Networking & You

Rasheda

Rasheda was undecided about her major and feeling panicky as her junior year was nearing. As she cast about for ideas on what to major in, she took a business course, upper-level courses in history, and she even considered the pre-med route. In other words, Rasheda was using the "trial and error" approach in choosing a major. She then made an appointment with an advisor at her university's career services office, and her advisor suggested that she systematically gather information about her interests, including talking to people in fields that appealed to her. Rasheda did this and she discovered that, while the information she gleaned from books and websites was helpful, it was the conversations with people that proved invaluable. She learned, for example, that a major in history, her real love, could lead to jobs in community education, historical preservation, or even business, if she complemented her major with selected business courses. Rasheda is now interning with a local museum and she is looking forward to her senior year and following up with her contacts to obtain a job after graduation.

Nicole

Throughout her college career, Nicole was convinced that information systems was the right major for her. She enjoyed the courses, she had completed an internship with a consulting firm, and she was confident that the field offered good opportunities for growth. The trouble was that as she approached her last semester, she wasn't sure which career path she wanted to follow. Did she want to continue working in consulting or would opportunities working in the MIS department for a single company offer her more satisfaction? At a meeting of the Information Management Society, her faculty advisor recommended that she contact some recent graduates of the department to discuss their work. In fact, she had met several already because it was customary for many graduates to come back to discuss their careers and companies with current students. In talking to the alumni, she discovered that while both career paths offered challenging work, working in a corporate MIS department was a better match for her interests and long-term goals. Nicole then was able to approach her interviews with confidence, secure in the knowledge that she had made a wise decision.

Mark

Mark liked his major in civil engineering and he was eagerly looking forward to working in a firm that specialized in environmental issues, his primary interest. However, he had always wanted to live on the West Coast but had absolutely no contacts outside of the state of Texas. How could he make his dream of working for a West Coast environmental engineering firm a reality? What Mark did was to use a source of networking contacts that is very helpful for new college graduates and that was to contact members of his professional association for help. With his career advisor's assistance, Mark tracked down the California and Washington chapters of the association and he corresponded with the presidents of the local chapters to ask for their advice on landing a job in their communities. Further, he scheduled a trip during spring break to enable him to meet personally with these contacts. Pleased to assist a job-seeker who took the initiative to ask for their advice and to travel to their cities, his contacts provided him with job leads. At this writing, Mark is happily employed with a recognized environmental engineering firm in northern California.

As you can see from these examples, networking can provide you with invaluable assistance at literally any stage of your career. Here's a quick summary of the major benefits of networking.

Focus your choice of major or career direction- When you talk to people who are actually working in jobs and careers that are of interest to you, you get the inside story on what it takes to be successful, what the future holds for an occupation, the positives and negatives of a career field, and whether your unique combination of skills, interests, and values is a good match. In Rasheda's situation, for example, networking helped her to choose her major with confidence, and for Nicole, the information she gained convinced her that working in a corporate MIS department was the best fit for her.

Give you advice about your job search- How do you conduct a long-distance job search? How do employers advertise their openings in your field? Is there a preferred resume format? Should you contact companies by letter, phone, or e-mail? Speaking to people who work in your field can clue you in on what works and what doesn't work. Importantly, too, if your field is very competitive and hard to break into, networking with professionals can provide you with leads on jobs that will never be advertised.

Validate your choice of career-By learning first-hand what it is like to work, for instance, as a physician, a teacher, or an accountant, you can confirm whether your chosen major or career is right for you, before you make a serious mistake. As a career counselor, this author has witnessed too many instances in which college grads decide after investing their education and one or more years of experience in their chosen field that it is not satisfying to them.

Refine your interviewing skills- Networking gives you the opportunity to speak about your career interests and goals with a variety of professionals and this is exactly the kind of experience that will help you to become skilled in your job interviews. Not only do you become comfortable engaging in conversations with these contacts, you can also improve your interview questions and answers because you have better insights.

Uncover information about a specific employer or job-Many students limit their research on an employer to reviewing the company's website or reading the printed literature in their school's career library. Unfortunately, this does not always provide a complete picture of the opportunity, such as learning the organization's culture or expectations of the management. Networking with current employees or others who are familiar with the organization, however, provides a comprehensive picture of the job.

