NETWORKING
- Networking is an absolute must in a successful job search
- Involve others
- Identify people you trust - personally and professionally
- Call and talk with your contacts about your goals and current situation
- Ask for objective feedback and be receptive to it
- If people know what you are looking for, they will call you when they hear of something appropriate
- Ask ten contacts if they could refer you to three of their contacts - not for a job but for advice
- Now you have thirty new contacts in your network!
- Don't forget to contact the alumni association connected to your colleges and universities
- Organizations your belong to will often have job boards. Be sure to check them periodically
- Volunteer organizations often consist of individuals from varying backgrounds. Talk to people you volunteer with and ask them if they have any suggestions
- Organize your networking. Keep records of who you've talked to and the outcome of that call
- Thank your contacts. Send a short note telling how helpful they've been
- Keep in touch with your contacts - stay on their radar screens
- When you get that new job, let your contacts know and again thank them for their assistance
- Be a contact for someone else. That is how networking works!
Career Counsel-Building A Network
Advance for Healthcare Information Executives, by Betsy S. Hersher, March, 2004.