Everyone knows about the importance of networking in order to find a new job. However, as I explain in The PerpetualPaycheck: 5 Secrets to Getting a Job, Keeping a Job, and Earning Income for Life in the Loyalty-Free Workplace, it is not enough just to network. Rather, you have to modify your current networking strategies to ensure they will be effective in today’s workplace.
You can benefit from my mistakes by adopting any new strategies gradually to ensure they will work for you. Remember you want to be bold, but you do not want to miss your target!
Consider this: Early in my career, when I was learning how to negotiate contracts, a colleague said that if I wanted to let opposing counsel know that I was serious about a particular issue, I should bang on the table and storm out of the room. Being quiet and low key, I didn’t think that tactic would work for me, but one time I decided to try it. When a lawyer from the other side made an incredibly offensive remark, I pounded my fist on the table, told him that I found his comments unacceptable, and stormed towards the door.
The only problem was that, in this particular situation, I was the head of a twenty-person bargaining committee. My colleagues, all of whom were seated around me, were completely taken aback—they’d never seen me react that way to anything before. And so, by the time I found myself in the hallway, I noticed my entire team was still seated at the table, unsure if they were supposed to have followed me out or watch me leave.
The point is, as you continue to network, no matter what industry you’re in, you’ll come across people who network aggressively, and those who use more passive techniques. You should know which style works best for you, and then modify it to fit your personality.
Best of luck with your search. The opportunities are available – you just have to grab them!
Lori