Instead of trying to win something from the people you meet, think about how you can be a “connector,” someone who makes a habit of introducing other people to each other.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

How can you become a connector?

• Think about other people first.
• Get out of your comfort zone. You can do this even if you are introverted or shy.
• Meet more people! You can’t introduce people if you don’t know anyone!
• Join organizations. Don’t join “in name only.” Get out and attend meetings.
• Be curious and ask questions.
• Improve your listening skills.
• Think ahead and be strategic with your networking.
• Be willing to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a long time.
• Be a resource. How can you be helpful to the people you meet?
• Follow up, or you’ll miss a lot of opportunities.

Read all of the tips to help you network better on Vault.com.

The post How to be a resource for people in your network appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Incorporate these plans into your networking:

Learn how to introduce yourself. This is more important than you may think, and you’ll want to spend time planning out your pitch so it will interest other people, not bore them to tears. (In other words, don’t plan out a two-minute elevator story. It is unlikely to amaze and impress your new contacts.)

Do not go around telling everyone you are looking for a job. No matter what your friends told you, if you focus on your status as a job seeker, people may lose interest in your story from the start.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

Be generous with your expertise and identify ways to help your network. What problems do they have that you can help solve?

Listen carefully. Don’t talk so much when you network. People appreciate a good listener. Let that be you.

Find new places to network. You can meet a new contact while in line at the post office, but it may be worth your time to target professional groups where your target audience is likely to gather.

Track your contacts. Use all the tools at your disposal so you don’t waste any opportunities. If you meet someone and never follow up, that’s a lost opportunity.

Click through for details about these topics, including specifics about how to create a great pitch, how to keep the proverbial doors open when you’re networking, details about ways to be helpful for your network, techniques to be a better listener and suggestions about how to track your contacts.

Read the entire article on Vault.com.

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You know you’re going to be seeing lots of new and old friends and family members this holiday season, so you may as well make the most of the season to improve your opportunities for jobs or gigs! Make this season your best ever; end this year with some strong holiday networking. Keep these Thanksgiving networking tips in mind.

Self-assess. Know what job you want; be specific and targeted. Identify companies where you’d like to work and be prepared to mention several organizations’ names. Do not plan to be the “I can do anything” job seeker. While you may think it’s a good idea to keep your options open, this approach usually backfires. No one wants to hire or refer someone who seems unfocused or confused about next steps.

Learn how to introduce yourself. We’ve all heard of the “two-minute elevator speech.” Forget everything you know about that and pare your talk down to 30 seconds or less. In less than 100 words (35-50 is better), practice saying what skills you have and mention a key accomplishment. While you won’t launch into this pitch the moment you meet someone, when you’re prepared to discuss your best professional qualities, you’ll be able to make the most of a good contact.

Research the guest list. It’s always best to be prepared, and when you do a little sleuthing, it’s not difficult to find out who plans to be at the event. Many invitations are electronic, and the social profiles of attendees may be prominently displayed on RSVPs. Look up the people who plan to attend. Find their LinkedIn profiles and read their Twitter streams. Identify several interesting contacts and make a point to speak to them.

Keep in mind: you want to identify people who could know someone working at your targeted list of companies. Be aware: these networking contacts may come in surprising packages. For example, the neighborhood busy-body probably has all kinds of great contacts. So does the bartender at your neighborhood pub—or the person tending bar at the party you’re attending. Don’t cross anyone off your list of good people to meet.

Create snazzy business cards. Even if you’re not currently working, you should have professional looking business cards that give the recipient easy access to your social media profiles (for example, your LinkedIn URL). Include your pitch on the card. For example, for an accountant: “Save clients an average of 20% off their tax bill using time tested, effective accounting strategies.”

Dress the part. Even if it’s a casual party, make sure to choose something to wear that looks sharp and in style. If you haven’t bought clothing in years, it’s a good idea to shop the sales and pick out one or two items that really flatter and make you feel confident. Consider wearing a conversational piece to help make yourself memorable. A colorful, in-style scarf or tie can do the trick.

Be a listener. Make sure people don’t sense that you have an agenda when you meet them. Ask questions so you can learn something about the person’s hobbies and interests. Use your research to help you ask quality questions and be a good listener. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, so if you’re a good listener, people will remember you.

Ask for a follow-up meeting. Use your in-person networking time to request another meeting in a quieter location. For example, if you’ve had a great talk, and you think there is potential for you to be able to help each other, say, “I’d love to follow up with you and explore how we may be able to be good resources for each other. How about if I send an email tomorrow suggesting some dates to meet for coffee?” You may even want to ask the best way to get in touch—email or phone.