NETWORKING MYTHS

In addition to knowing what networking is and what it can do for you, it is important to be aware of what networking is not.

• Networking is not only for those job-seekers who know a lot of people and are incredibly well-connected to influential types. As a student, you may feel that your list of contacts is too small to be of any use to you, but you will be surprised by how many people you do know once you begin developing your contact list. And don't dismay if none of your family members are CEO's. Surprisingly, it is likely that your strongest contacts will be those you do not know well. This phenomenon is called "the strength of weak ties" and it has been studied by numerous sociologists. In their studies, they found that acquaintances are more likely than family or friends to give individuals direct information or to recommend them for opportunities.
• Networking is not only for outgoing extroverts. It is natural to feel somewhat shy about approaching others for advice and you may want to begin your initial efforts with people that you know well. You may also want to find a networking style that is comfortable for you, such as writing instead of calling to schedule meetings, and asking a close contact to ease the introduction to a stranger by calling in advance to tell them of your interest.
• Networking is not bothering people who are unwilling to help you. Most of us love to talk about our jobs and what we do, and we are flattered when someone asks for our advice. In fact, letting other people do a favor for you creates greater loyalty than your doing a favor for them. Further, asking them for their help can invest them in you and your future success.
• Networking is not asking for a job. The purpose of networking is to gather information to assist you in planning your career and in looking for a job. It is not asking someone for a job. When you ask someone for a job, there are only two possible responses, "yes, I have a job opening" or, more likely, "no, I do not have a job opening now." This ends your conversation with someone who could have potentially provided you with valuable information.

GETTING STARTED

The first step in starting your networking efforts is to develop a list of potential contacts. According to Hansen in her book, A Foot in the Door, the following are the very best contacts for college students.

• Your classmates-Although you may consider your classmates to be possible competitors as you look for jobs, they can be wonderful sources of information. Like you, they are also deciding what career directions or employers are right for them and they may have uncovered some great resources that you haven't come across.
• Alumni, especially recent grads-Ask what alumni are doing who graduated in your major and track those down that work in areas that are of interest to you. You can find this information from your university's career services office, alumni office, or from professors in your department. A terrific way to network with alumni is to speak to them at career fairs and other campus events.
• Parents & other family-It has been estimated by networking experts that the average person has up to 250 contacts and your parents, as well as other family members, have many years of accumulated experience that you would be foolish not to take advantage of. Naturally, too, they have a vested interest in your career success and will be very supportive of your request for contacts.
• Parents of classmates-No doubt you have had the opportunity to meet the parents of some of your friends. They, like your parents, will be pleased to help you and they are good sources of information.
• Professors and other advisors-Many professors and other advisors do take a personal interest in their students and stay in touch with them after graduation. In addition, faculty have years of connections that they have forged through their research and affiliation with their professional societies.
• Current and former employers-Your current and former employers will know other employers in their field and will have many professional contacts that they can share with you. Further, as your employer, they can be a very powerful referral source for you because they are familiar with your work and with your potential.
• Guest speakers and Career Fair representatives -The people who serve as guest speakers and Career Fair representatives are enthusiastic about working with college students and, in fact, they often volunteer for these assignments. Attending career fairs and going to hear guest speakers give you unparalleled networking opportunities. The purpose for these events is to provide you with career information, and, moreover, many of these representatives are alumni of your university.
• Members of professional associations-Some students will join the American Marketing Association or the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineering because it looks good on their resume. Wrong! The real reason why you should join is that you meet other students with interests similar to yours who can clue you in on hiring trends and career options. Importantly, too, many professional associations host guest speakers who speak about their organizations and their career opportunities.
• Members of clubs or other organizations to which you belong-Do not underestimate the value of other organizations that you belong to, even if these are unrelated to your major or career field. Through playing rugby or belonging to a Greek organization, for instance, you form close relationships that may potentially help you to connect with sources of career and job information.
• Internet on-line discussion groups, chat rooms, and web-based networks-Any advice on networking in today's wired world would certainly be incomplete without a discussion of internet resources. Many professional and industry associations, such as the Public Relations Society of America or the Semiconductor Industry Association, host newsgroups and mailing lists that professionals use to discuss recent trends in their fields, ask questions of each other, and network. In addition, there are also "chat" rooms available on several commercial sites, such as Monster.com and WetFeet.com. For information on how you can find these sites and protocol or "netiquette" to follow, use the Riley Guide at http://www.rileyguide.com/.
• Other targeted contacts such as high school teachers, the family doctor, your clergyman, etc. can be great providers of contacts-For example, your family pharmacist may be able to help you contact pharmaceutical sales representatives. Your clergyman may have several bankers in his congregation.

