Networking - It's a Verb* (Part 1)

I was enjoying a few too many glasses of wine with my fabulous wine club last night and we began talking about things we all wished we could do better. As a group of very successful professional women from many different professions (fundraising, lobbying, non-profit financial planning, online strategy, public relations, etc..)  I listened intently and was blown away by the commonality we all had.

Regardless of or profession, industry, company... Every one of us bases our success in our professions on our ability to strategically network effectively. And so.. we have a great topic this week, How to Network Effectively!

"Strategic networking prepares us for serendipitous moments. When we are confident of our ability to meet people, we are more likely to be open to chance encounters and convert them to mutually beneficial relationships"

So, what is "strategic networking" and why is it so important? By simple definition, networking is the art of building and sustaining a mutually beneficial relationships. There are 3 VERY important words in that definition (well 4 since mutually beneficial is 2 words.. but you know what I mean).

The art of BUILDING (going to the right places, meeting the right people, initiating the right conversations) and SUSTAINING (Follow through and follow up) MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL relationships (the most effective networkers build relationships prior to actually needing them creating a relationship. Networking is much more difficult when you need something from someone and they are getting nothing in return).

Let's get started: How to Build a Mutually Beneficial Network:


1)   People have to like you:

          You must understand the fundamental techniques in handling people. I turn to genius, Dale Carnegie, for his guidance here. If you want to master the art of human interaction, read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, it changed my life.  
       
    6 ways to make people like you: (via Mr. Carnegie)

• Become genuinely interested in other people
• Smile (even when you are on the phone.. you can tell)
• Remember that a persons name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language
• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves
• Talk in terms of the other person's interests
• Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely

2)   Find and Be found ONLINE - and use these tools to find others:

          If no one knows about your skills, talents, and projects, who's going to help you make the best of them? You must be out there so you can be found. Once you are found, you need to be responsive.

• Social Sites
•  LinkedIn - You would think my blog is sponsored by LinkedIn since I rave about the site, but it is just true. As I mentioned in my last post, create a detailed profile and state your networking goals in your profile summary.
• Twitter - Make sure your "description" includes key words that will help with your networking goals. Follow people who it might make sense to network with and create lists to manage the people you follow.
• Facebook - A lot of people use facebook for personal reasons but it is still important to have your professional profile posted. Another way people can find you.

          If someone reaches out to you to network, review their profile and if they are legitimate have a conversation. You would be surprised by how many informational conversations can turn out to be rewarding. Obviously if someone reaches to you, they might want something from you so be sure you get something from them.


3) Find and Be found LIVE - and use these events to find others

• Attend Events
• Living in a city like DC, there are about 100 networking events you can attend every night but let's face it, most of them are crap. It is important that you find out which groups/events are worth attending. Word of mouth is obviously the best way but there is also trial and error. Talk to people who attend different events and get recommendations AND go out a try a few. Keep track and go back to worth while events. A number of "members only" groups will allow you to attend the first event for free, you just have to ask. This website highlights good events in DC, your city should have one as well. www.clotureclub.com/events/
• Play golf
• The people on the golf course are typically the people you want to meet. Here is a great article to read (it is directed to HR professionals but is beneficial for everyone. http://bonnieolist.blogspot.com/
• Join Groups and attend meetings
• Joining social groups like your alumni association, junior league, wine clubs, book clubs, etc and professional organizations are a great way to casually make friends and meet new people who have similar interests as you.

4) Use your friends - we can all be Real Estate Agents

          We often forget that our beer buddies, softball team, girls night out group AKA FRIENDS are a great resource to tap into. I know it can be awkward to turn the switch of personal to professional, but just do it. Send an email out to your entire personal network and explain your networking goals. Ask for suggestions and lay everything out on the table. These people are already your friends and will surprisingly end up being very helpful.
          Real estate agents do this, why can't you? Just think about it, how many real estate agent friends do you have? I know, I have 3. How do I know that? Because I get pinged with an email, a letter, a Christmas card, a magnetic football schedule with their face on it, etc... at least 4 times a year. And if I was looking for a house and/or  knew someone that was, I would use/suggest these 3 people. Now, how many PR friends do I have, what about sales friends, how about technology geeks... no idea. Back to the whole idea, if no one knows about your skills, talents, and projects, who's going to help you make the best of them?

