Job search networking: You're doing it all wrong
Career counselor and columnist Amy Lindgren wrote in a recent column that she thinks the term "networking" is too broad and isn't all that it's cracked up to be:
As a starting point, we have been overusing the term egregiously. "Networking" has been given almost magical powers to conjure up jobs, while simultaneously being used to describe almost any activity that involves one human speaking to another. With this kind of nebulous breadth to the term, I suppose it is functionally accurate to say that nearly all jobs come from networking.
To take my share of the blame for this, I'll admit that I've defaulted to using the term networking when another, more specific word would have been better. But I've been paying my penance for the past several years by being as specific as I possibly can in describing actual actions and steps instead.
Lindgren joined MPR News' Kerri Miller to explain what job seekers should be doing to get hired.
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4 tips for effective networking
1) Brand yourself with an expertise
Look at where you are in your field now and brand yourself up a couple levels, Lindgren said. Find conferences where you can speak about your expertise to others who don't know what you do, but will value a session on it. When their company is looking to hire someone with your experience, your name will be a familiar one.
2) Target your interactions
Pick a handful of companies you want to work with and contact the manager you'd be working for if you were hired. Contact them directly, express your interest in working for them and ask about their current staffing needs. Ask if you'd be able to meet and discuss opportunities. This gets you in the door before jobs are posted online, Lindgren said.
3) Find organizations, meetings and conferences to attend regularly
Lindgren recommends finding a professional group in your field that meets regularly and become a familiar face. She recommends meeting one or two people at each meeting, having a short conversation and then saying hello again next time you see them. Beware of the slippery slope of anti-networking: If you're a stranger to someone and they feel you take up too much of their time, they might make an effort to avoid you in the future.
4) Listen and strategize at professional meetings
If someone notes their company is struggling to hire employees, don't run up to that person speaking and try to get a job. Find out who the hiring manager is for that part of the company and contact them directly after the gathering.