ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2006 > October > 24 > Entry
Broaden your Network
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Most job seekers understand that networking is a critical part of the job search process. However, some people are more willing to actually do it than others, some people are better skilled at it than others, and others still confuse quantity with quality in their networking experiences.
There are many effective methods of networking and networking venues that don’t involve attending formal networking events, including informational interviews, volunteerism, small groups at places of worship, social clubs, reading groups, neighborhood gatherings, parties, sporting events, etc.
But most often, when people think of networking, they think “Ugh…not another stuffy cocktail party where I have to make bland conversation with people I don’t know.”
For the sake of this conversation, we’re going to concentrate on this formal (or if you prefer, you may call it stuffy) networking events. There are a lot of things, both positive and negative, that set people apart at a networking function.
We’ve all met attention-seekers who will take any attention they can get. It doesn’t matter if it’s bad or good. These people will definitely be remembered afterward, but are clearly not making a good impression.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those people who could be described as “meek and mild”. They’re pleasant enough, but they tend to fade into the background. No one really remembers them after the event is over, except the people with whom they’ve had direct contact. Often, these people are dismissed because they don’t seem to have much to say.
Unless you take the initiative to speak to these introverts, you may never know that he or she is married to someone who is desperately trying to recruit someone with your skill set.
Likewise, we tend to gravitate toward people who we think are “like” us in networking situations. We believe that given our obvious commonalities that we’ll be able to come up with something to talk about.
Young women will often gravitate to young women. Older men will gravitate to older men. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. It’s simply a human habit that we’ve been socialized to follow.
But if you remember, the purpose of networking is to expose us to people that we might not ordinarily encounter on any given day. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone very different from you. You don’t know who might be in that person’s network.
Show some genuine interest in them and your conversation will flow smoothly. You never know who might have a neighbor who is looking to meet someone just like you!
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