to the energy in a room.  I am a planner and I go into all situations with a plan.  Some of my plans are detailed and complex and some are very simple. Sometimes my networking plan for an event is as simple as showing up and being open.

You too, may be drawn into a power and generosity of your network.  The flow of energy allows you to experience the compassion, generosity, personality, and the knowledge of others.  When you are open and available those connections allow you to directly or indirectly connect to and have the opportunity to identify people whose values are similar to your own, and who have contacts are within organizations that are meaningful to your goals.

What is your plan to tap the power and generosity of your network?

Here are the steps to help you create a plan. 

Ask – What can you do for your network? Where will you network? How will you tell your network about what you do? What results do you want?

Create a plan to connect with your network using the answers to the questions above.

Execute the plan with openness, next evaluate the results.

Celebrate your success and adjust the plan accordingly. 

Do you have a networking success story to share?  Feel free to share your story or a tip here.

The celebrations have changed over the years.  I rarely wear shorts on St. Patrick’s Day, as it is still too cold in New England for shorts in mid-March, and my networking reach is far beyond J Patrick O’Malley’s, but you can bet I will be networking, enjoying the day and hope you will be too.

In the days of JPats, I tracked contacts with paper and ink, I had no real strategy for networking, or managing my career,  there was no LinkedIn, or online relationship management systems  – WOW – what if there had been – who knows?

For those of you are in the Boston area, next week you can tap into one of my network contacts, Jason Alba at one of several events.  In other areas connect with Jason’s blog as he speaks throughout the US and internationally.

Mark your calendars, register, and go hear Jason Alba speak.  You will be glad you did.

Jason gets career management.  He was an IT Manager who got laid off in 2006.  Jason is street-smart, has great stories, an engaging smile and like so many, he figured out career management is critical.     

Our connection, Don Huse at Venturion introduced me to Jason Alba.  Jason is the author of three books, and someone I looked to for update to date information on relationship management systems, LinkedIn, and other social media.  He is also a certified personal branding strategist – yet another connection!  We are also talking about his returning to New England in the early fall, but don’t wait till then to connect with Jason Alba.

Do you have questions?  Contact me.

So often I hear from people in a job search or working hard to hire talent that really do struggle with how to handle a JERK.  There are situations when “You don’t.” is the best solution. 

However, we are all faced with a JERK that for one reason or another, we must deal with at least on some level.  Or at least I am from time to time.

Are you faced with a JERK that is hard to avoid?  What about a JERK at an event?  Would “ignore” or “don’t” always work?

Here is a quick tip for handling either a JERK or a person you would like to connect with in future, however, here and now is not the best time.  Exercise the choice of when and how to connect.  Here’s how:

   - offer a connection method and time that fits the situation and person,

   – then excuse yourself, this allows you to continue to network. 

When you do encounter a JERK, you do wish to connect with now or in the future, you can politely exercise the choice of excusing yourself.  It is okay to say, “I don’t believe I can assist you, good luck.”

I agree with Jason Alba, it is a very empowering to exercise the choice.  You do control who, where, when or if you elect to network with someone.   

What is your solution?  Feel free to share it.

Do you have a situation you need help with or a job search question? 

Give me a call or join me for the monthly Q & A calls and get your burning questions answered.

It’s time to be clear about what networking is REALLY all about. To do that first let’s look at what networking is NOT.

It is not about asking people you don’t know, don’t want to know, and don’t care about for a JOB!

It is not about being slick and sleazy to get someone to take your résumé to their Boss, HR Manager or someone else in their company or finding the name and number of the one person you can “sell” to get a job.

It is not about going to meetings with a goal of grabbing a bunch of business cards so you have more people to “Tweet”, add to your LinkedIn contact list, or promise to email leads from your favorite job board, or call to talk about yourself, how great you are and your job search woes.

It is not about expecting someone to help you find a job or a new client!

It is not about showing up to an event, listening to a speaker, eating and drinking, dropping a business card in the basket for a free gift, then leaving.

Okay, if networking is not about these things, what is networking REALLY about – it is about building relationships!

