Finely Tuned Networking Skills Are Mom's Best Job Search Tool
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Whether you know it or not, you are an expert already at "networking." This term, primarily used in the job search industry, also applies to every parent who has sought information about how to provide for their family. We ask for information from other parents while we are picking up our kids from school, pushing a cart through the grocery store, standing in line at the ticket booth, and everywhere else we see a friendly face. We already know how to get the latest information about where to find what we need.
When a parent has not been a wage-earner for awhile, she or he may feel a bit lost when beginning their search for employment. Internet job searches and the classified ads can become tedious and confusing. That is not your best approach. You are a networking master! You want to get out there and mingle and gather information because that's what you do best. You have developed a talent for connecting with other parents and those talents can and should be put to work to find employment. Use your finely-tuned skills and get out there and do what you do best - network.
Even finely-honed skills can benefit from a few tips of the trade. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, there are certain bullet-points to consider as you move through your networking strategy. Keep these tips in mind as you plan your job search.
1) Always Be Prepared - Keep your updated resume with you at all times and have professionally printed business cards available for quick introductions. You never know where an opportunity may arise.
2) Stay Connected - The contacts your develop as you are out there networking need to hear from you routinely. Make a quick call to the people you are networking with, write out a nice little note and drop it in the mail, and by all means, stay visible at events that you have in common. Email is impersonal, so unless your contact requests you email them routinely, you are better off staying connected by calls and letters. If you have an opportunity for an interview, be sure to send a handwritten thank you note within a day or two.
3) Talk To People You Know First - Ask your family, friends, and others that you trust if you can practice selling your talents to them. Work out a script of what you would say to a potential employer or contact to get them interested in what you have to offer. Then, ask these friends if they would have any names of people you should get to know.
4) Contact Your New Networking Group - Now that your friends and family have given you new people to contact, square those shoulders and make the call. Introduce yourself by first letting your new contact know how and from whom you received their name. You want to establish rapport, and a common ground will help. Ask about them, who they are, why they are in a particular field, their hopes for their company, all the while showing genuine interest in them. Knowing about your new contact, being interested in them, is a great first step to building a long-lasting professional relationship.
5) Ask For Information, Not A Job - You're meeting this new contact to find out about them, first. You are not looking for a job. That comes later. At this point, you are gathering information and showing interest in this contact and what they think. Be patient, this getting-to-know-you part may take several meetings. You may be surprised at the information you gather if you listen with an open, inquisitive mind.
6) Focus On The Information - Polite chit chat is okay as you find common ground, but focusing on the information you hope your new contact will share is very important at this point. If you stray from the focus, you and your new contact may part wondering what that was all about. You are focused on one objective... to learn more about your new contact.
7) Establish Goodwill By Giving Back - People we network with are generous people who like to share. When you meet a new contact who shares information or services with you, be prepared to offer something in return. If you have information, share it; if you have a service to offer, by all means, be willing to offer your service free-of-charge. Be ready to pitch in and help at your new contact's favorite charity event. Whatever it takes to prove your interest and establish credibility.
8) Keep Your Promises - When you tell your contacts that you will call back, be sure you do. If they're difficult to reach, keep trying. It's your responsibility to connect with your new network of colleagues. Keeping your promises will establish your trustworthiness.
9) Join Your Trade Association - If you are looking for work in a given trade, there is probably a trade association that you can join. People involved in a trade are happy to help other folks with the same interests and talents. Associations are great places to meet like-minded people and get information regarding training and opportunities.
10) Talk To A Mentor - If you meet one person who exemplifies what you would like to see in your given profession, get to know that person and ask if you can get their advice. You may be able to shadow your new mentor to get a real feel for how the world you hope to enter operates. Look for opportunities to network with people that your mentor respects. Be prepared at all times with your professional business cards and clean, updated resume, when you visit with your mentor.
Whether this is the first time you are hitting the job search trail, or you're an old hand at it, networking is something of which you'll want to take full advantage. Your skills as a parent put you at an advantage, so you're already well on the way to being a networking master!
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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