The second step is to decide what your purpose is in contacting your network and this depends on the stage at which you are in planning your career. In other words, what are you hoping to gain by meeting with these networking contacts? For example, if you are in the early stage of career planning and you are exploring majors or career directions, then your purpose is to gather information about jobs and careers of interest to you. This will include information about job duties, educational preparation, future growth in the field, and recommended work experience.

If you are in the later stage of career planning and you are conducting a job search for either full-time or co-op/internship positions, then your purpose is to obtain advice on how to conduct your job search and to get job leads. This will include specific information about employers in your field, descriptions of various work environments, hiring strategies, preferred qualifications, and referrals to employers who have openings. Of course, too, these purposes are not exclusive and you may be seeking both information and advice on your job search from your networking contacts, especially if you are looking for your first experience in the field as a co-op/intern.

The third step after you have determined why you're networking is to carefully review what you have to offer and what you are seeking. Knowing yourself better will enable you to talk easily with greater confidence to your networking contacts, and it will help you to make a match with careers and employers that are right for you. To facilitate this self-assessment, consider your skills, interests, and values. Take a few minutes, then, to reflect on the questions below.

What are your greatest accomplishments? Of what are you most proud? What are the skills or experiences that enabled you to achieve these accomplishments? List your ïtop ten' accomplishments and then describe these in enough detail so you begin to see common threads of interest and skills. For instance, perhaps you were selected to serve as an ambassador for your high school or university and you also volunteered to be the programs' chair for the Finance Club. Both of these accomplishments require excellent interpersonal skills, a flair for organization, and good public speaking ability.

What interests you professionally and personally? What courses, work experiences, or activities do you enjoy? Conversely, what do you dislike doing? If you find it hard to answer these questions, consider taking a career interest test. Your university's career services office will be able to provide you with information about taking an interest test.

What is important to you? Is it helping others? Is it working in a creative environment? Are positions of influence and authority attractive to you? Do you want to work independently, or as part of a close-knit team? Consult with your university's career services office if you are interested in learning more about work-related values and the steps you can take to assess yours.

The fourth step is to practice introductions of yourself that you will use in meeting your networking contacts. Depending on the situation, you may want to use the sound bite, an idea by Brian Krueger in his book, the College Grad Hunter, or a longer introduction called the commercial. The sound bite is an abbreviated introduction of yourself and it is used in situations such as Career Fairs or receptions where you do not have very much time to talk. It is also a good lead-in for telephone conversations with contacts you do not know. In situations in which you have more time to talk about yourself, the commercial is a longer version of the sound bite, typically thirty to sixty seconds, and it works well during a meeting with one of your networking contacts. The commercial can also follow your sound bite as your contact asks you to elaborate on your background.

The sound bite consists of an introduction of yourself by name and university, what your major is, and what the purpose of your networking is. For example, "Hi, my name is Ashley Keith. I'm a psychology major at Good Ol' University and I'm interested in learning more about the human resources field."

A commercial for Ashley Keith could go something like this:

"I became interested in the human resources field last summer when I interned at The Greater Houston YMCA and I got to know the Human Resources Director there. I had always planned on following the traditional route to graduate school but her job really fascinated me. She worked in all aspects of employee relations and hiring and had a sincere interest in helping people. I liked the variety of her job and the fact that she was a very positive influence in the YMCA. When I returned to school this fall, I decided to add a business class and I also joined the Human Resources Management Association. I have enjoyed my business class and it's a good complement to my psychology classes. Next semester I will begin taking courses as a management major and I hope to obtain an internship in human resources next summer."

PUTTING YOUR NETWORK INTO PRACTICE

Now that you have developed your list of networking contacts, decided on your networking purpose, reflected on your interests and skills, and condensed these into a sound bite and commercial, it's time to put all of your preparation into practice by initiating contact with your network. All of the following methods can be effective strategies, so remember to use a style that is comfortable for you.

