Raise your hand if you believe that "networking" means
telling everyone you know that you're looking for a job.
While
it's a good idea to let folks know you're available, networking involves more than asking numerous people for favors.
The heart of your job as a successful networker is to provide value to other people - to be a go-to guy or gal in some way.
There are two ways to do this. One is by providing information personally, and
the other is by referring others to people you know who can help them.
In the first case, let's say you've got a background in marketing. Rather than talking about your marketing
genius, you might get people talking about their own company or business, and ask penetrating questions that show your expertise,
then offer a few choice tips that will enhance their marketing efforts.
When you express genuine interest in the professional well-being of people you meet, it tends to lead, sooner or
later, to a reciprocal interest in you.
The key is to gather
and give away information freely and copiously. Ask people for their business cards instead of pushing your own at everyone.
Cultivating an active interest in others will help you create
a network (hence the term) of people who do all sorts of different things. So when someone starts talking to you about their
accounting woes, you can give them contact information for someone in your network who knows accounting.
Which makes you someone in the know, a go-to guy or gal.
Which expands your network.
Which is how you'll
get your next great job.
