Build Your Network Before You Need It

 

You need you need to have a strong network, right?  Networking is the best way to find a job, right?

Then why do so many people wait until they are out of work to begin building their network?

I don’t know, because that’s a crazy way to do it.

This article makes a great point about networking — get started yesterday and keep at it.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/01/networking-for-job-too-late-continuous/2/?#article-copy

I wrote a post a while back about a friend who lost his job in late December but had a new one by mid January — all because of his network.

One of the people with whom he stays in touch with regularly, called him with holiday greetings.  He told her that he had lost his job.  She just happened to know of a company that was looking for somebody just like him.  She made the referral, he went for the interview and got the job.

Admittedly, this was a happy coincidence.  But it would never have happened had he and she not stayed in touch over the years.

Networking is a lifelong activity.  Yes, you have to build a strong network and keep adding to it.  But more important, you have to nurture that network — stay in touch, help out others whenever you can.

While you can’t start yesterday, you can start today.  Make a list of people with whom you’ve lost touch.  Send an email, or make a phone call to three of them every day for the next couple of weeks until that list is exhausted.  You’ll be reinvigorating your network — and it will be there for you when you need it.

Your career mentor,

Bud

PS: You can join the thousands of professionals who have downloaded my career advice book, Success Tweets by going to www.SuccessTweets.com/  When you do, you’ll also begin receiving my daily motivational quotes — and you’ll get a free basic membership in my career mentoring website.

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