-Networking...can you really say this

[Ask99]

I network with people from different Business fields, I have kept in touch with them but the thing is now that I will be graduating soon I do need internships/job leads. I mainly enjoy getting to know people, what they do etc..generally speaking.

I dont feel comfortable asking for internships etc. It just feels that I had an ulterior motive.What do you guys do. Somebody asked me then what is the purpose of networking.

Give me examples of how you have done so in the past without sounding desperate.

[X2]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

networking’s purpose is not to just ask for jobs, however there is no harm in letting your network know you are looking for opportunities and help/leads would be appreciated. The stronger a relationship you have with a person the more help you can expect to get.

Its not about sounding desperate, those close to you just tell them you are looking for opportunities and to let you know if they know of anything. Make your request more specific, help ppl help you. i.e. not just looking for an internship but looking for an internshio in a hightech company in the area of marketing especially marcomm.

for people you are not that close to, ask them if you can talk to them to get insights about their company and industry, especially for target companies, or about current career trends for people who are in the types of roles or depts youa re interested in.

asking people for a job puts them on the spot, they may not be able to help, they may not have anything and they may not know you well enough, but people in general dont mind helping, its all in how you approach them.

[Bushra]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

^^

Net workign to Urdu main safarish ki tlash ya sfarish kehty hain na???

other meanings of NETWORKING in my mind Jala Bun’na yani apney ya logon ke ird gird yeh sochty hoey ke taluqaat banao yeh kal kam aey ga woh kam aey ga os se taluqaat banao. Bas yahan NaozBillah aisa lagta hai hai Allah nahi banda hi bandey ke kam a sakta hai:D

[Malika12]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

Networking is really important! And trust me you won’t sound desperate, if you word your request the right way…don’t just say can I have a job here…tell them about your abilities and previous job expereice if any..and what kind of a personality you have and what kind of a job you are looking for…so they can keep their eyes open.

I got both of my jobs through networking!!! I went to a company info session at the uni campus..and I told the manager I would really be interested in meeting with him to get to know more about his business insights and objectives..and see if I could fit in with the company atmosphere..and alhamdulillah it was a done deal!!

[Ask99]

@X2

networking’s purpose is not to just ask for jobs, however there is no harm in letting your network know you are looking for opportunities and help/leads would be appreciated. The stronger a relationship you have with a person the more help you can expect to get.

Its not about sounding desperate, those close to you just tell them you are looking for opportunities and to let you know if they know of anything. Make your request more specific, help ppl help you. i.e. not just looking for an internship but looking for an internshio in a hightech company in the area of marketing especially marcomm.

for people you are not that close to, ask them if you can talk to them to get insights about their company and industry, especially for target companies, or about current career trends for people who are in the types of roles or depts youa re interested in.

asking people for a job puts them on the spot, they may not be able to help, they may not have anything and they may not know you well enough, but people in general dont mind helping, its all in how you approach them.

Thanks for your advice. But what would you suggest if you really dont know what area you are looking to work in. Personally I am not sure, and I have read that telling that to people is not a very good idea.

If you dont mind, could you give me example of how one would talk about it without being really obvious that you want their help.

One of my mentors has told me that he has never asked for anything and has always been given the opportunities and positions he currently has in his professional life. I don’t know if that would work because his network is built on years and years of experience.

[NaMaan]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

People need to be informed and they start thinking about you . I would suggest that people you know , you should contact them and ask for their career advise . Most of the time a big part of these conversations is about the opportunities available in the market .

[X2]

@Ask99

Thanks for your advice. But what would you suggest if you really dont know what area you are looking to work in. Personally I am not sure, and I have read that telling that to people is not a very good idea.

If you dont mind, could you give me example of how one would talk about it without being really obvious that you want their help.

One of my mentors has told me that he has never asked for anything and has always been given the opportunities and positions he currently has in his professional life. I don’t know if that would work because his network is built on years and years of experience.

1- if you dont know what area you are looking to work in, thats where ppl in your network can help a lot, they can help you figure out what you want top do, give you information, impressions, share their experiences and insights, advise..reality of a role vs what you may be thinking.

why do you want to talk about it without it being obvious you are looking for help. they know it, you know it, and trying to be stealth about it backfires. as I said dont go asking for jobs, tell people you are in the market, what you are interested in, and to keep their eyes open etc.

he probably never asked, but he probably let people know what he was looking for, get it, ppl cant read ppls minds, so even if he got the opportunities, someone knew this guy was looking for something or was interested in something or had skills in some area. so communication occured in some manner.

