Networking is important throughout your career. Building connections will pay dividends when you’re ready to take a step forward in your career. However, most people only think about networking when it’s time to look for a job or they only put in a minimal amount of effort. If you want your network to work for you, you have to do some work. Here are two of the most important job hunting networking tips that get overlooked but will yield results over the long-term.
You Have to Be Willing To Give
The biggest mistake most people make when it comes to networking is they only focus on what other people can do for them. There are lots of generous people out there who are willing to help, but you don’t want to continually ask things of your network without contributing anything of value. Networking isn’t just about asking, it’s also about giving. And the more you give, the more people will be ready to step up and help you when you need it.
How can you contribute to your network? You might not be able to connect everyone you know to a job, but you can add value in many ways:
- Listen: Don’t just talk, listen to what other people need. You never know when you’ll be able to provide advice or assistance.
- Make introductions: It doesn’t have to be a job-worthy connection but try to introduce people whenever you can. You have no idea who might be valuable to another person.
- Become a mentor: If you have been in the industry for at least a decade, you can mentor someone just starting out.
- Talk without asking for anything: Just check-in. See how others are doing without asking them to do anything for you.
- Share valuable content: You consume content all day. When you find an article worthy of sharing, do it. Tell the recipient you thought of them immediately and thought they might enjoy it.
- Keep in touch. Don’t just reach out when you want something. You may need someone’s help five years from now and they won’t necessarily want to if they haven’t heard from you since the Obama administration.
Ask for Information, Not A Job
Don’t call someone and ask them for a line on a job. It’s rude and it won’t get you very far. If you want to ask someone for help on getting a job, you should ease into the conversation while being genuine and authentic.
For example, congratulate people on promotions and ask them about their companies. This could lead to a question about whether the company is hiring, or your contact may simply offer up the information. Find creative ways to ask for information and use that as a segue to talk about opportunities.
Are You Looking For Engineering Jobs?
If you are an engineer seeking new opportunities to grow your career, contact the engineering recruiting experts at Selectek today. Not only do we keep in close contact with you throughout the process, we can also provide you with feedback to help you improve your resume and interviewing skills and we can increase the chances that you’ll find your ideal opportunity.
