I just finished reading Confessions of a Resilient Entrepreneur by Frumi Rachel Barr which chronicles one entrepreneur's professional and personal life over several decades. After owning several businesses, Barr became a business coach and a lot of her advice for small business owners is relevant to people in a job search. Here are some of my favorite suggestions from her book and my take on how these concepts apply to a job search:

• "Make a list of your core values. Which ones do you actively support? Which ones need your attention?" For the job seeker, core values should be examined to help them decide what type of company they want to work for. What are your priorities? Do you value money, great benefits, meaningful work, a relaxed dress code, flexibility, lots of vacation time...the more aligned the corporate culture is with your core values and life priorities the greater the likelihood that you will succeed in that organization.
  
• "Make a list of all the people who fall into your different role categories. What actions should you spend energy on?" In the world of job search, job seekers need to develop a targeted networking strategy that gets them in front of the right people with the greatest possible frequency. All networking activities are not created equal. Take the time to examine your network and concentrate on the relationships and affinity groups that will optimize your visibility and keep you in front of the right audience.
  
• "Start a journal. Make notes about your impressions of yourself and your decision making process. Did you get to where you are because you followed a plan or did things just happen?" Journaling during a job search can be a great way to relieve stress and it can also be an excellent strategy for reviewing past career successes and mistakes. The more introspective you can be about the past, the greater the chance of finding the right culture and fit at your next job.
  
• "What are you afraid of? What fears are holding you back?" Have you resisted pursuing your dream job because you fear that you will fail or that people around you won't understand? How would you feel if you were selected for the job of your dreams and what would it look like? By visualizing your success you may overcome your fears and get one step closer to your perfect job.
  
• "What trade offs are you making in your life right now and what are you willing to trade to get where you want to go?" Job search requires a significant commitment and a certain amount of risk. Job seekers need to stretch during a job search and take some calculated risks. What sacrifices have you made for current or past employers and what were the consequences? What sacrifices are you willing to make moving forward to find the right job?
  

Tales From the Networking Community

I just finished reading Tales From the Networking Community and really enjoyed Dan Williams' simple, yet powerful statements about networking. My favorites are:

1. "Building trust is not an event, but rather comes with frequency" How true! Generally, introductions into another person's network don't happen after one encounter. The relationship must afford you consistent visibility and you must remain top of mind with your contacts in order to solidify the affinity, gain credibility, and eventually broaden your network.
   
2. "Networking is like farming; it requires an ongoing process of activities to grow, it requires a leap of faith, and it cannot be done alone." Without proper nurturing, nothing can grow. Like children, your network requires a lot of attention in order to remain healthy and prosperous.
   
3. "Networking has very little do do with personality. Networking is all about a learned set of skills and having a systematic process to exercise those skills." People are not born knowing how to network. Anyone can learn the strategies for creating successful relationships, but they have to be willing to do the work. And it is a lot of work!

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

A few weeks ago I signed up for a networking cruise along the East River in Manhattan aboard the New York Health & Racquet Club yacht. The event was produced by HRNY, the New York chapter of SHRM, and I was really excited about networking with HR professionals. But I wasn't excited about going on a boat...I've never fared well on the high seas and I wasn't expecting this experience to be any different...I was definitely outside my comfort zone.

But I decided that the value of the event was greater than my fear and I made the decision (sans Dramamine) to attend. And I'm so glad I did because I was privy to some amazing conversations and industry debates including the pros and cons of being an HR specialist versus an HR generalist, the future of the video resume, new benefits programs that target boomers, and strategies for creating more meaningful candidate interviews.

The point is this. Each time we prepare for a networking event, there is always some little voice inside of us that says "Is it worth it to go to this event," "I'd rather stay home and watch TV," "I'm only going to stay for an hour," etc. etc. There's always a feeling that you may be stepping outside your comfort zone. That's ok. Push past the discomfort and attend. You will meet people who can help you in your search or general career development and you will capture some golden nuggets of information that will help you either personally or professionally. Just get on the boat, relax, and enjoy the ride.

