Guerrilla Marking for Job Hunters 2.0 - Jay Conrad Levinson [99]
So women need to approach networking differently than men. Women are at a disadvantage and need to figure out ways to get ahead in the game. Here are some times when men don’t typically network, but women can:
• During work hours: While men tend to network before and after work, women usually feel too strapped for time for that. So women should concentrate on creating a network during office hours. This means setting aside time to speak informally with people inside your office and taking long lunches with people from other companies. This sort of schedule requires careful planning to start and maintain relationships—something women are usually better at than men.
• During family time: Most moms work. So get to know the parents at soccer games or at gymnastics practice. You never know who might be there, especially on the weekend. In many cases, you will spend as much time with these parents as you do with some of your coworkers. So make the time count for your career.
• During book clubs: The recent flurry of book club groups has not caught on among men, but women love them—even high-powered women you’d expect to be too busy to read Middlemarch. So while you’re at the book club, don’t be timid about letting people know what you do, and how you can help them. In that context, they are likely to reciprocate.
• At the gym: It doesn’t matter how busy you are, how many kids you have, you have to get some form of exercise. Sadly, most moms do not take this advice to heart, so the women at the gym are usually the single, no-kids, high-power types—great for networking. If you start going on a regular schedule, you’ll meet the other people who are on your schedule—men and women.
Each of these situations will be awkward for most women because generally, women don’t like mixing business with pleasure. But here’s my advice to you: get over it. Men do it all the time. In fact, for many men, there is rarely pleasure to be had unless it’s mixed with business. So if you want to compete in a man’s world, which corporate America definitely is, then you need to take the small opportunities you have and work them as hard as you can.
Penelope Trunk is the New York-based author of Brazen Careerist (New York: Business Plus, 2007). She has started Internet divisions at Fortune 500 companies, founded 2 technology-focused companies, endured an IPO, a buyout, and a bankruptcy. Contact her through www.linkedin.com/in/penelopetrunk/.
■ THE KITCHEN SINK APPROACH
While I would advise you not to specifically count on your friends and relatives, you would be remiss as a guerrilla if you did not use every possible tool. So, involve all your friends and colleagues in your job search.
Many companies post jobs internally before going to newspapers or third-party recruiters, or have referral programs that pay employees a bonus for referring people. Ensure that your network of friends has your resume in electronic format and permission to forward your resume to hiring managers on your behalf. When referred by a colleague within your network, always ask the referrer how you should follow up. Some people will want you to call, others won’t. You need to abide by their wishes or they will not refer you again.
GUERRILLA TIPS
• Start with the people you know best. This encourages you to make the calls, and it’s a great way to ease into networking because they’ll be nicer than strangers.
• Don’t jump right into your agenda; start off by asking them, “Is this is a good time to talk and what’s new?” They’ll get around to asking about you soon enough.
Your goal is to get referrals. So how do you ask in a manner that won’t put people off? Generally, it is better to be subtle, so instead of “Can you give me the names of all your friends?” try “Who else should I be talking to?” or