Say thank you—and good bye. Don’t forget your manners. Be sure to thank the party organizer, even if you have to stand around to have an audience. It’s extra nice to send a card or a note after the event. Remember, you want to make a positive impression. When you go the extra mile to say thank you, people will remember that.

Keep in touch. Depending on the nature of your interactions at the party, you have a lot of options for following up. For example, if you know a new contact’s daughter is moving to Chicago soon, you can send a nice note with an article about fun things for newcomers to do in the Chicago area. Always make a point to connect via social media channels—especially LinkedIn. Make sure you follow through with anything you said you’d do during your first conversation and don’t squander potential opportunities by failing to keep in touch. When you do, you’ll have a better chance of adding new allies to your job search efforts.

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When you network, keep one thing in mind: always talk to people you don’t think can help you. You read that right: you cannot judge a book by its cover, and you never know if the barista at your local coffee shop or bartender at the local watering hole may be able to hook you up with someone who works at your target company. Be open to the possibility that everyone you encounter is a potential link to your next opportunity and networking will be a lot more palatable.

Here are some places you may not have thought of as networking opportunities:

1. The unemployment office
Just because someone doesn’t have a job doesn’t mean he doesn’t know people who do! Just as you have many skills, suggestions and areas of expertise, so do people you may meet while waiting to file for your unemployment benefits or at a workshop about how to write a better resume. Be generous with your expertise, ideas and resources and other people are likely to return the favor.

2. Recreational events or classes
Whether or not you are employed, it’s always a good idea to attend events where you’ll have a chance to meet new people. If you join a pick-up basketball or bowling league, you may have a chance to get to know new networking contacts who could help you land an interview.

If you think your networking needs a jump start, take a class. It doesn’t need to be something related to work, and you may meet someone new while you learn something new.

3. Volunteering
In addition to being a nice thing to do, all types of volunteering can help you network. You never know when the person next to you serving up the main course at a soup kitchen may be a great contact. While volunteering for a charitable cause is terrific, also consider serving as a volunteer for your professional organization or association. These groups often need people to help out at conferences, and if you introduce a speaker at a national conference, it gives you a chance to meet him or her! Even working the registration table can be a great way to meet people.

4. Places with children and pets
Parents of children and “fur kids” have many opportunities to network. The dog park is a great place to meet people who share at least one of your interests, and if your children are involved in sports, ballet, art class or just enjoy playing outside, you have many chances to meet new people if you take your eyes off your phone long enough to make eye contact with someone. Keep in mind, if you’re the parent who does nothing but complain or starts arguments at little league events, you aren’t likely to win many friends.

5. At the gym
Typically, most of us don’t welcome the opportunity to seek professional contacts while red-faced and sweaty, but the gym can be a great place to network. If you’re really smart, tuck a few business cards in a pocket or in your gym bag and have them at the ready when you work out.

6. Online
You know you can meet new people on all of the social networks, and that LinkedIn is the go-to professional network, but you may be missing some big networking opportunities online. Have you thought about how Twitter can help you land a job? It’s become en vogue to tweet using a hashtag during televised sporting events and other high-interest programs. You can make a new networking contact tweeting praise for your favorite college team or during a televised red-carpet event. Don’t ignore the non-traditional networking opportunities and you could meet a new fan.

7. At the coffee shop
Don’t be one of those annoying people who won’t stop talking to someone while he or she is working, but if you frequent a coffee shop, you may be able to meet some new people, both staff and other customers. Be polite and recognize when someone doesn’t seem to want to talk to you (maybe he or she doesn’t realize the value of networking). Don’t forget to chat up the barista if you go in when it’s not busy.

8. Shopping
If you go to the mall or your favorite boutique, you may be able to strike up a conversation with someone – even in the dressing room. Most people love to be told that they look great in the outfit they are considering, so you have an easy opening.

9. At the hairdresser
Your hairdresser has the opportunity for extended conversations with all his or her clients who likely come from a variety of backgrounds. Don’t miss the opportunity to tap into this potential network.

10. Anywhere there is a line or a wait
As long as you’re not sick, any waiting room can be a great place to network. The post office or grocery store line may also provide good opportunities to have a brief conversation with someone new. If you’re strategic about what you say, it’s possible to begin a networking relationship with a stranger.

11. Wherever people gather
Yes, it’s true: some people have successfully networked at funerals and wakes. You don’t want to be disrespectful or attend such an event with the sole purpose of meeting a particular person, but if you happen to strike up a conversation while fondly remembering a mutual friend or acquaintance, there is nothing wrong with following up later.

