Build a Professional Network
The best time to build a professional network is when you are working. The contacts that you cultivate in your business life—your co-workers, your supervisors, people from other firms—can be allies. It’s a two-way street. You earn their respect and cooperation by treating them as professionals and working together toward mutual goals.
So, whether you are aware of it or not, you began building your professional network before your first job. The people you met and cultivated as friends and acquaintances while in school, now members of an alumni group, are part of your professional network. They became familiar with the way you work, and the quality of your accomplishments.
That is basically what a professional network is—a conglomeration of people who are aware of how you operate as a business person. They know about your integrity and your work ethic. They are aware of your skills and qualities and can help you find a new position. They can serve as referrals for a prospective employer.
Begin by looking around, and thinking about who you already know. Write down the names and current contact information of co-workers, supervisors, and other business contacts with whom you have a good working relationship.
Organize this information in a card file, a notebook or on your computer. This is your network. Now build on it. Get in touch with your alumni association. Find out if there is a local branch and begin making the acquaintance of other alumni from your school who have relocated to your current residential area.
If you are not already a member of the Chamber of Commerce, join. This is a rich source of professional and business people who know where the jobs are that have not been advertised. Since only about twenty percent of jobs appear on job boards or in want ads, these people can help you find the hidden opportunities.
If you have lost touch with former co-workers and supervisors, get back in touch with them. Let them know that you are seeking a new position. Be positive about your goals and put a confident face on your efforts.
Pass out business cards wherever you go. Many will get tossed aside or tucked into a drawer somewhere, but a few will end up in the hands of people who are looking for a good candidate. You want to be that candidate.
Join a professional organization and attend meetings. Again, hand out those business cards.
Volunteer in an agency that is related to your targeted career. Just a few hours a week can garner new contacts who are aware of your abilities and your enthusiasm.
There is no mystery to building a professional network. You’ve actually been doing that if you have been a reliable employee with a good work ethic and marketable skills. Now is the time to mobilize your professional network to help in your job search.
