Career Transition Resources - St. Louis
Networking
Networking helps you:
- Make satisfying and appropriate decisions about your career direction
- Facilitate your job search
- Be more productive and successful in your current job or in your career in general
Steps to effective networking
- Identify those you know who would be a good source of information
- Contact everyone on your list
- Seek information only; don't ask for a job directly
- Have an agenda -- ask questions
- Spend more time listening than talking
- Get more referrals
- Send a thank you letter and stay in touch
Conducting face-to-face meetings
- Listen 80% and talk 20%
- Make personal meetings interactive
- "Tell me about yourself" or "How can I help"? Take 20 seconds -- not 20 minutes -- to answer
- Walk in prepared and know what you want
- Be subtle and indirect when requesting referrals. "Who else should I be talking to?" is less threatening than, "Can you give me the names of your friends?"
More engaging questions
- How does my resume look?
- What would you change or modify?
- Are my letters crystal clear?
- Are there any groups or organizations I should join?
- Are there any books or publications I should read?
- What would you do if you were me?
- Who would you be talking to?
Ending your meeting
- Establish a next step if appropriate such as a phone call, a follow-up meeting, or something to be mailed
- Explain to people that you value their suggestions and plan to take action. Example: "I'll make those calls and let you know what happened."
The sooner you get started with your networking campaign the better.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Career Management and Transition Services.