When you keep in mind that your potential network is all around you, you’ll be able to break out of your job search rut and be open and available to new opportunities to meet people. Keep in mind: it’s easier to network when you’re dressed for success, so put on something halfway decent, even when you go to the grocery store. And, even with Smart phone technology, it’s always a great idea to have traditional business cards to hand out, even if you aren’t currently working for an organization. Be sure to carry networking cards that make it easy for someone to know how to contact and stay in touch with you.

More advice:

• How to get your friends to help you find a job
• How to convince people to help you with your job search
• Tired of looking for a job? 5 tips to start your own business

Originally posted on AOLJobs.com

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Despite the numbers proving networking is helpful, many job seekers resist it and worry that it’s nothing more than “asking people for help,” which some find difficult at best and abhorrent in the extreme cases.

You don’t want to attend a bunch of in-person networking events so you can balance a plate and glass in one hand and learn to reach for your business cards with the other hand, while simultaneously shaking hands with your new contacts? Alan Gregerman, consultant and author of “The Necessity of Strangers,” suggests that the real purpose of networking isn’t simply to land a job, but instead to “learn new things, grow as a person and professional and to build truly meaningful relationships with people who are often very different than us.” Gregerman offers the following six ways to enhance your network:

1. Demonstrate your desire to learn and grow. People appreciate when new contacts appear exceptionally interested in what they have to say. When you can demonstrate how interested you are in learning something new rather than simply seeing the contact as a meal ticket to a referral, you’re likely to be much more successful. Gregerman says you should indicate that you care about what new contacts do, what they know and ask about their key challenges and opportunities. Additionally, he mentions that it helps when you are somewhat humble when you engage and don’t act as if you already know everything.

2. Be open to, and curious about, a world of new ideas and possibilities. “Success comes to people who are always seeking new knowledge and perspectives that will make them more well-rounded people, better thinkers and ultimately better employees,” Gregerman asserts. Demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest and ability to take on new assignments that require you to take initiative. You’ll find it much easier to engage your new contacts when you demonstrate you have an open and curious mind.

3. Build a diverse and inspiring network. Get out of your traditional networking rut and stop spending time with people who are just like you. Gregerman suggests that meeting people who are different can help you “stretch your thinking and skills and open new doors that you never dreamed possible.” Social media is a great tool to expand your network, especially when you use it as a stepping stone to meeting your new contacts in person. You can also make an effort to attend new in-person networking events and to conscientiously meet new people.

4. Share your knowledge and connections freely. “Real networking is a two-way street in which both parties share their best ideas, insights and connections with each other,” Gregerman explains. Be generous if you expect to benefit from networking. It’s important to give as much as you expect to gain.

5. Talk to strangers. Every person you meet or pass is a potential networking contact. Don’t underestimate the opportunities you have each day to meet someone new who will expand your network and could make a difference in your career.

6. Thank everyone you meet along the way. Don’t take your networking contacts for granted. Follow up with them. For example, if someone refers you to a person who helps you land an opportunity or who is exceptionally helpful, be sure to circle back with that referring person to let him or her know how helpful the referral was for you. Gregerman suggests that a hand-written note is a great way to let people know you appreciated their help.

Originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report.

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How can you make the most of this holiday season to help you land jobs or gigs? Following up is your #1 way to make sure you don’t let opportunities slip through the cracks.

Networking is great. Meeting a lot of new people is terrific. However, knowing what to do once you’ve made a contact is just as important as finding the contact. How can you hook your contacts? Here are my tips for being remembered:

1. Send a nice note. In the mail.

If you met someone at a party or gathering and you want to keep in touch, send a nice note. I like typed notes, some people prefer a hand-written message. At this time of year, a card with a nice hand written note is fine. Be sure to include enough information to help the person remember when and where you met and what you discussed. Don’t forget that not everyone observes the same holidays, so avoid specific references to a particular holiday unless you know for sure. Greetings for the new year are usually appropriate and cannot steer you too wrong!

Of course, sending a note relies on you having the correct contact information, so don’t forget to exchange business cards.

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2. Cover your social networking bases.

When you meet someone and you think there is a professional connection, ask if they are on LinkedIn and if it would be okay to connect. Then, be sure to follow up right away (after you get home – not from your iPhone!) with a request to connect. Again, even if it is shortly after the party, remind the contact where you met and what you discussed. Don’t assume he or she will remember everything you talked about!

Connecting on LinkedIn provides many advantages. Of course, growing your network is always important, but also remember that your new friends will now have a chance to see your updates (and you theirs). In general, keeping tabs on someone is easy on LinkedIn and a very low impact way to stay in touch.

