What would happen if you deployed networking daily?

Networking is one of those skills that many people keep hidden away until it is necessary.  Networking daily — is that a foreign concept to you?

What if you made networking a daily habit?

One of the concepts that many job seekers struggle with is how to find a job using a network. The preponderance of online job applications makes new job seekers think that the only way to find a job is by applying online. While you may still have to work through an online application, this is only one step in the process of finding a job.

Alison Doyle suggests:

Try job search networking; it really does work. At at least 60% – some report even higher statistics – of all jobs are found by networking. Develop contacts – friends, family, neighbors, college alumni, people in associations – anyone who might help generate information and job leads.

Networking to be effective needs to be a daily habit.

Unfortunately, many people find themselves isolated either through their work or because of their comfort zone stay aloof. It doesn’t have to be this way.

While in-person networking is ideal, the ability to be networking daily may mean you use social media to make it happen. My contacts are global and it is not unusual for me to interact with someone in London or Australia during the course of my daily interactions. Social media has made this easy as I deploy LinkedIn messaging, Facebook messaging, and direct Twitter messages to stay connected.

Three strategies for networking daily

1. Acknowledge special events in people’s lives. People appreciate your greetings on special days or when something happens in their lives.
2. Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to for a while. My client base is very large but I try to connect with at least one former client daily.
3. Schedule dinners, lunches, or coffee with people you really want to reach out to. Surprisingly, the art of connecting for group dinners or gatherings is still practical and can strengthen connections.

These are simple solutions to allow you to find ways to be networking daily. Don’t wait until you are in crisis mode. Reach out and connect so that your network is available when you need one.

I coach on networking in all of my packages and particularly emphasis networking coaching in the Preferred and Ultimate packages. Or just need a heavy dose of LinkedIn networking training? Check out the all new interactive LinkedIn Profile Makeover option.