OK, attention spans are now officially lost. Hopefully these suggestions have helped you think about building a network. I am going to end here and pick up next time with sustaining a mutually beneficial network. If there are any topics under networking you would like me to cover, let me know!

REMEMBER, NETWORKING IS NOT: about selling anything, getting a job, receiving a donation, or securing funding. Networking is also NOT "schmoozing" which suggests you trying to get something without giving anything. In other words, it's not the mutually beneficial relationships that you build through networking.

*Disclaimer: my friend C-i-n-d-i (that's Cindy with an I) came up with the name of this blog.

LinkedIn - Why?

So, everyone is telling you to be on LinkedIn, but how do you use it effectively and why should you be on it?

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com was created as a business networking tool and can be leveraged to:

• Find and meet recruiters/potential employers
• Grow a referral network
• Conduct competitive intelligence research
• Identify potential clients
• Build business relations with current clients
• Educate yourself on organizations, associations and competitors
• Heighten your corporate and/or personal brand

Who wouldn't want to take advantage of these opportunities? So let's get started and make sure you build a profile/network that effectively captures everything!

Build your Network

• Add all  of your jobs, schools, degrees, certifications, associations, groups and interests to your profile. Be brief in your descriptions but be sure to include keywords that describe what you do/have done.  Be clear/concise about your position descriptions. By skimming your description, readers should understand what you do or have done.
• Seek out and connect with everyone you know who is already a LinkedIn user. Search colleagues, classmates, fellow members of associations, friends, etc.
• Join groups of interest and/or start your own group.

Grow your Network

• Get all of the business cards you've every collected out of that dusty drawer and connect. Be sure to explain that you came across their business card and thought it would make sense to stay connected via LinkedIn. If you have someones name or e-mail address, you can find them.

Build your Brand

• State your networking goals in your profile summary.
• Ask for endorsements - these are "Testimonials" about you. They are critical in developing trust and using your network. This can be awkward to ask for so write a recommendation for someone else and then ask them to write one for you.
• Include links to your Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Company, etc.

Build Trust

• It is OK to accept invitations to connect with friends, acquaintances, former co-workers, clients and fellow alumni but not from complete strangers (unless of course yo have established some common ground or mutually beneficial networking goals).
• If you haven't met someone and would like to connect with them, send them an email via LinkedIn explaining why you would want to connect with them. Include how you think you would both benefit from your connection.

Be Found

• Set your preferences to receive invites and direct contacts
• Make sure all of your email addresses are in your profile. Yes, even the really old, expired ones. You don't have to make them all public but if some old buddy of yours from three jobs ago has only that old address for you, they will still be able to find you.
• Consider adding your email and/or phone number in the contact settings. You can add it to the section called "What advice would you give to users considerings contacting you?" that way it's not out there for everyone but those who need it can find it.
• At the bottom of your profile in the Interests section, add the top 50 words that best describe what you want to be found for.

Once you set up your profile, it is smart to frequently visit your page and make sure everything is up to date. Feel free to start out connecting with me! http://www.linkedin.com/in/bayerrecruiting

10 Things NOT to do in an Interview.

I don't know if it is because I spend most of my day skimming resumes or because I have a short attention span but breaking down things into Top 10's is so much more fun to read. So here you are, the 10 thing you should NOT do in an interview!

DON'T

10. Be rude to the receptionist - I often think people under estimate the power the front desk receptionist has. They screen calls, regulate strange guests, plan events and in general, make your life easier. At my last job, I had a candidate come in who was ridiculously rude to the receptionist, demanding she get off a call to get him water, call his assistant and get her to do something, etc. Anyway.. shortly after I interviewed him, my phone rang and I knew exactly who it was. Boy did our receptionist tell me how she felt about the candidate. As she was talking I was picturing all of those blocked calls getting through, strange guests showing up at my office and an event never running smoothly again. I assured our receptionist I would never consider him for a job (not to mention I would never want to work with someone like that), and I didn't.

9. Have a poor handshake - What a way to get off on the wrong foot. I shake peoples hands all day and I have nightmares about when that simple task goes wrong. When I shake your hand, I don't want it to be so limp that I feel like you want me to kiss the top of your hand (ya'll know what I am talking about) OR think that you are reenacting some sort of fraternity/sorority handshake. And, the sweaty palm... gross, how am I supposed to get your sweat off my hand without being obviously rude... so instead, I will spend the rest of the interview thinking about your sweat drying on my palm. Before you have the receptionist call me, go wash your hands and pull it together. A strong hand shake shows confidence, poise and professionalism.