As for me, not only did I walk away from the cruise with some great new contacts and information, but I really did overcome my previous fear of boats. And while I'm not booking a cruise to Bermuda anytime soon, I certainly feel that I have grown personally as well as professionally from the event.

How do you overcome your fears around attending networking events?

The Lure of the Job Boards

Ready for a busy day of job searching? Just boot up that computer and get started on the online job boards. After all, there are several hundred jobs to search in your industry and you can crank out those applications until about noon when you decide to take a well-deserved break for lunch. I'm sure there's someone at the other end just waiting for your resume to grace their inbox!

OK, by now you've sensed my sarcasm. I've written about this topic before, but I continue to meet people who are lured by the leads on the job boards and convinced that if they just continue to scroll down the list, their dream job will appear. If only it were that easy!

I'm convinced that people are enticed by the boards for one of these reasons:

1. Using the boards makes them feel like they are productively searching.
2. The boards give them some level of control over their search and don't force them to step outside their comfort zone.
3. People are eternal optimists and are confident that with all those jobs, there must be something that is right for them.

The truth is that less than 5% of people in search find their jobs from the job boards and you can check out Nick Corcodilos' article on the reality of the boards and the abysmal sourcing statistics for some of the big boards.

Job search is sometimes uncomfortable and even messy, but it can also represent an enormous period of personal and professional growth. But to be successful, you have to be willing to dip your toe in the water, take some risks, and most importantly, take some responsibility for your own career management.

So step away from the computer and get out and meet people through affinity groups such as professional organizations, alumni groups, community events, and places of worship. The chances of building relationships with people you know or new people you meet through others and then leveraging those relationships to find job leads is far greater than the odds of finding your next job through the boards.

It's Important to Attend Professional Conferences

I recently attended the NRWA conference in Savannah, GA and returned with a wealth of information about leading-edge techniques for resume writing and career coaching. Every time I go to a professional development conference I take away golden nuggets of information that I can incorporate into my practice. But even if I had left the conference without learning one new strategy for resume writing or career coaching I still would have seen enormous value in attending the conference and here's why.

1. I had the privilege of sitting with a prolific industry author and learning her tips and tricks to writing successful career relevant books.
2. I got to know some of the industry vendors on a more personal level and discover their passion for the products they sell.
3. I reconnected with friends, colleagues, and industry leaders that I trust and respect.
4. I offered industry insights to newer members of the trade and shared ideas with industry old-timers.

In order to effectively manage your career, you need to proactively tap into your existing network and build new relationships within your industry. Professional conferences allow you to do this in an educational and social environment. Sure, these conferences take time and money, but the return on your investment will be obvious in the weeks and years to come. In a nutshell, I deepened relationships with people who already knew me and I forged relationships with others who didn't know me before the conference. What opportunities for professional growth exist within your industry and what are you doing to take advantage of these opportunities?

Top Excuses Why People Don't Network

The idea of networking is often resisted by job seekers. Since a strong network is the key to a successful job search, it's important to uncover the reasons for this resistance. Here are the most common obstacles people face and some recommendations for how to move past them.

1. I don’t want to ask for a favor

Many people think that when you network you are asking someone for a job. But this is not the goal of networking. When you network, you never ask for a job. You ask for information about an industry, company, or position

2. Fear of rejection

Many people fear that if they ask for information the other person might not be willing to talk to them. While it is true that not everyone will agree to meet with you, many people will extend help to you and you have nothing to lose by asking.

3. Lack of awareness regarding the effectiveness of networking

Most people in a job search spend too much time canvassing the open job market, the market everyone gets to see through job posting boards and recruiters. Far fewer explore the hidden market; the jobs that are never posted, but instead are filled through connections. The odds of finding a position through the smaller, hidden market are greater than those in the open market.

4. Not comfortable talking to people they don’t know

60% of the population considers themselves shy. This perception leads to less networking. If the prospect of speaking to someone you don’t know is overwhelming right now, start to build your network by talking with people you do know such as friends, family, neighbors, or your doctor or dentist. If they can lead you to others who can help you gain necessary information for your search, your network will grow in a steady, comfortable way.

