Network to Find a Job

A. Attend Networking Events: Attend networking events and meet people (this is your second-most important strategy!) Networking events differ from professional or trade organization meetings in that they are a meeting whose sole purpose is to create an opportunity to network with other professionals.

How to Find Networking Events, Professional Organizations & Trade Organizations

1. Careerealism
2. The Book of Lists
3. U.S. Societies & Organizations
4. Meetup.com
5. Top Professional Associations for Business Students
6. Networking Organizations – Southern California

Tips for Networking Effective Networking

• Determine Your Goal for the Meeting or Event
  • Determine Steps to Achieve Your Goal
• Tailor Your Elevator Speech to the Audience
• Practice Your Elevator Speech in the Car
• Share Your Elevator Speech with People You Meet
  
• Hand Out and Obtain Business Cards
• Ask for Warm Introductions to Connectors or People in Your Target Company or Industry
  
• After the Meeting, Sort the Business Cards into Piles:
  • LinkedIn Connection Only
  • Email
  • Phone Call
  • Coffee or Lunch
• Send LinkedIn “Link Requests” to Everyone You Meet
• Scan the Business Cards into Your Contact Database
  • Business Card Phone App
• Add key contacts to your Periodic Follow Up Process

Articles on Networking

• How to Get Referred to a Job
• Networking to Find the Job of Your Dreams
• The Best Question You Can Ask When You Meet an Influential Person
• The 20-Minute Networking Meeting (book)
• 10 ways to have a better conversation (Ted Talk)
• The Bottom Line: Speeding to New Business Connections
• How to Talk to Pretty Much Anyone About Pretty Much Anything

B. Join Professional or Trade Organizations (or even better, join the Board of a Professional or Trade Organization)

• Select groups that:

• Have members who could hire you
• Are for professionals in your field
  
• Are for professionals in a related field

Tips for Effective Networking at Professional or Trade Associations

• Let the President or Chairperson know you are looking for a new position
• Target people to meet before & after the meeting
• Look for Connectors
• Many professional organizations give discounts to people who are in transition for the meetings fees

 C. Attend Trade Shows & Conventions:

• Meet people who are representing companies that might hire you, let them know you are in transition and give out business cards
• Collect business cards from people at target companies
• Meet people who are attending the event
• Follow up with key contacts:
  • Contact key contacts via email or phone
  • Send everyone “Link Requests” from LinkedIn
  • Set up phone calls and emails to build relationships and let people know what you’re looking for
  • Add key contacts to your Periodic Follow Up Process