Also be sure to ask if the person uses Twitter. I’m a big fan, and I hope more people will begin to use if for professional purposes. Do NOT ask to connect via Facebook unless you are invited after an incidental meeting. Typically, this is not considered proper etiquette.

3. Set a Google alert or, even better, try a Talkwalker.com alert, for the name of the person you met and/or the name of their company.

No, I am not suggesting that you stalk the new contact! However, if Google can help you easily find out news or information about someone with whom you are trying to build rapport, all the better! When you learn that XYZ company  has won an innovation award or that Julia Smith has been named a top ten PR rep, you will be able to be among the first to send a follow-up note. This helps keep you top of mind. It sets you apart from every other random contact, which is important in this competitive market.

4. Make a strong personal connection.

In the midst of your initial conversation, hopefully you learned something personal about your new contact. For example – he is a Bulls fanatic or she went to UGA. She’s a photography buff and loves to garden. He is a world traveler, but hasn’t made it to Asia. You get what I mean – make a point to learn something interesting about people you meet. This gives you several benefits:

• You will earn bonus points for being a good listener, for asking questions and for being attentive to your new friend’s interests. We all enjoy talking about ourselves. When you engage around a topic that tweaks someone’s passions, you are more likely to be remembered later.
• You now have a new “hook” to use for follow up! Assuming you keep your eyes on the newspapers and Internet, you are bound to come across a post or article of interest to your contact. Send it along via email with a personal note. Again – the point  here is to maintain a “top of mind” status. You sent an article on tips for travel in China and your friend thinks about you in a day when you would not otherwise cross his mind.

You can do everything “right,” (know what you have to offer, have a great twitpitch, know where to look, have great materials…The list goes on and on. However, if you don’t follow up with your networking contacts, all of that work could easily go down the drain. Don’t let that happen to you!

Use the new year to follow up with people you met over the holidays and you won’t have to worry about lost opportunities.

Don’t miss this opportunity to receive my latest FREE report. Click here for a copy of 5 Mistakes Preventing You from Landing a Job THIS Week. 

If you know social media is where you could use some support to help you land a job, I have a new program just for you. Click below to learn more:

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Job seekers should not forget in-person networking, even if they are active on social media. No matter how useful online networks are, candidates who use those tools as stepping stones to meet people in person will access opportunities and resources beyond those available online.

A new tool can help people in many large cities find in-person networking opportunities. 99Events.com allows you to search for events using a keyword. For example, you could search for “career” in your big city. The site will search public events posted on a variety of tools like TicketLeap, Meetup, Facebook, Eventbrite, and Eventful. (And all of these databases are potentially useful tools to search individually if 99Events does not support your city or town.)

Don’t limit yourself to career events. Find groups who share your personal interests. If you haven’t searched tools such as MeetUp, you may be surprised by the depth and breadth of special interest groups meeting all around the country.

How can you improve your chances to make the most of events you attend?

Research who is coming. It’s so easy to find out who’s attending an event. Even personal events, such as birthday party invitations, often come via email with online RSVPs that make it easy to see who’s attending.

Introduce yourself well. Don’t just show up at professional and casual events before considering what you want other people to know about you. Be able to say something about yourself that would interest the people you meet. Be sure to target what you say so it won’t bore your talking companion.

Follow up. Don’t forget: It’s your job to keep in touch with people you want to know. Do not expect to hear back from anyone you meet, even if they say they’ll call.

When you plan ahead and include all of these issues on your “to do” list, you will be ahead of most job seekers and that much closer to landing a job.

Read the whole post on my U.S. News & World Report column.

photo by Aidan Jones

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To your credit, career coaches have always alleged that networking is the best way to find a job. However, the difference between convincing someone to join your cause and hitting a dead end is all in your approach. For example, when you ask people if they know of opportunities and they donâ€t, the conversation ends right there.

So, itâ€s time to rethink your angle. Here are a few tips to help convince people to be your allies in the job-hunting process—even if they donâ€t have a position in mind for you right away.

1. Communicate With One Contact at a Time

If youâ€re tempted to send an email to 300 of your closest friends to ask for their help, stop now! People who receive your note wonâ€t believe youâ€re really counting on them—because theyâ€ll assume someone else will respond to your plea.

2. Listen More Than You Talk at Networking Events

Instead of, “Hello, nice to meet you, how can you help me find a job?,” make a point to have a real exchange with the people you meet. Ask a lot of questions—people love to talk to someone who pays attention and asks pointed follow-up questions. If you build relationships with your networking contacts and avoid vague requests, they will be much more likely to help you.