[Entisar]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

X2 , have already given a very comprehensive replies and Noman has point that If you will Communicate to people , then only they will know.
I would reiterate the same , that , Do not think in this way that people will say , see he/she had ulteriors that is why He was in Network with us or some one else.
Requesting directly for work may show desperatness , but , asking for help in guiedence , sharing about your skills and studies would mean he/she is updated about you , and if they is any opportunity they can suggest you.

[Ask99]

@X2

1- if you dont know what area you are looking to work in, thats where ppl in your network can help a lot, they can help you figure out what you want top do, give you information, impressions, share their experiences and insights, advise..reality of a role vs what you may be thinking.

why do you want to talk about it without it being obvious you are looking for help. they know it, you know it, and trying to be stealth about it backfires. as I said dont go asking for jobs, tell people you are in the market, what you are interested in, and to keep their eyes open etc.

he probably never asked, but he probably let people know what he was looking for, get it, ppl cant read ppls minds, so even if he got the opportunities, someone knew this guy was looking for something or was interested in something or had skills in some area. so communication occured in some manner.

So you are talking about informational interviews etc from people from those fields. I have been doing those and need to do more, but the thing is also the fact it does take a lot of time when done face to face and with studies and everything else, I have started thinking is it worth all the effort.

And I think you are right as one of the things he mentioned is that he makes sure that his network remembers him, small gestures that take time but most people conveniently forget to follow through with. One thing was that he says that all of his positions he has never asked for. I don’t know how that works in the senior positions as he was telling me about the fact that companies have these rules of having to spend minimum so and so time before you get a promotion and he has gotten offers that didnt follow those.
So Im thinking how can he let people know what he is looking for when he knows he may not be able to take it.

Anyway for myself, I have a very formal approach to networking relationships and it just seems like at times it can be a hindrance.

[X2]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

Informational interviews are such a formal term and make things complicated for no reason. Let me give you an example. I was looking at opportunities at GE, and a senior colleague from consulting days is the CIO for one of the GE businesses. I called him up and asked him if he can spend some time talking about what he knows about the business, GE approach to recruitment, work life etc etc.
He set up some time, and we just chatted.

I meet up with my boss all the way back from 99 every so often for coffee and chat about stuff. He is a senior guy at IBM, and its not like I am asking him for a job today, I ask him things related to career growth, work challenges and scenarios and how I should tackle them. I seek out people for advise on many things, My mentor from Consulting days, who I last worked with 7 years ago is over at my home off and on and before I made my last career decision I ran it by him.

So a network can do a lot, I had one of the guys who reported to me interviewing for a strategy role from a marketing role and needed help with interview prep and he had to make a presentation to the hiring manager and his team, and I shared frameworks I had used. Not sure how much it helped but he got the offer.

The key is build and maintain relationships, and the biggest thing is to be genuine, even on linked in those LION (linked in open networkers) are a strange breed, yes it is good to connect with people but just collecting names and asking them for stuff gets old very quick.

how to keep connected with the people, send them information you come across which may be of interest to them, even opportunities. One of my former mentors (the guy I sought advise from before my most recent career move) his last three jobs were because for the last 2 a head hunter I knew asked me if i knew anyone and I connected him with this guy. the first one because a previous boss of mine was looking to hire someone and asked me if i knew anyone (the guy that I meet up for coffee still)

So if you are willing to help people, they will help you. be genuine, understand each person’s style and adjust accordingly e.g. one of my former colleagues travels way too much to really plan for a meeting, so we drop each other notes, one guy hates email and calls me up every month or so just to chat.

dont make it more complicated than it is.

[Lucid_Chaotic]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

Great thread Ask99… I think we all can learn a thing or two about networking, no matter how much of it we’ve engaged in over time.

To add to the valuable advice and suggestions provided by X2, I would also reiterate the need to think more laterally than vertically. This is something I notice a lot. Most people think of networking as an opportunity for career growth, especially, in terms of progressing to the next level. Consequently, people often tend to ignore or overlook the contacts that may be at the same job level as themselves, which is an opportunity wasted. In networking, you never know what might land you the opportunity that’s best for you.

Also, along with a lateral orientation, spontaneity is important - something as simple as saying “hello” to someone and striking a conversation with them, or signing up for a seminar or talk which might even seem somewhat peripheral to your interests and meeting people through such events. Such spontaneity often leads to planting of many seeds, and even if a few of those seeds sprout, it would have been worth it.

[Sarsaparilla]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

If you live in US or Canada, why not network with local Pakistani community? They will understand you better.

[X2]

Re: -Networking…can you really say this

it should not be limited to local Pakistani community why limit your options?

