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Dear Diane,
You feel helpless, yet you want to help. Your friends are getting
frustrated because they can't find work.
Networking depends on someone's ability to do it right. Some are much
better than others.
An article this week in The Boston Globe about networking frustration
resulted in a number of phone calls and emails to my office.
The problem is clear - employed people are feeling tapped out and the
unemployed are feeling aggravated they can't find jobs. So what's the
solution?
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Advice for the employed |
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| For those of you who are employed, here are
some thoughts for what you can do with your limited time and energy.
Help those who have helped you. Anyone else - be honest and say
your time is just too limited right now.
Consider saying no to lunch, but yes to something else. For
example, have them come back to you with specific questions about a
company or industry.
Before you refer someone, review their resume. You'd be
surprised at the number of really talented people out there who have
a resume that needs improvement. Be sure it's of a quality that
reflects well on you.
Provide actionable feedback. People are starved for this. It can
be a bit uncomfortable, but often worth it in the end.
When they ask, "do you know of a company that's hiring," ask
them to be more specific. Do they have a certain company in mind? If
so, who is the contact person they are trying to reach?
Stay focused on their job search questions - unless you really
are a therapist and they are a client.
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Advice for the unemployed |
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| Pull out a piece of paper and review your job
networking "whether" report. Answer a few questions about "whether"
or not you have done your research BEFORE you ask for help.
Have you asked for help from this person before? If so, what
worked and what didn't.
Do you have specific questions to ask? "Do you know of a company
that's hiring" is not a specific question. "I saw xyz company got a
round of capital and I'd like to contribute my programming skills to
their efforts. Do you know someone there?"
I'd strongly advise against asking them to lunch, but if you do,
please pay for both of you!
Have you followed up on all the leads and referrals you have
already received? You don't want to appear that you really want
someone else to do your work for you.
If someone helped you before, did you thank them and keep them
posted about your success?
What is your goal for the call or meeting? If you don't have a
specific actionable goal, then wait until you do.
Don't expect your friends to re-write your resume. Work with a
professional career counselor.
Have a daily routine that makes you feel good about yourself.
Maybe it's exercising each day for at least 10 minutes or making the
bed before you leave the house. If you're feeling cranky about not
having a job, then don't add to the frustration with things you can
easily control.
On Monday, December 9th @ 9 pm I'm hosting a teleclass for job
hunters who would like to learn some effective networking
techniques. Click on the link to learn more and sign up.
Sign
up for teleclass . . . »
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Short and sweet |
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