5. I want to do it on my own

When you are selected for a position, it’s because you have the skills to support the needs of the position. You showcase your individual accomplishments and differentiate yourself from the competition. But in order to tell your stories to the right person you need to cast a wide net. You leverage your network to find the right audience, not to get the job.

6. Uncomfortable talking about yourself

Many of us were raised to be humble and not to brag. Networking and interviewing requires that you talk about yourself and your accomplishments. When you talk about your skills, you are not bragging. It’s only bragging if your discussion contains hyperbole, half truths, or lies.

7. Concerns about others knowing your business

Feeling too proud to tell people you are in a job search? Examine the cause. Have you assumed that networking is asking for a job? Next, examine the consequences. If you fail to incorporate networking as a method of search, it may take you much longer to find a job.

8. Lack of knowledge regarding the process

If you don’t understand networking, now’s the time to learn. To be an effective networker, you need to be willing to share information, build relationships based on trust and reciprocity, leverage existing relationships to create new ones, and create ways to stay in touch to continue giving. Those who don’t understand the process, who use people for information and never build the relationship or return the favor give networking a bad name and lose credibility in the eyes of others.

9. Expecting things to move too quickly

Networking is an ongoing process. Like a child, your network needs time to grow and you need to nurture it along the way. You must pay attention to your network to keep relationships strong. Many contacts are not able to lead you to the person capable of making a hiring decision. You must constantly “stir the pot” to effectively network. Take care of your network and it will in turn take care of you.

What's your excuse? Feel free to share your thoughts so we can help you break through your networking barriers and accelerate your job search.

Accelerate Your Network During the Slow Summer Months

When I counsel clients on their job search during the summer months, they often tell me that they plan to put their search on hold because they think that everyone is out of town and no one is hiring during this season.

Actually, the summer months can be the best time to step up your search campaign because so many applicants believe this misperception of the market. Consider the following:

Fewer people in town could mean more opportunity.

Savvy job seekers know that the more visible they are, the greater the chances of meeting the person that can connect them with a viable job opportunity. This concept may be even more important when you are searching during the summer months. Some job seekers make the mistake of taking a break from their search during the summer months because they assume that no one is in the hiring mode. The reality is that summer networking may be more productive. Decision makers’ schedules are not as tight and they may be more generous with their time. By establishing relationships with the key players now, you are more likely to be remembered when the hiring picks up.

People do more entertaining during the summer months.

Memorial Day weekend is synonymous with firing up the grill, taking the tarp off the pool, and planning informal gatherings. These venues are excellent opportunities to reconnect with old friends and hook up with new contacts. There is always a chance to share information about what you do at these events.

Networking options increase in the warm summer months.

With the warm weather comes the opportunity to network in places that you can’t network in the colder months. One such place is the golf course. Golf continues to be one of the most effective places for referrals and new business. If you have children, consider spending time with them in the playground. Parks are filled with people who have connections to others. Parents tend to gravitate to certain playgrounds on a regular basis so you have a chance to establish and grow the relationship over several visits. Bring along toys that encourage cooperative play including balls, Frisbees, and jump ropes and you’ll have an audience of eager kids and adults in no time.

Family obligations may be reduced during summer.

If you have older children, your family obligations might be reduced during the summer months. Children typically aren’t juggling as many activities and their time away from you may be extended if they are in a day or sleep away camp program. This could be the perfect time to participate in some early morning or after hours meetings and activities that are difficult to commit to during the school year.

Establishing relationships in the summer time is an excellent way to make inroads with decision makers who may be hiring in the fall. Hiring managers may be more accessible, more relaxed, and just in a better frame of mind during the summer months.

Make Your Network Work for You

Networking is the art of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. Frequently when I coach people who are in a job search and we discuss networking within the context of job search, many will say "Does that really work?" Like anything else, networking requires a bit of practice and finesse, but if done correctly, networking can be an invaluable part of your job search campaign. Here are a few tips to help you develop a network that works for you.