8. Wear too much perfume or cologne -  We will likely be in a small room or office for 30 minutes together. Too much perfume or cologne is intoxicating. I once had a hiring manager tell me that he couldn't remember one word the candidate said because he was trying not to gag the whole time. Keep the fragrance light or go all natural (soap).

7. Ask about benefits - Why am I going to waste my time telling you about benefits when you don't even have the job? Why would I want to tell you about all of the money I spend on employees when you aren't even one? Don't jump the gun. Save this conversation for the offer stage.

6. Ask about vacation days - So you haven't even started and you want to take off??? That makes me confident about your work ethic. Again, let's keep these questions to the offer stage, and if you are disappointed about the amount of vacation days when you get to the offer stage, negotiate (shoot, I shouldn't have said that).

5. Talk negatively about past employer/manager - Good rule of thumb, don't be negative AT ALL in an interview but this one really gets to me. I have had candidates tell me about their horrible bosses from their last 3 jobs. That just makes me think something is wrong with you. If there actually was a sketchy situation with a past employer, interview, not the time to bring it up. Be honest but don't reveal too much information.

4. Express any form of profiling - So what I mean, don't express judgement on any types of people, location, school, degree, etc. Examples: I had a candidate tell me that he lived with 2 redneck southerners who talked like hicks... I wanted to ask their names because I might be related to them. Another candidate started talking crap about how dumb people are with State School educations, especially if they study something like communications, I slowly turned my head towards my LSU Mass Communications degree on the wall, awkward.

3. Dress Provocatively - You know the phrase "Flaunt it if you got it"... well, not always the case. Low cut shirts and tights pants are inappropriate. I don't care if you are meeting with all men, ladies, don't do it! You will be the talk of the office but not in the way you want. You might get a date out of it but not a job. (hmmm, I wonder if anyone interviews purely to meet high powered men...) 

2. Talk about your personal life when asked a professional question - There are so many common questions that could be asked in an interview. Be prepared to answer them and answer them in a way that show how your experience relates to the job you are interviewing for. I once asked a junior level candidate if he could go back to college and do one thing over, what would it be? I was expecting, take more leadership roles, more internships, etc. He told me he wouldn't have dated his high school girlfriend for the first year of college. It effected his ability to make friends, join the right fraternity, etc. Really? Really? Wow....

1. And finally, DON'T: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AMgagxCvZQ

The Interview - Tips to nail it!

You are a "passive candidate" you are an "active candidate" it doesn't matter. A company is interested in you, you are interested in them and it is time to talk. There are 3 main ways a company will approach this conversation:

Phone Interview - Telephone screening is very common. For a company, is important to see how someone communicates on the phone since so little business is actually done in person anymore. Also, this gives the employer a chance to have more conversations in one day so it is even more important to stand out here. Make sure you schedule a time so you are in a private/quiet location and you can give the employer full attention. Be prepared to take notes during the conversation and ask smart questions. My pet peeve is someone taking a phone interview from their car because I am obviously not getting their full attention (especially with the crazy drivers in DC). Also, if you can find a land line, do it. Constant dropped calls can be very frustrating.

Informational Interview - I spend most of my day having informational conversations (an interview without a specific opening/position available). The reason I do this is so when an opportunity does arise, at my company or with a client, I will have great candidates ready to recommend. This also provides an opportunity to weed out those who have good resumes but actually aren't a good fit. And for the candidate, informational interviews are a great way to gain leads and information regarding the company. During this conversation, make it clear that you are seeking information, not a job. Be clear about what you are looking for and why you want to talk to this person. Ask thoughtful questions and at the end of the conversations, ask if the person you spoke with has any recommendations of others you could speak with. If you knock this conversation out of the park, don't be surprised if you are meeting with others at the firm sometimes soon. I hate to loose a talented candidate because we don't have a position. Sometimes I will try to justify creating something for that person!

The in person, Multiple Interview/ Interview - If things went well with the recruiter you spoke with, this is where you will end up next. An in person interview with multiple people at the company. I am a firm believer that anyone can get any job they want if they follow the suggestions below.

