ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > December > 14
Friday, December 14, 2007
Make that holiday party count: Network!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s that time of year again when you pull out your holiday finery and get ready to go to another holiday party, or two, or three. If you’re lucky you’ll get at least one weekend off between now and the end of the year to relax and enjoy the season.
If you’re not so lucky, you’ll bounce from one holiday party to another, sipping eggnog and struggling to find a common topic to chat about with the random strangers you encounter. How many of us would rather be in front of the couch watching a re-run of, “It’s a Wonderful Life”?! Probably more than we’d care to admit.
Well, if you want to make the event less painful…productive, even…why not follow the old adage “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”! Take advantage of the holidays to do some networking! You’ll enjoy yourself a lot more and you’ll probably end up with some great business contacts in the process.
Never assume you have nothing in common with someone at a party. If you’re both at the same party, you clearly have something in common. Everyone has something to offer regardless of whether they’re similar to or very different from us.
If you’re searching for something to say, turn it into a question. You might say, “Maybe you can help me. I’ve been doing some research on the banking industry. Who do you know who works in that area?” If they’re able to identify someone in your area of interest, offer to meet with the three of them at sometime soon over lunch or coffee, so that three of you might become better acquainted.
If you know the host well, you can ask questions in advance about the guests that are expected. You can even ask the host who she thinks would be a valuable person for you to meet and ask her to introduce the two of you at the party.
If you’re networking to expand your business, you probably won’t close a sale at a holiday party, but you might meet a few people, that with some further cultivation, could provide excellent references or become potential customers.
You want to avoid announcing that you’re out of a job, and you especially don’t want to get into a detailed conversation about all the jobs you’ve applied for and the lack career options for someone in your field. That’s way too heavy for such a festive occasion.
Still, you can have some light, yet strategic conversations with the people you meet and follow up afterward to set up a better time to talk business. Even if the well turns out to be totally dry for your own networking purposes, you can still use your time there to better understand what others networking needs are and do your best to share you own contacts with them. ‘Tis the season for giving, after all!
So, next time you’re dragging yourself to a holiday party, think about how you can use this time wisely and maximize your networking efforts.
