Networking

Office of Career Placement Services
Networking

  Articles:
   Build Your
   Network

Source of article: Office of Career Services, Harvard University. Used by permission. March 9, 2006.

What Is Networking?

Networking is the process of making contact and exchanging information with other people. It involves building relationships and creating a personal set of contacts that may be able to help you in some way and that you may be able to help in some way.

Developing a network is a lifelong process, and there is no time like your time at Three Rivers to learn how to do it and put it into practice.

Networking IS NOT:

"schmoozing"
just being friendly
nepotism
just a shorter way of saying "It's not what you know, it's who you know…"
a personal sales pitch

Networking IS:

Building relationships
Networking is attentively and consciously meeting people, being interested in them, remembering who they are and what they do, and exchanging information with them over time.

Why Network?

Networking can be used in many ways in your job search and throughout your career to:

Conduct field research - Learn about a specific field that you are interested in.
Explore careers - Learn about what types of work exist in different fields.
Obtain information about organizations - Learn about an organization for which you might want to work.
Obtain career advice - Ask people in the world of work about how you might prepare yourself for a certain field or position.
Seek job-search advice - Ask for suggestions of people you might contact for information about job or internship possibilities.
Create your own job or internship - Identify an activity or a type of work that you would like to do, and find someone who is willing to let you do it.
"Sanity-check" your approach - Test your hypotheses about your "hire-ability" in a field or organization by asking the opinion of someone currently working within it.

People You Can Network With:

Everybody. There are no limits.
To better define "everybody," here are some specific ideas:

professors
guest speakers in your classes
people in line at the coffee shop
your parents, their friends & neighbors
high school teachers
house tutors
lab supervisors
Three Rivers alumni
staff members of community organizations anyone that works in the community
people next to you on subways, planes, buses
your friends
your friends' families
your friends' neighbors
your dentist, doctor, postman, barber
elected officials
local business people
members of professional organizations

Network wherever you go!

You should be getting the idea that your network is without boundaries…

Networking Etiquette And Guidelines:

No matter who you contact, etiquette is important in building and maintaining relationships.

Be well prepared. Be able to articulate as much as you know about what you are looking for in your career, job search, etc.
Always be professional, courteous, and considerate.
Be interested in the people you meet. Most people enjoy the chance to tell you about their own careers and activities.
Be genuine. Possess a sincere desire to learn. Be honest in asking for advice. If you are only interested in asking for a job, it will show, no matter how you disguise it.
Be gracious. Write a thank you letter when people take time to meet with you.
Stay in touch. Update people in your network when you make significant progress in your research or job search.
Give back. Know enough about the people you meet to keep their needs in mind as you continue to network. You may be able to pass on ideas, articles, and contacts that will interest them.
Read the OCS brochure on Informational Interviewing for a specific style of networking contact.
Use good judgment about the amount of time you request when you contact people. Do not overstay your welcome, and do not "return to the well" too many times.

Networking To Find A Job:

Have faith that effective networking will result in helpful information about job possibilities. You also dramatically increase your probability of getting an interview if you have arrived at a job prospect through your own networking efforts than through other means. The personal contact involved in networking enhances your status as a candidate as compared with more anonymous application methods such as job boards, company web sites, and print ads.

Networking will often result in a job prospect that did not exist before you networked. Positions are sometimes created to accommodate a terrific person who contacts an organization proactively.

The reasons for this have to do with the nature of the job market and the way organizations work. The only jobs that are posted on job boards are those that have been identified as a need, approved by the organization's bureaucracy, and posted. This is an arduous process in many organizations. Jobs may be at various stages of the HR process, from being written as a formal listing through approval of the personnel requisition. Often, managers do not bother to seek approval for a personnel requisition ("req") until they have found a qualified candidate; this makes life easier for them. You may never even see those job descriptions!

How Do You Ask A Stranger For A Job?

You don't. You will have better success, and your meetings with contacts will be more meaningful and pleasant, if you are seeking advice, doing research on the field, or trying to learn about someone's work, than if you present yourself as looking for a job, looking for leads on jobs, asking if there are any jobs available at someone's firm, or asking if they know of any openings anywhere.

When you ask a contact for specific job leads, that person maybe reluctant to refer you if he does not know you and can't vouch for you.

On the other hand, when you ask for advice or help with some career research, very few people will say no. Very few!!

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