NETWORKING
Why Do I Need To Network?
The tried and true way to job hunt involves finding listings in the newspaper or on the ‘net and applying by sending off your resume with a cover letter. And waiting. And sometimes hearing nothing at all for weeks, months, or forever.
It’s a job search method that can keep you very busy, feeling like you are treating job hunting like the full time job that it is.
It can also be depressing, demoralizing, time consuming and, ultimately, fruitless.
There is a better way. It’s called networking and it takes many forms. Networking means:
- Appreciating that the best way to get the best job is by tapping into the “hidden job market.” (According to hotjobs.com, fully 70% of jobs are filled without any advertising at all!)
- Understanding that who you know and who you meet are critical to a successful job search
- Accepting that building mutually advantageous relationships with many people is a lifelong activity that creates and sustains vibrant careers.
Building and utilizing your network is essential to your career exploration and job search. Without a network, it is difficult to be on the inside track where career related issues are discussed and great job opportunities are announced. More important, using a network can help you discover if a career field is a good fit for your interests, lifestyle preferences, and skills. Whether you are a first-year student or a senior, networking provides an unparalleled chance to help you clarify your career goals.
Developing Networks
Networks prove very helpful for both exploring career fields and actually finding jobs. Networking is the process of discovering and utilizing connections among people. Genuine networks stem from friendships or business relationships. Everyone knows other people, and thus has a network. But “networking” implies movement beyond your immediate personal and professional circles and involves tapping into other people’s worlds, perhaps far removed from your own.
It’s Happening Everywhere…
Some people consider networking about as appealing and honest as nepotism or insider trading; they consider it to be another term for getting the not-quite- legitimate inside track. Professional networks, however, exist in all career fields, so it is crucial to learn how to utilize them. To be aware of what is happening in your own profession, you must be a member of that professional community. The community alerts its members to new technologies and best practices, offers opportunities for professional development, and most interesting to you, shares information about job openings before they are made known to the general public.
When it comes time to hire, members of a network would prefer to hire from within.
The skills you hone as you create your network will serve you well in your job search. You will need to be assertive without being aggressive; you will communicate effectively; you will learn how to approach someone you don’t know. When you have finished, you will be part of a community of professionals who know and respect you.
As An Undergraduate, How Can I Begin To Network?
1. Start a list with the names drawn from everyone in your circle: friends, relatives, classmates, present and former co-workers, neighbors, faculty members, members of any clubs to which you belong, religious or community organizations, etc. Now examine the list for people who have any connection at all, no matter how distant, to the career you are considering. This is your existing network.
2. Your professors are a link in your network chain, especially if you have been an active participant in their classes. Drop in during office hours and ask them about their field. Do they have colleagues they can refer you to who can become a part of your network?
3. To expand your network, utilize the Hiatt Career Center Library for sources of organizations and people – including the Hiatt Alumni Mentoring Network. Set up informational interviews.
4. Doing an internship is one of the easiest ways to expand your network as an undergraduate. Internships may be full or part-time, paid or volunteer. While there, you will develop a rapport with your supervisor and others in your department. These individuals may be your first direct professional contacts in your field. Learn as much as you possibly can from them while you are there, and then stay up to date by reading the same publications they read, belonging to the same email listservs, newsgroups and professional associations. If possible, attend any relevant conferences or trade shows (perhaps as a volunteer).
Put all of these people together and you have a network! Now you have to work to keep it together. Don’t let them forget about you – check in with your network via e-mail, phone, or a quick note. As your professional relationships become more established you will become far more comfortable with building and maintaining your network.
INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING
What an Informational Interview Can Do
Informational interviewing is the best way to use your network of contacts when you are exploring career fields or are ready to look for a job. Informational interviewing is not the same as job interviewing, and its purpose is not to apply for a job. It is intended to provide background information that will help in your job hunt and to make a strong positive impression on people in your network so they will think of you if they hear about any appropriate opportunities. Informational interviews give you solid data about where jobs are, whether they appeal to you, and what employers expect.
An informational interview can:
- validate or make you question your choice of career as a result of learning about the experiences of someone working in the field
- narrow your list of potential employers to those who are seeking to hire people with your particular qualifications
- identify additional leads to jobs and/or job information
- help you develop knowledge of the vocabulary and lingo of the field
- provide information about companies or organizations that is not available through their websites
- provide information that will make a positive impression on employers when you apply
- build confidence in your ability to discuss your career interests and goals
Sample Questions To Ask In The Informational Interview
Occupational Field
Ø What credentials or degrees are required for entry into this kind of work?
Ø What types of prior experience are absolutely essential?
Ø How did you prepare yourself for this work?
Present Job
Ø Describe a typical workweek.
Ø What skills or talents are most essential for effective job performance in this job?
Ø What are the toughest problems you must deal with?
Ø What do you find most rewarding about your job?
Ø If you were to leave this kind of work, what factors would probably contribute to your decision?
Employer Information
Ø What is the organizational structure?
Ø How autonomous are new employees?
Ø What types of formal training does the organization provide?
Ø How often are performance reviews given?
Ø How difficult is it to transfer from one division to another?
Ø What new product lines are being developed?
Ø Where is the organization expanding? How does it compare with its competitors?
Career Future/Alternatives
Ø If things develop as you would like, what sort of career goals do you see for yourself?
Ø How rapidly is your present career field growing?
Ø How would you describe or estimate future prospects?
Ø If the work you do was suddenly eliminated, what different types of work do you feel you are qualified for?
Ø Which related fields are you exploring?
Lifestyle
Ø What obligations does your work place upon your personal time?
Ø How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, hours of work, vacation schedule, place of residence?
Ø How often do people in your line of work change jobs?
Job Hunting
Ø How do people find out about jobs at your company or similar companies?
Ø How does one move from position to position? Do people normally move to another agency (company, division) or do they move up in the agency (company, division)?
Ø If you were to hire someone to work with you today, what factors would be most important in your hiring decision and why?
Professional Advice
Ø How well suited is my background for this type of work?
Ø Can you suggest other related fields?
Ø What educational preparation do you feel would be best?
Ø What types of experiences, paid employment or otherwise, would you most strongly recommend?
Ø If you were a college student and had it to do over again, what would you do differently to prepare for this occupation?
Referrals
Ø Based on our conversation today, can you suggest other people to whom you would recommend that I speak?
Ø Would you suggest a few of these people who might be willing to talk with me? Would you be willing to contact them to tell them that I will be in touch with them soon?
Ø May I have permission to use your name when I contact them? (Note: be careful to emphasize your interest in information gathering, not direct requests for jobs).
After the Interview
Just as you would for a job interview, thank the contact at the end of the interview and be sure to send a typed or neatly handwritten thank you letter within twenty-four hours. Stay in touch. Ask if it would be all right to inquire about new developments and leads in the future. If you do
not nurture your network and stay involved with it, it will fade away.
A FINAL NOTE
During the course of your career your network contacts may change; creating and building networks is a lifelong process. The skills you are developing now are laying the foundation for continuing to successfully expand your future networks. And remember: some day you will be the professional getting “networked” by a Brandeis student!