• Person-to-Person
  According to Hansen, networking in person usually happens in the early, as well as the later stages of the networking process. In the early stage, you talk to people who are family members, friends, professors, or other close contacts. When these initial contacts lead to later meetings with the people whom your first contacts referred you to, the second stage of person-to-person networking occurs. Make sure to have your sound bite and commercial introductions ready, and always prepare a list of questions to ask your networking contact.
• Written Letters
  When you have been referred to someone you do not know or you are contacting someone without the benefit of an acquaintance's referral (usually called a "cold call"), then a well-written letter is a good idea. In writing your letters, follow these guidelines:
  • Opening Paragraph
    State why you are writing and identify yourself. Always lead with the name of the person that referred you to the contact, if you have one. For example, "Mark Davis suggested that I write to you about my interest in working for a Big Five management consulting firm. Currently, I am a sophomore business major at Ivory Tower College and I am seeking information about careers in consulting."
  • Middle Paragraph
    Provide information about your background and your career interests, however tentative. For example, what work experience have you had and what are your goals. Remember, too, that the purpose of networking is to gather information, not to ask for a job, so make sure to state that you are in the process of gathering information about career possibilities. Also ask about the possibility of arranging a meeting at the networking contact's convenience. In addition to a face-to-face meeting, you may want to suggest the possibility of a conversation by telephone or by e-mail.
  • Last Paragraph
    Thank your networking contact for their time and consideration of your request. Do not ask them to call you. Instead, offer to telephone them after they have had an opportunity to review your letter, usually in one to two weeks, to schedule a convenient time for a conversation.
• Telephone Calls
  An alternative to writing your networking contacts is to telephone them. As with the letter, always clearly identify yourself, the reason why you are calling, and give the name of your referral, if you have one. Have your sound bite ready, suggest a follow-up conversation by phone, face-to-face, or by e-mail, and close by thanking them for their time. Interestingly, too, this author recommends that you stand, rather than sit, when you make these initial calls. This helps you to be more alert and come across with greater confidence as you are, quite literally, "thinking on your feet." And, be enthusiastic! Help to keep the conversation lively and tell them you're very interested in their advice or information.
• E-Mail
  Communicating by e-mail is becoming the easiest way to contact busy professionals and it averts the waste of time caused by "telephone tag." It's also a good strategy if you are familiar with your networking contacts and you know that their organization's culture is e-mail friendly. Just because e-mailing is easier than "snail mailing,"do not be misled and send a message that is overly casual. Follow the same guidelines outlined above for written letters.

INFORMATION INTERVIEWS

Called the "most effective way to network" (Heenehan, 1997), information interviews can be thought of as extended conversations with your network of contacts. The concept was first introduced by Richard Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute?, the definitive book on career planning. In his book, Bolles maintains that it is impossible to decide on a career without gathering information first-hand from people who do the work. The information interview, then, works especially well if you are in the early stages of career planning and you are exploring majors and career directions. By meeting with professionals, preferably at their work site, it allows you to "try on a career" before you decide. For this reason, it's also a good strategy to use when you're trying to decide between two options in your field as you near your senior year. And because it is an extended conversation, it is wise to ask for a minimum of thirty minutes of your contact's time.

Preparing for the Information Interview

Many people assume that because the information interview is not a job interview, it's okay to go in without much preparation. You are there just to learn, aren't you? Granted, it is a learning experience, but you will miss an opportunity to impress a valuable contact if you are unprepared. Moreover, the contact will limit your conversation to only a few minutes if you waste time by being unprepared. How do you prepare? You do this by doing two kinds of research Ü research on yourself and research on the career field or organization.