Be a teacher
Not everyone you meet will understand what networking is or how they can help you. Many think that the best way they can help a job seeker is to take their resume and pass it on to their human resource department. While their intentions are noble, their strategy is seriously flawed. HR managers, like recruiters, may only be motivated to take action on your resume if there is a current job opening within the organization that matches your skills. If a position is not available, they have no incentive to contact you and the connection is lost. Rather than giving your contacts a resume, thank them but tell them that what you would really like is an introduction to someone at that company so you can learn more about the company, share information about yourself, and begin to build a relationship.

Be a helper
Good networking is all about reciprocity. Always try to give more than you receive. Perhaps you have information about a particular company, industry, or educational program that would be valuable to someone in your network. Look for ways to help people in your network achieve their goals and they will be more likely to help you in return.

Be a conduit
Become a great connector for people and open up your network to them. Always think about who you might know that could help other people in your network in some way.

Be patient
People may want to help you, but you may not be the first item on their agenda. If someone agrees to meet with you, but can't do so immediately, accept the offer graciously.

Be authentic
Take a sincere interest in the lives of the people you meet. Don't milk people for information and then abandon the relationship. Nobody wants to feel like they are being taken advantage of. Find ways to reconnect with your network periodically to stay up to date and let them know that you care about what is going on in their lives.

Want to read about real life networking in action? Check out these great networking stories to hear how others have successfully networked to build relationship and manage their careers.

I Just Landed a New Job, so I'm Done Networking, Right?

After you find a new position, the relationships you developed during your search may continue to be important to your career. Here are a few suggestions for maintaining a viable network once you conclude your job search.

Update contact information
Be sure to send information on your new work location to all those who supported your efforts. This includes all personal contacts, recruiters, and other interested parties. Thank them all for their efforts and support. Plaxo and Spoke are great tools for keeping your network up to date.

Stay connected to colleagues
Keep in touch with co-workers, clients, and vendors from your previous position. By proactively managing these relationships now you strengthen the quality of your network and improve the opportunity to leverage these relationships at another point in time. Keep in mind that reciprocity is an important piece of the networking dynamic and by staying in touch you may be in a position to help your contacts should they decide to pursue other employment opportunities.

Keep professional memberships active
Continue to remain active in professional organizations. Contribute your time and knowledge to the organization’s events, special interest groups, and newsletters. The visibility you create now will benefit your professional development in many ways. An excellent resource for finding appropriate professional organizations for your industry is Weddles.

Conduct informational interviews
Remember how grateful you were when you were granted an informational interview or networking meeting? Consider doing the same if you are asked to offer advice or information to someone interested in your field or organization. What goes around comes around and such interviews give you the opportunity to source new talent, mentor a colleague, or build a relationship that will benefit both of you in the future.

Go to lunch
The lunch hour is a great time to bond with new co-workers and grow your network. Dine with a diverse group of colleagues across business units and job functions.

Stand Out in a Crowd

I just returned from the Women for Hire Job Fair in New York City where I was offering free resume critiques. In the sea of women that attended the event, I spotted one man. While some of the participants seemed to be looking at this gentleman with a "how did he get in here" attitude, or at least a somewhat bemused fascination, I thought this man was brilliant. What better way to get noticed at a crowded job fair, than to be the only person with a certain differentiating characteristic (in this case, gender). He was, I'm sure, one of the most memorable attendees at the event.

There are a lot of other ways to differentiate yourself in a group. Technology professionals with a specialty in financial services applications can attend an industry event for a financial services professional organization. A human resources executive interested in media companies can attend a workshop relevant to media professionals. A recent college graduate with an interest in attending nursing school can attend a healthcare related professional event. By being "the only one" in a given field at an event, you are more likely to be remembered.

If you are seeking a position in accounting, don't just network with other accountants. Diversify your network to include people from other professions. If you are in your early 20s don't only socialize with other people in their 20s. Network with people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. You never know who other people are connected to. Do you tend to associate with people from the same socioeconomic or ethnic background? Make a conscious effort to meet and network with people from a variety of backgrounds to expand your social circle and your potential opportunities.

Dare to be different and you will be remembered. If you can remain top of mind with the people in your network, you are more likely to secure a new and better job faster.