Informational interviews can make all the difference in your job hunt. Meeting with someone who may be able to share insights or information with you to improve your job search prospects is a key job search and networking strategy. Do you know how to ask for them? Or why? [Read more…] about Network well via informational interviews
How to research your way to a networking contact
Is it socially acceptable to go up to random people on the street and invite them to coffee? Typically, no. You need to have a reason to meet, and it is up to you to come up with the reason before you do the inviting!
Research is a key factor for successful networking. I like to tell my clients, “Don’t look for a job, look for a company.” Similarly,  networkers should not first try to identify a list of people to meet, but rather identify organizations to infiltrate.
How to begin? Easy!
Think about geography. It’s always easier to connect in person with people who are local. Plus, are you willing to relocate for a job? If not, clearly, the organizations in your area will be your targets. Use all available resources to identify organizations of interest in your area. Don’t forget word-of-mouth resources, newspapers, information online and business journals.
Julie Abraham had some great ideas posted on Career Rocketeer to help job seekers:
“Research these companies by looking at their website to understand their mission and values. Use Hoovers or Yahoo finance or some other library database (like Mergent) to look up financials (if public company), read the most recent annual 10-K report (if public company) to understand their strategy and vision, check their website for PR articles and look up articles on Proquest or some other database at the library.
This should give you a good understanding of the companies strengths and weaknesses so you can ask intelligent questions when you speak with an officer of the company. Set-up Google alerts on these companies so you can read any breaking news. Search them on Twitter and other social media sites to understand their social media presence.”
Once you have identified several organizations, begin to tap your way into them. Leverage your LinkedIn connections and search other social networks (Twitter is my favorite) to determine logical connections. Now, it is time to contact people.
Every time I talk to clients about informational interviews, I always emphasize the importance of approaching contacts NOT as a job seeker, but as someone who is simply gathering information. If you can convince yourself AND the person you want to meet that you don’t expect the meeting to result in a job, you are much more likely to be successful securing appointments.
Let’s face it, if you approach as a job seeker, (“I am looking for an opportunity working in _____, and I would like to talk to you about positions at your organization.”), your contact will not want to speak to you unless he or she actually has an opportunity in mind. No one wants to disappoint another person, so if your target contact has no job in sight, he or she is likely to suggest that you send your resume to HR.
That tact will not help you get your foot in the door, and does not connect you one-on-one to a potential ally. So, be polite, but persistent. Insist that you are gathering information, “not expecting a specific opportunity as a result of our meeting,” and push to talk to contacts in person. If your targeted contact is not interested, ask for a referral. (“I appreciate that you are too busy to meet. Is there someone else in your department who might be able to speak with me?)
The fact is, most people love to talk about themselves, and few of us have a willing audience for our stories! Ask yourself, if someone called you and requested that you share your story and information about your organization (assuming you weren’t working with classified information), what would you say? I would bet that most of you would be willing to help.
Stay tuned for information about what to ask once you land the meeting!
If you’re ready to hire someone to help you move ahead with your plans, contact me to find out how you can boost your job search – both online and off line. Check out my new book, Social Networking for Career Success, to learn how to use Branchout and other social networking tools to your advantage!
photo by BW Jones
Counter-intuitive Advice: Talk to People Who "Can't Help You"
“You don’t know enough to know what it is you don’t know.”
Does that describe you? I bet that it does about some things. Hopefully, there are areas about which you can confidently say you know a lot, but for most of us, especially in our high tech, ever changing world, there is always more to learn. How many are experts in everything? I would challenge you to find someone who could give you good advice about anything you might ask.
As part of my work for Keppie Careers, I keep a close eye on career and resume trends by reading books, blogs and keeping in touch with my advisory board of professionals in an array of industries. ÂÂ
When I’m not writing resumes, coaching, blogging and reading, in the spirit of “practice what you preach,” I also frequently meet people for “informational interviews.” I attend Chamber of Commerce meetings, visit close-contact networking groups and seek out an array of networking opportunities. It is amazing to me how our need for networking (as entreuprenuers and as job seekers) has spawned a whole industry of people for whom networking is actually their business!
I’ve been to coffee with real estate professionals, a dentist, investment advisors, life coaches, travel professionals, vitamin sales people, photographers and a salesperson trainer, just to name a few. It never ceases to amaze me how much we have to share with each other, and the possible “touch points” between our businesses or our networks.ÂÂ
Taking the time to meet these professionals offers me the opportunity to share information about my business, but more importantly, I have a chance to learn about programs, events and opportunities I might never have considered. I also try to share something that will help them and offer to be a resource.
In a recession, it is even more important to expand our circles when job seeking.ÂÂ
Some lessons:
Never underestimate the possibility for really interesting common ground. Some of the meetings I’ve least felt like getting up at 6 a.m. to attend have been the most productive in terms of what I’ve learned.
Just because someone isn’t in your field doesn’t mean they don’t have useful information for you. (Or you for them.) Our lives intersect in so many points. Think of someone you consider least likely to be able to share good information with you for your search. Meet for coffee. You may be surprised!
Open your eyes to the opportunities! Seek out places to meet new people. Join an organization, a new health club or take a class. Google “networking opportunities, (your city)” and see what comes up! Then, don’t just attend, be an active participant.
I attended a great meeting last night. It’s a networking group for women and is held at a home over dinner. We all shared information about our businesses and there was time for chit-chat. It was up to all of us to see how we could help each other. I could have done my “elevator pitch,” listened to everyone else’s, and left. That wouldn’t have been networking, though. That would have been attending an event.ÂÂ
I challenge you – find a new place to meet people and engage them. You never know how you might be able to help each other. Networking, or netweaving, is all about giving and getting. I was a lot of fun for me to be able to connect several of the women at the event last night to other contacts in their fields, even though we had no obvious professional commonalities.ÂÂ
Engage – ask questions…be able to explain who you are and what you do. Don’t underestimate the value of every connection. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows something. Inserting yourself as part of the chain is a great step in the right direction!
Networking sounds too hard? Even if you are shy, you can learn how to be effective at networking! Keppie Careers will help you. Need a great resume? Mock interview? Contact Keppie Careers. We advise, encourage and enlighten job seekers and offer a toolbox of practical tips and support.