Real Networking isn’t Speed Dating

I was coaching a client last night after an in-house interview she had for a new position within her company. The role she has right now is very people-centric but the new one would require much more networking. This young lady has already done awesome things.

• She helped her family launch a non-profit focused on providing safety products after a young nephew was killed to help other young people avoid a similar fate.
• She has not only her Bachelors but her Masters and she earned her Masters while working full time.
• She has already been promoted within her company once and has also taken on another teaching role within the company in addition to her full time job.
• She is an ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce.
• She’s one smart cookie as my coach would say.
• She does her homework before she does anything. How do I know? For the past few years, we go to lunch or have a meeting here when she wants to learn something more. I’ve been coaching her on social media and career topics for a long time.

The question that was bothering her last night was that her supervisor who interviewed her asked:

If you were in a room with 20 people, how many would you be able to network with in one meeting? Would you get to know one or two or would you work to get to know a large percentage?”

Networking is never speed dating

I told her that from my point of view, networking is never speed dating. The person who works the room to collect the most business cards before the end of the night ends up with a pile of business cards and possibly no relationships.

My networking examples

On the other hand, the person who is genuinely interested in others will make note of the happening in people’s lives and do what they can to help. I have two favorite Design Resumes clients who will always remain my networking examples.

• One gentleman had a keen memory for things in the lives of his network. I can remember when he was seeking a new General Manager position, he would send e-mails to contacts that would say things like: “How was the trip to Hawaii for your anniversary? I hope you and your wife had a wonderful time!” or “How are you feeling after the shoulder surgery? Hope you are bouncing right back!” No matter who the contact was, he had a comment that showed he was listening. In 2004, he became the CEO/President of a firm in the  food and beverage business, obviously still using his networking in the best possible way.

• Another resume client was in the pharmaceutical business. She not only remembered things about people and was able to respond like the gentleman above, she was a giver. I remember one time we worked on a follow-up note to go with a book she was mailing as a thank you to someone who interviewed her. She wasn’t going to take the job but they had talked about the book, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” and she was mailing it to the interviewer. When I asked about it, she brought me another copy of the book. She never missed the details. When I broke my leg, she knew my mom was helping me with office work and she came by with two specialty salads and an assortment of bars from a local restaurant for us to eat. She never missed the special touch. That was more than eight years ago but I still remember her special touches.

Neither of those two treated networking like speed dating. It was all about relationship building and personalizing your encounters. You need to do the same thing whether it is networking at a meeting or networking online.  I told my young client and friend that she should do her follow up letter thanking the individual for the interview and reinforce that she understands that networking needs to be quality relationships and she is confident that she can build those relationships and build the client base at the same time.

Stuck in your job search or just ready to move on or up from your existing position? Julie Walraven, a Wausau, Wisconsin-based professional resume writer and career marketing strategist, can help you get ready for your next role! To find out how, Click here!

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