3. Connect With Long-Lost Contacts

What if you see someone youâ€ve been meaning to call, but never got around to it? Donâ€t run the other way—or worse, bombard her with requests to help you on your job hunt. Approach her with a big smile, acknowledge how long itâ€s been, and invoke a little mutual nostalgia by commenting on your joint history.

4. Use Social Media to Get the Conversation Started 

No, this isnâ€t a free pass to spam your Facebook page with “Can you help me find a job?” updates. Instead, fill your social media streams with content that shows off what you know.

When people see that you know your stuff, theyâ€re more likely to comply with an occasional request to assist with your job search. With the right preparation and mindset, you can tell your contacts that youâ€re looking for a job without scaring them off. Keep in mind, most people want to assist; itâ€s your job to make it easy for them to understand how they can help.

Read the entire post, including samples of what to say, inspired by our book, 100 Conversations for Career Success, on my guest post for The Daily Muse.

The post How to convince people to help you with your job search without being annoying appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Self-assess. Know what job you want; be specific and targeted. Identify companies where you’d like to work and be prepared to mention several organizations’ names. Do not plan to be the “I can do anything” job seeker.

Learn how to introduce yourself. We’ve all heard of the “two-minute elevator speech.”

Research the guest list. It’s always best to be prepared, and when you do a little sleuthing, it’s not difficult to find out who plans to be at the event.

Keep in mind: you want to identify people who could know someone working at your targeted list of companies. Be aware: these networking contacts may come in surprising packages. For example, the neighborhood busy-body probably has all kinds of great contacts. So does the bartender at your neighborhood pub—or the person tending bar at the party you’re attending. Don’t cross anyone off your list of good people to meet.

Create snazzy business cards. Even if you’re not currently working, you should have professional looking business cards that give the recipient easy access to your social media profiles (for example, your LinkedIn URL).

Dress the part. Even if it’s a casual party, make sure to choose something to wear that looks sharp and in style.

Be a listener. Make sure people don’t sense that you have an agenda when you meet them.

Ask for a follow-up meeting. Use your in-person networking time to request another meeting in a quieter location. For example, if you’ve had a great talk, and you think there is potential for you to be able to help each other, say, “I’d love to follow up with you and explore how we may be able to be good resources for each other.

Say thank you—and good bye. Don’t forget your manners. Be sure to thank the party organizer, even if you have to stand around to have an audience.

Keep in touch. Depending on the nature of your interactions at the party, you have a lot of options for following up. For example, if you know a new contact’s daughter is moving to Chicago soon, you can send a nice note with an article about fun things for newcomers to do in the Chicago area.

Read the entire post on my U.S. News & World Report post.

photo by TimmyGUNZ

The post Use your holiday party to help you get a job appeared first on Keppie Careers.

This is the PERFECT time for job search networking:

• The holiday spirit inspires people to want to help someone else.
• Work slows down at a lot of companies, leaving time for long coffees, lunches and informational interviews with you!
• Hiring does NOT stop; statistics show that hiring happens right through December, with January known as the golden time of recruiting.

You don’t want to miss opportunities — right there for the taking — at this special time of the year!

Why am I telling you all of this? If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of our book, 100 Conversations for Career Success. The book is all about networking – which is what you need to do right now when new networking opportunities are around every corner! We cover:

• How to introduce yourself.
• How to succeed at informational interviews.
• What to say to a recruiter during a phone screen.
• How to communicate via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+.
• And much, much more – everything you need to know to move your job search forward.

THIS is the time to move forward — when people are most receptive to your networking inquiries.

We’re excited about the wonderful response to the book, but we have a goal to get more great reviews on Amazon, so we decided to get in the gift-giving mood and make an offer you can hardly refuse!

We’ve recorded a Q&A session answering typical job-seeker questions. For example:

• What’s LinkedIn’s endorsement feature all about, and should I care?
• How can I prepare to answer questions I don’t want to discuss in an interview?
• I’m making a career change; is there an assessment tool I should use?

When you review our book on Amazon and sign up via the link below, we will send you the recording of this call and future calls. (We’re even happy to take your requests of questions we can answer on future calls.)

So, don’t delay…Let’s help each other: if you’ve already purchased our book, please do us a favor and write a review. If you have not purchased it, now is the time. (It’s even available as a Kindle book!) Have you already found a job? 100 Conversations for Career Success makes a great gift for someone you know. Feel free to pass along this offer.

To get your free gift:

1. Buy the book, read it and review it on Amazon. To find the book on Amazon: Follow this LINK.

2. Once you review the book, follow this LINK to give us your email address. As soon as we confirm your review, we’ll send a link to the audio and you will receive future audios, too.

Thanks so much for helping us meet our goals. We hope our book and audios will help you meet your goals, too.

photo by FutUndBeidl

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