Make sure you have something to offer every contact every time you reach out to them, said John Crant, a career expert and founder of SelfRecruiter.com.
Tapping your professional network to find a job means tapping many of the same contacts over and over again. To ensure you don’t outlast your welcome, maintain a two-way relationship, said John Crant, a career expert and founder of SelfRecruiter.com.
Make sure you have something to offer every contact every time you reach out to them, Crant told the Wall Street Journal.
In today’s job market, most people return to their network without the ‘value-add’ for their contact. Calling an individual back only to communicate that you are still out there and looking [produces anxiety and guilt] on the other end too, and that’s no way to create the warm chemistry needed for effective networking. So, be sure to call them back with something for or about them: an interesting, related news article about their field or their company, or even something that may be of personal interest.
Be particularly mindful of using and abusing voicemail, he said.
No phone messages with “I’m just following up.” If you are thinking about what your messages are communicating on the other end, this one just says, “I’m checking to see if you did anything for me.” That’s a chemistry killer. Instead, leave your message about whatever you have zeroed in upon that is about them. Don’t forget that your tempo, tone and attitude on the call or message makes a significant difference in whether people engage and open up, or close and shut down.
(Image by renaissancechambara via Flickr CC 3.0)
More on networking:
- Are You in the Networking Hall of Shame?
- The Secret to Great LinkedIn Recommendations
- Recruiters’ Best Networking Tips
- Tuning Your Resume to the Right Keywords
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