• Research.
  In researching yourself, know your purpose for contacting your network, as discussed previously, and take stock of what you have to offer and what your goals are, however tentative. Again, review your skills, interests, and values so you can convey this self-knowledge to your networking contacts and determine what career and jobs are the best fit for you. You should also do some research on the career fields of your networking contacts, as well as their organizations. This research accomplishes a number of purposes-you are able to ask well-informed questions, you don't waste their time by asking obvious questions that your research would have answered, and you are able to more effectively respond to any questions they may ask. There are many excellent resources you can use to do this research and the staff of your university career services office can suggest hard copy, internet, and alumni resources.
• Should I Bring a Copy of my Resume?
  It is also a good idea to bring a few copies of your resume to your information interview. This allows you to provide your networking contacts with further information about your background and to reinforce the points you made in your sound bite or commercial. Sending a copy of your resume is also a wonderful way for them to refer you to other contacts. Further, if your information interview is going well and you have established rapport with your contact, then you may wish to ask them to critique your resume at the end of the interview.
• What Should I Wear?
  Another key component of your preparation for the information interview is your appearance and nothing more directly affects your appearance than how you are dressed. It has been said that "you never get a second chance to make a first impression," so always dress on the conservative side. When in doubt, a business suit for both men and women is recommended. Dress codes can vary greatly, however, from one industry to another, so do your homework to research trends regarding appropriate attire. By all means, your clothes should be clean and presentable. This author will never forget the time when one of my contacts reported that a student I had referred to her arrived for the information interview in shorts, with a girlfriend in tow, no less!

Questions to Ask in an Information Interview

Your homework on the career field or employer in question will have given you some good ideas for questions that you may wish to ask. Remember, your goal is to gather information, so prepare your questions in advance. Keep "yes" or "no" questions to a minimum because they limit the information you will get. It is also a good idea to prioritize your questions so you can make sure that you have the opportunity to ask those that are most important to you. Following is a list of questions that may be useful to you.

General Questions About the Career Field:

1. What are the various jobs available in this field?
2. What is the employment outlook? How much demand is there for people in this career?
3. What are the typical entry-level job titles and functions?
4. What skills or personal characteristics do you feel contribute most to success in this industry?
5. What entry-level jobs offer the best opportunities for learning?

Questions About the Employer

1. What products or services are in the development stage now?
2. What kinds of assignments might I expect in the first six months/one year on the job?
3. In what ways is a career with your company better than one with your competitors?
4. Given the dynamics of the industry, how do you see the company evolving over the next five years?
5. What types of training does your organization provide?

Questions About Your Contact's Job

1. What specifically do you do? What are your duties and responsibilities?
2. Describe some of most challenging situations you have faced in this job.
3. What do you find most satisfying? Least satisfying?
4. Which other departments, functional units, or levels do you regularly interact with?
5. What projects have you worked on have been particularly interesting?

Questions About Preparation for the Career Field

1. What educational preparation do you recommend?
2. Is prior experience necessary and, if so, what kind?
3. If you were a college student again, what would you do differently to prepare for this job?

Questions About Your Contact's Career Path

1. In what way did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
2. What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
3. What are related jobs for which your background would prepare you?
4. Where do you go from here in your career?
5. If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? What would you change?

Questions About Organizational Culture

1. What do you like most about this company?
2. What kinds of behaviors are rewarded?
3. How would you describe the atmosphere at the company? Is it formal or more laid-back?
4. What values are most treasured here; what is the company's vision statement?
5. How does the company recognize the contributions of outstanding employees?

Questions About Opportunities for Advancement:

1. What are the advancement opportunities?
2. How long does it take to move from one step to the next?
3. What is the typical career path for someone in this field?
4. Where could I expect to be in three years/ five years?
5. What is the highest position that someone can hold in this career?

Seeking General Advice and Referrals:

1. Do you know of other people whom I might contact who have jobs similar to yours?
2. What do you wish you had known before you entered this field?
3. What kinds of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage for anybody pursuing a career in this field?
4. How would you assess the experience I've had so far in terms of the requirements for this field?
5. If you were conducting a job search today, how would you go about it?

Questions You May Be Asked

In an information interview, it is not uncommon for your contact to reverse roles and ask questions of you. Following are some basic questions for which you should be prepared.

• Tell me about yourself.
• How did you become interested in this career field?
• What do you know about this field or about this organization?
• What skills can you bring to this field/job?
• What have you learned from your work experiences or coursework that leads you to this field?
• Closing the Information Interview

Be considerate of your contact by being careful not to go over your allotted time without encouragement. You may say something like, "Well, it looks like I have time for one last question." Your interviewee can then either end your interview with the question or invite you to ask additional questions. One of the last questions you should always be prepared to ask is to request the names of additional people you can add to your network of contacts. This is especially important if your goal is to obtain more job leads and contacts in the field. Also, ask for a business card and inquire whether your contact would mind if you stayed in contact with him or her. Finally, thank the interviewee for his time and always follow-up with a thank-you letter, either by mail or by e-mail.