That is not rocket science and you have heard it before reading it here.  Why is this so tough?  First, when you are without a job, you may feel needy or unsure of your value.  If you are new to networking or rebuilding a network, you may be asking “why would someone want to build a relationship with me”, “how can I help”, “I have no extra money”, or “what can I offer”, etc.  STOP IT!

People build relationships, offer referrals, leads, share “insider information” and help people they know, people they like and people they trust.  Think about the first day of school, you were in a room full of other kids, most of whom you did not know.  You did not yet know if you liked them, and did not know if you could trust them.

By the end of the school year, you had some type of relationship with each student in your class.  You might define those relationships as the person in my first grade class, the “kid in the back of the room-name unknown”, the “know-it-all” in my first grade class, my classmate (someone, you knew, liked, trusted but not a best buddy), your buddies, your friends, your best friend, the people you have known since first grade and stay in touch with or still have a relationship.  You had different relationships with each member of the class. Those long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you are “your network”.

Networking is about building long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you.  Those people become your connectors, people who can attest to who you are, what you do and people who are your advocates and business partners.  Those people are “your network”.

Networking is about building long term relationships with people who know you, like you, and trust you and building long term relationships with people you know, you like you, you trust.  Your network allows you to be an advocate for others and allows others to an advocate for you.

Networking is about getting to know people and helping people, and connecting people in your network with each other. The beauty of doing so is that those in your network will get to know you, like you, trust you and help you connect with others.

How many people are in your network?

How many people in your network are you an advocate?

How many people have you helped this week?

If you belong to a professional or trade associations, clubs or community organizations, your professional network is robust and you stay connected to your network, I bet you said yes. 

If you said NO, you may have been working hard with little or no time to network.  If you had a long commute, worked long hours, worked “head down, tail up”, were engrossed in family, and day to day life without much time to nurture your professional network, you may need to rebuild your network.  Or the truth is maybe you don’t like networking and are just gripped with fear about reaching out to build a network.

Either way, building, rebuilding, and nurturing a network does not need to take tons of time, money or energy.  It does require doing some basics each week and if you are beginning or rebuilding a network it will take preparation, reflection time and some time to determine what is the best way for you to network and where to network. 

There are no “magic bullets” nor is there a “one size fits all” method that works for everyone.  There are basics everyone needs to master.

Networking is about talking, connecting, meeting, and helping people.  If you this terrifies you, know you are not alone.  But if you know you need to network and you had decided to network, you must overcome the fear or at least find ways to deal with the fear until you overcome it to network successfully.

Do your homework and get prepared to network.  Decide why you want to network, what you have of value to offer those you meet, and how you can help those you meet. 

Why is it important for you to build or rebuild your network?

What value do you offer your network?

How are you willing to help those in your network?

Maybe you are thinking – I could spend the same time at home on the computer, telephone, or sending out resumes and get the same results or why would I want to go meet a bunch of other people many like me looking for work or peddling their wares.  Those thoughts may be your first problem.

There are hundreds of networking groups, professional or trade associations that meet weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly within the United States.  Most of these groups are designed to help you meet people, make connections, and contribute to others.

If you are new to networking you may question the benefits of connecting regularly with other open minded business people in the same room.  Getting hired and being successful in business is as much about “who knows you” as it is about “who and what you know”.

There is magic in the building relationships and obtaining referrals from “Your Network”.  Yes it does help your job search.  Network referrals are the most commonly reported way to find a job.

Employers report referrals make up 26.7% of all external new hires compared to 13.2% of hires attributed to Job Boards according to CareerXRoads 9^th Annual Sources of Hire Study (February 2010).  The numbers speak for themselves.

Networking is one of the fastest, easiest ways to develop business relationships, get referrals and tap into the 70% to 80% of available jobs that are not advertised.  Networking works!

In just a few days I will have been involved in a coordinating a weekly networking group for professionals for five years.  The results, career success stories and lasting relationships are amazing.

Do you want to learn how to make networking work for your job search?

Check back to celebrate five years of “NfP” success I will share the best of the best tips to help you find a group, be prepare to network and make networking work for you.