All in Networking
In today's business world, networking is a must if you want to keep your career moving forward. Being an introvert doesn't mean you can't be a good networker. You may have to approach it differently than your extroverted friends and colleagues. With these tips, you can become more at ease with networking and have techniques to make you effective.
Networking can be a powerful tool as part of your job search strategy. If you haven’t already been consistently doing it, you really should start. But be patient. You may not see results immediately.
Salespeople have to hear a lot of "no's" to get to a "yes." They accept it as part of the sales process. As someone that wants to be a successful networker, you have to admit that you, too, will hear "no," which in your case is just silence-no response.
You have taken the step to start networking as part of your job search strategy. You have identified many interesting people that you would like to have as a part of your network. You've spent a lot of time crafting an engaging email. You should have heard something back. Instead, all you hear is *crickets*. What do you do?
Are you embarrassed because you have not kept up with your network? Life got in the way. Now, you hear networking is the key to finding a new job, and you do not know how to get started. How do you avoid the awkwardness of reaching out to people and asking for help when you have not kept up with the relationship?
I am a great believer that you get better results when you do not always follow the herd. That means if everyone is on LinkedIn, there are opportunities to promote your personal brand and network on Twitter.
Broadening your network and making new contacts can lead to becoming aware of new opportunities and possibly getting referred for a job.
You may not be able to forestall a layoff. What you can do is plan ahead and be prepared as best you can
With a well-developed elevator pitch, you can quickly let the interviewer learn information about you that will be 1) important to developing a positive first impression, 2) that will intrigue the person to want to learn more, and 3) help the person understand the value that you can provide. At a networking event or any get-together where you will meet new people, you can quickly convey what makes you unique and how you provide value.
