| Recently I spoke with a woman who has been looking | | | | network can help you, it's really important to have a |
| for work for some time. She devotes a significant | | | | quick summary of your career goals (aka your |
| amount of time each week to networking activities. | | | | elevator pitch) ready to go when they ask. Keeping it |
| She said something that stood out to me: "I wake up | | | | short and sweet not only keeps their attention but |
| every day and think about being unemployed, but my | | | | helps them to remember what you said two weeks |
| contacts don't think about me until I remind them". | | | | later when they run into a perfect contact for you. |
| Remind your contacts that you're looking | | | | Keep yourself busy in the meantime |
| All too often, those who are looking for work feel | | | | It's truly difficult to feel equal to your peers who are |
| embarrassed to repeatedly go to their contacts and | | | | working when you are not. After all, your daily lives are |
| mention that they aren't working. Because of this, one | | | | substantially different-they get dressed and go to work |
| of the key components of networking with people you | | | | every day. One way to mitigate feeling like the odd |
| already know is talking with them about subjects | | | | man out is to keep yourself as busy as possible. |
| outside of work. Invite them to coffee and talk to them | | | | Whether you fill your time with volunteer work, |
| about their kids. Have people who are well connected | | | | continuing education, networking, or all of the above, |
| over for a cookout; this allows your contacts an | | | | staying busy keeps you emotionally fulfilled and |
| opportunity to help you out but keeps your relationship | | | | interesting-which makes your contacts want to be |
| on the equal footing upon which it was founded. | | | | around you and help you out. |
| Be prepared when people ask about your job search | | | | As long as you have a clear career goal and keep |
| If you think about it, there are a lot of people in your life | | | | yourself busy working toward it, there's no reason to |
| who may not really understand what you do. My own | | | | be embarrassed about reminding your network that |
| parents are a perfect example! Because you want | | | | you're still job searching. As my colleague said, they're |
| your contacts to think strategically about how their | | | | not thinking about you unless you remind them! |