KEEPING IT ALL TOGETHER

Your networking efforts can quickly get out of control if you don't maintain a record of your contacts, the information that you gained, and the follow-up activities recommended by your contacts. Keeping a notebook or a log of your activities will keep you organized and on track. Following is a suggested format by Meg Heenehan from her book, Networking. Better yet, you can enter this information in a database or spreadsheet to have it at your fingertips for quick retrieval and follow-up.

Sample Networking Log

• Contact Name:
• Company or Organization:
• Address:
• Referral Source:
• Date of Meeting or Contact:
• Key Points I Learned: (Include both positive and negative impressions; also note if the information helped you to clarify your career objectives).
• Suggestions from Networking Contact:
• Thank-You Letter Sent
• Suggested Contacts
• Next Steps

MAKE SURE YOUR NETWORK HAS STAYING POWER

All of your best preparation for your meetings and discussions with your networking contacts can be undone if you fail to thank those who helped you. Do not limit your thank-you letters only to those contacts whom you met with face-to-face. Instead, acknowledge the assistance of everyone in your network, not only those in a position to hire you, but anyone who provided you, according to Hansen, with the "minutest amount of assistance."

Why is this important? It's important for two reasons. First, your courtesy and consideration will reinforce the positive impression you made during your encounter with them. Second, following up with your contacts presents you as an organized person who pays attention to details. For these reasons, they will be more inclined to recommend you for jobs. Further, don't just send a single thank-you letter, but stay in touch with your network of contacts to keep them informed of your activities and make a special point to let them know the results of the advice they gave you. Doing this will help them to think of you when they learn of an opportunity that would be perfect for you.

Following are guidelines to use in writing thank-you letters to your contacts.

• First Paragraph
  Begin your thank-you letters by thanking your networking contacts for their assistance, whether this consisted of meeting with you for an information interview, providing you with other contacts, or informing you of job leads. "I appreciate the time you gave me to speak with me," "thank you for your assistance in my search for information about opportunities in public relations," or "it was a delight to meet you" are good lead-ins. Also, you may want to summarize how their advice helped you. For example, "I now have a good base of knowledge about the career of social worker," or "I was able to learn of job openings that are a good fit for my skills and interests."
• Second Paragraph
  In this paragraph, refer to specific advice or information that your contact provided to you. Statements such as "your suggestions about how I can obtain a job in biotechnology have helped me to refine my resume and to focus my job search," or "the information you shared with me about possibilities in engineering helped me to choose electrical engineering as my major." This serves to make your thank-you letter special by personalizing it. Also, note why you believe you would be a strong applicant for positions in this career, if your networking purpose is to obtain a job. Additionally, in this paragraph you can inform them of your next steps in your career or job search. For example, "I plan to meet representatives of non-profit agencies at the upcoming Liberal Arts Career Fair."
• Third Paragraph
  Again thank your contacts for their time and assistance in your final paragraph. It is also a nice touch to offer to keep them posted of your progress. This accomplishes two important networking objectives. One, it makes them feel good about the time they spent with you because you seem to value the relationship. And, two, it keeps them in your network so you can call on them for future advice and information.

CONCLUSION

By now, you hopefully understand that networking is not an intimidating skill, mastered only by a few people who have full-blown networks already in place. Instead, it is an organized process that can easily be learned and perfected. With a bit of research and planning, you can begin to develop a network of priceless contacts that can serve you well now and throughout your career. So get going and help yourself to a bright future!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

What Color Is Your Parachute?, Richard Bolles, Ten Speed Press, 2000.

Power Networking, Donna Fisher and Sandy Vilas, MountainHarbour Publications, 1999.

A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market, Katharine Hansen, Ten Speed Press, 2000.

Networking, Meg Heenehan, Random House, 1997.

Networking & Your Job Search, Margaret Riley Dikel, 2000, http://www.rileyguide.com/

Dr. Leigh Turner
Director of Career Services
Texas A & M University