How to network to get a job?
Start early
It might sound a little far fetched
but it always helps if you start networking your way to a job in college
itself. There are various professional societies in college which act as a
bridge between the academic and the industrial world. Enrol into these
societies and you’ll probably meet several people that you might want to
maintain contact with as you get into the real world. Another source of useful
contacts could be the parents of your friends in college or people from the
alumni who are from the same industry that you are interested in. So, just look
around and scout for opportunities to establish these contacts, at least to get
an early insight into these careers if not to actually land an internship.
Look
closer around your house
Looking far and wide for a contact
might just make you miss out on the ones existing closer near your house. You
never know, your neighbour might just be that link between you and that dream
job. So keep your ears open and be a little more outgoing. Even if you don’t
get a contact, you may just make a very good friend. It’s a win-win situation.
Also make it a point to accompany
your dad for some of his gatherings. Friends of fathers often make for useful
people to network with and they might even help you obtain an important
interview. And what’s more, your dad’s buddy might just have a pretty daughter.
In
the professional environment
If you are already working, then you
probably know by now that there is no dearth of opportunities to make useful
contacts that might help you in the long run. Always keep your card handy in
important meetings and conferences and don’t miss out on an opportunity to exchange
contact details with any person you might find useful and influential enough.
In the process, you can even engage in some small talk to know a little more
about the person. It’ll help if you jot down some tit-bits of information about
this person at the back of the visiting card, so that when you call him a few
months later, you have something to talk about and don’t straight away go “Hey
bro, I need a job.”
Say it right
Now, once you make that all
important phone call, make sure you project yourself and your requirements
well. Here are a few points that’ll come in handy.
Don’t
waste too much time to get to the point, especially if you are calling during
the office hours. If you are looking for a job, tell them that you are looking
towards exploring a new job opportunity.
Prepare,
beforehand, a brief and to the point statement of what you’re looking for and
what kind of help you would like.
Also
give a brief review of your background and qualifications.
There
is a chance that this person may not be able to help you. In that case you can
ask for contacts of two or three people who he might think would be useful.
If
he says that he will ‘look into it’, it’s up to you to follow up. Remember that
getting you a job is not this person’s priority. It’s yours.
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