• Preparation (Days Before) - I can't emphasize it enough. If you are prepared and confident, you are one step ahead of the competition. So, how do you prepare??
• Learn everything you can about the company, position, interviewers, etc. With google, linkedin and websites, all of this information is at your fingertips.
• Know your story. I love to ask candidates to walk me through their resume. I want to hear your story, who you are and how you got to where you are now, know it. AND, highlight anything and everything that relates to the company/position you are interviewing. I want to hire someone that already has the experience needed to be successful in the position that open
• Anticipate questions: If you were the interviewer, what sort of questions would you ask to find out about if someone was a good fit for the position of company. You typically have a job description so it shouldn't be too hard to anticipate.
• Role play with a friend or family member so you are prepared to answer all sorts of questions. Don't give them a list of questions but let them come up with their own list.
• AND PLEASE NOTE!! The point of preparation is not to spit out everything you know about the firm, position and person you are interviewing with, but to be confident to answer any question that might come up.
• Preparation (The Day Of) - Don't screw it up before you even get to the interview.
• Confirm the time, date and location of the interview so you know exactly where and when you need to be there.
• Be there on time but NOT SUPER early. Plan to get to the location 20 minutes before your interview but don't actually go into the building until 5 minutes before. That 15 minutes allows buffer time for "acts of god."
• Wear a suit, bring a few copies of your resume and a notepad to take notes. If you are unable to wear a suit because you don't want to tip off your current company, talk to the recruiter about is so they can give your interviewers a heads up.
• The Actual Conversations - Think of an interview as a first date. Instead of the inquisition, understand that you both are trying to figure out if there is a match. This mindset offers many advantages. You come off as curious, not desperate, you do not assume that too-formal, phony-appearing job seeker persona, you talk about what you want to talk about instead of just passively getting bombarded with the employer's probes and you are more likely to ask questions during the interview. Those questions will help you assess if you really want the job.
• Back to knowing your story. You must know your resume. Review it. If you are like most people you only update your most recent position so you might have forgotten things on your resume that you did years ago. Anything on your resume is fair game for a questions so don't be caught off guard.
• Have thoughtful answers. Make sure you are answering the question that is asked (not just spitting out things you wanted to get across). If the question isn't clear, ask for clarification. Use examples from past experiences to help answer the question. This way the interviewer will see how relevant your past experiences are. Answer questions in a short story format making sure that you are concise. Again, practice answers to common questions prior to the interview.
• Be enthusiastic and positive. During an interview always show enthusiasm. Do not be negative. If you are asked a question about why you left your last job and it was because you hated your boss, don't say that, come up with a way to explain your situation in a positive way.
• Ask questions. Come to the interview prepared with a list of well thought out questions. This is another chance for you to stand out. Don't ask the typical, why do you like your job, questions and don't focus on questions about how the company can help you, ask questions that might lead into a conversation around something you can do for them.
• After the Interview
• When you are leaving the interview, be sure to collect business cards and end the conversation with a firm handshake.
• ALWAYS write a thank you letter. I personally like a thank you e-mail because I can get it the same day you interviewed. Typically, by the time I receive a hand written note in the mail, I already made my decision. To be safe, I would do both. NOTE: the thank you note is another chance for you to stand out. I can't tell you how many thank you notes that say, "Thank you for your time, I enjoyed meeting you, blah blah.." Talk about our conversation, say something that will reiterate why you are a good fit, bring up something that will make me remember you.

Next to come... common interview mistakes and what not to do!! Stay posted!

Passive Job Seekers - How/Why you should you be one?

There are two kinds of candidates out there: those actively looking for jobs, and those who aren't actively looking ("passive candidates"). Typically, it is this second group, contain the real talent gems, since these are the workers who are too happy or too valuable or too successful to be looking for a new job. This group contains the 'best and brightest' talent that will propel your organization to new heights of achievement.

We know why recruiters like passive job seekers, but why should a happy employee keep their ear to the ground for new opportunities? Well a few reasons but 2 stand out. 1)Things could change at your current company (management change, merger, acquisition, boss leaves, reorganization, etc) AND 2)you don't know what's out there if you have shut the door to the idea of something new.

I actually fell into the 2nd scenario. Completely content and secure in my job with no thoughts of change, until a very persuasive person convinced me to have an "informational" conversation with my current company and now here I am. Happier than I have been in any other role with diverse responsibility and lots of opportunity for growth.

