Contact Career Development
Russell Abatiello, MEd
Phone: 617-726-1318
rabbatiello@mghihp.edu
So knowing what we know about the hidden and visible job market, the goal should become clear: we need to become or at least be perceived, as an “insider.” The higher up in the hiring process we can inject ourselves, the better the chances for success.
The second list is 20 companies of interest in the geographic areas you wish to work. These are companies likely to have jobs you are interested in based on your particular industry and specific job function. You will be focusing your networking activities on reaching the decision-makers in those companies.
Making these lists for yourself is a critical first step, and it should become your road-map for moving forward with your job search.
Obviously, #3 is your ultimate goal. Numbers 1 and 2 can potentially lead you to #3. Figuring out who these people are, and how to contact them can be time-consuming … and can be done using many different methods including social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Glassdoor), I would suggest concentrating on one company at a time, and then skipping to step 4 below (reaching out.)
Then return to this step for the next company, and so on. So with these three lists before us: our 100 people, our 20 target companies, and the list of key decision-makers inside those companies, we sit down, lay the lists next to each other, and connect the dots.
We want to use our “Who” network of 100 to help us get connected with the key decision-makers. Introductions and personal referrals are the holy grails of networking. The goal is to attain informational interview opportunities within our target companies in order for us to showcase what we are offering and hopefully get some inside advice.
The goal of any networking meeting with a person from your target list is very simple: you want them to get to know you and vice-versa – in an informal way. This is not an interview. It’s a conversation with a potential networking partner. You should ask to hear more about their background. You want to learn more about their industry, their job, their company. You should wait until the person asks about you, and then tell them your story. You also want to make clear that while you are, indeed “in transition” … you don’t expect that person to have a job for you. Rather, you hope that person can give you some expert advice – perhaps point you in the right direction, or suggest other people they might recommend you talk with.
The first thing you should do as follow-up is write a thank-you email immediately after a first networking conversation or meeting. (Some people recommend sending an old-fashioned hand-written thank-you note to stand out from the crowd. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with doing that, I say send an email first because it is so immediate – and it also puts your contact information in their email inbox where they can easily find you later.)
Then, you need to remain in touch on a regular basis. You’ll need to set yourself reminders (perhaps on your calendar) to not forget to follow-up regularly with each and every networking contact you connect with. There’s nothing more disappointing than having a great networking meeting that lacks any follow-up. The onus is all on you here – don’t drop the ball. If you want your connections to remember and help you, you must make the effort to stay in touch!