[Ask99]

@X2

Informational interviews are such a formal term and make things complicated for no reason. Let me give you an example. I was looking at opportunities at GE, and a senior colleague from consulting days is the CIO for one of the GE businesses. I called him up and asked him if he can spend some time talking about what he knows about the business, GE approach to recruitment, work life etc etc.
He set up some time, and we just chatted.

I meet up with my boss all the way back from 99 every so often for coffee and chat about stuff. He is a senior guy at IBM, and its not like I am asking him for a job today, I ask him things related to career growth, work challenges and scenarios and how I should tackle them. I seek out people for advise on many things, My mentor from Consulting days, who I last worked with 7 years ago is over at my home off and on and before I made my last career decision I ran it by him.

So a network can do a lot, I had one of the guys who reported to me interviewing for a strategy role from a marketing role and needed help with interview prep and he had to make a presentation to the hiring manager and his team, and I shared frameworks I had used. Not sure how much it helped but he got the offer.

The key is build and maintain relationships, and the biggest thing is to be genuine, even on linked in those LION (linked in open networkers) are a strange breed, yes it is good to connect with people but just collecting names and asking them for stuff gets old very quick.

how to keep connected with the people, send them information you come across which may be of interest to them, even opportunities. One of my former mentors (the guy I sought advise from before my most recent career move) his last three jobs were because for the last 2 a head hunter I knew asked me if i knew anyone and I connected him with this guy. the first one because a previous boss of mine was looking to hire someone and asked me if i knew anyone (the guy that I meet up for coffee still)

So if you are willing to help people, they will help you. be genuine, understand each person’s style and adjust accordingly e.g. one of my former colleagues travels way too much to really plan for a meeting, so we drop each other notes, one guy hates email and calls me up every month or so just to chat.

dont make it more complicated than it is.

Thanks for your advice. I really like the suggestion of being genuine and to understand and adjust to each person’s style and go from there.

Another question, how do you streamline your network and convert it to a meaningful one? With me, I can pretty much talk with anyone and have a good conversation with, but it is hard for me to pick who I would like to keep in touch with. How do I narrow down the list?

With your network, it seems you have maintained it over the years, how did you narrow down the key people, and also do you keep on adding new people to your network?

@Lucid_Chaotic

Great thread Ask99… I think we all can learn a thing or two about networking, no matter how much of it we’ve engaged in over time.

To add to the valuable advice and suggestions provided by X2, I would also reiterate the need to think more laterally than vertically. This is something I notice a lot. Most people think of networking as an opportunity for career growth, especially, in terms of progressing to the next level. Consequently, people often tend to ignore or overlook the contacts that may be at the same job level as themselves, which is an opportunity wasted. In networking, you never know what might land you the opportunity that’s best for you.

Also, along with a lateral orientation, spontaneity is important - something as simple as saying “hello” to someone and striking a conversation with them, or signing up for a seminar or talk which might even seem somewhat peripheral to your interests and meeting people through such events. Such spontaneity often leads to planting of many seeds, and even if a few of those seeds sprout, it would have been worth it.

I really like the suggestion of networking laterally too.

I do attend some networking events from time to time. But as of yet these events have very few student attendance and more Professional people present. So for me all those would be vertical networking at this point, but you are right that its a good foundation to keep in touch with such people.

[X2]

@Ask99

Thanks for your advice. I really like the suggestion of being genuine and to understand and adjust to each person’s style and go from there.

Another question, how do you streamline your network and convert it to a meaningful one? With me, I can pretty much talk with anyone and have a good conversation with, but it is hard for me to pick who I would like to keep in touch with. How do I narrow down the list?

With your network, it seems you have maintained it over the years, how did you narrow down the key people, and also do you keep on adding new people to your network?
.

why streamline, more the merrier as long as its not more just for the sake of having more. I try to keep in touch with people who I like, or think they have some good ideas, or just good people to know..I dont keep in touch with all of them all the time, there are ppl I have not reached out to in months..and nither have they, but if i have a question I could shoot them a note and i know they will follow up, there are others who I just want to keep in touch with.

my only criteria for narrowing down is that if the person is just a bad individual. Even people that I personally would not ask for a job, or advise, etc I keep connected, and I may help them with something, or I may help someone else because I am in touch with these people.

if you think of the network as less of a wheel with you being the center and others as spokes, and more as the gears in a machine..we all are connected one way or the other, a company or a team that I would not want to got for, may be just the right fit for my pal…and vice versa.

[muslimpak]

Social contacts are very important to be successful in life. But keep contacts with good people.