So, how does one become a "passive" job seeker? Here are a few tips.

Build an online presence:
Buy Your Domain Name and Establish a Basic Website or Blog. Be sure to keep your website/blog up to date and relevant. Include your value proposition, a copy of your resume and some samples of your best work. Publish additional content (articles, video and audio clips, photographs, and the like) that demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in your field. Once you have built a site or blog, include a link on everything you send out.
 
Create a LinkedIn Profile:
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com is by far the best way to get your information out there. Be sure to keep your profile up to date with as much professional information as possible. Include your email address if you would like to be easily contacted and/or change your security settings to allow direct messages. Link with professionals in industries of interest. Remember, this is a professional site so use a professional picture and think through your language. Recruiters typically search LinkedIn by keywords. Think about some of the keywords and phrases that employers in your field use to search for someone with your job -- and for someone who has the job that you seek? In other words, your goal is to uncover the qualities and qualifications that recruiters and hiring managers might use to search for qualified candidates. Keywords can include job titles, company names, specific skill sets, industry buzzwords and jargon, certification names, software titles, and the like.
 
Say "yes" to informational conversations:
If another employer reaches out to you, do some research on the company and have an informational conversation. Regardless of if you are going to honestly consider the opportunity, this is a good chance to network with others in your industry and build relationships. Also, this is an opportunity to get some insight on what is going on with the competition. Take the free lunch/drinks and get what you want out of the conversation!
 
Good luck!

Let's start at the beginning - Resume Essentials

I can't think of a better place to start off a job search advice blog than with the resume essentials. A resume is a one page summary (first bullet point) of your education, skills, accomplishments and experiences (in no particular order). The bottom line, you have about 5 second to catch he attention of a recruiter. The purpose of a resume is to get your foot in the door, so let's not screw it up, the reject pile is not a fun place to be. I will break down some things for you below. Keep in mind, these are personal preferences, not things to live by.

• Length: Use common sense, if you have less than 5-10 years of experience, stick with a one page resume. Resumes shouldn't be about quantity, they should be about the quality of your work experience and how it pertains to the job you are interested in.
• Objective: Should you include an objective at the top of your resume? Well, if it brings something to the table that isn't obvious from your resume, sure. But if it is, "To get a job at XYZ" or anything similar, duh, if you are applying, you want a job at XYZ.
• Education: If you have had a full time job - your education goes to the bottom. Job experience trumps your education most of the time (Ivy Leaguers, make an executive decision). Also, if your GPA isn't above a 3.5, don't bother including it. For those of you looking for your first job, we don't care what you did in high school, and honestly your "customer service" skills as a hostess don't help anything... let's get internships in college to avoid this scenario.
• Experience: Organize your resume to highlight things that relate to the job you are interested in. If it doesn't pop out on the page, it might get overlooked. Yes, you read that right, you should tailor your resume to the job you are applying.
• Adjectives: Think about the adjectives you use to describe the work experiences. Some suggestions: achieved, acquired, adapted, administered, analyzed, anticipated, assembled, assisted, audited, budgeted, calculated, centralized, changed, composed, condensed, conducted, constructed, contracted, converted, coordinated, created, cultivated, demonstrated, designed, developed, devised, discovered, drafted, edited, established, expanded, explained, forcasted, generated, improved, implemented, interpreted, launched, maintained, managed, marketed, motivated, negotiated, organized, originated, oversaw, performed, planned, prevented, produced, programmed, promoted, published, recruited, reorganized, selected, surveyed, solved, simplified, taught, trained.
• Quantify: Don't only list your job responsibilities, show results. If you can quantify your experience, do it. Highlight accomplishments and for goodness sakes, if you have worked with impressive clients, highlight them (assuming they aren't confidential).
• Promotions: Make them clear!!! They are the greatest form of recognition an employee can receive, show off!
• Lingo: A resume is a good time for you to use industry specific terminology to the company.job/industry you are applying. It shows the company you understand their work and you relate to them more than others with general resumes. Using exclusive vocabulary is an excellent way to signal you are an experienced professional with intimate business knowledge.
• Finished?: Once you have completed your resume, have it reviewed and critiqued by as many people as possible. If your resume has a mistake... you are toast!

Hope this helps. A resume does its job successfully if it does NOT excluded you from consideration. I am looking at my reject pile right now... Don't end up there.