Steve's Blog (for Jobseekers & those hiring)

A month ago, I got into an interesting discussion with Edwin Duterte of PinkSlipMixers.com regarding the state of job search for the Silicon Valley unemployed.  Many seem to suffer from misconceptions, fallacies, and/or predetermined notions regarding their roles (or lack of roles)  in their own quest to find work (jobs or otherwise).  Many of us are focused on “getting ourselves the job,” as opposed to “how can I help others, and therefore help myself.” Many suffer from the illusion that simply showing up to networking events should be enough to get us hired; that we can request any level of resources or assistance without expecting anything in return; and that if there is nothing of interest for me (jobs, specific contact with recruiters/hiring managers, etc.) why bother attending/participating/engaging?

Hopefully we can dispel this train of thought and instead encourage participants to focus on “paying it forward” by supporting each other.   Again, helping others get hired means another contact that can help you in return.  Networking is not just about “what’s in it for me,” but how we support others (and in the end, ourselves) to be successful.

This post is not solely intended to admonish event attendees, goading them into participating in the running, coordination and/or management of every event (I want participants to step up and do exactly that).  If you consider yourself a component of any community, consider how long that community’s success will last without ongoing support and involvement from it’s membership.  Enjoying the benefits from social networks is great (referrals, connections, contacts, advice, etc.), but it is equally important to pass on what you have learned, (websites, a key contact, some advice regarding job search, a great referral) so that others can also benefit from the shared knowledge of those present.Keep in mind that these networking events should be considered professional settings to promote and advertise yourself.  It is not acceptable to just show up without properly preparing yourself.  I recommend the following points to focus on:

1) Have a clearly defined goal and objectives tied to that goal for any networking event. A typical goal might be to increase your visibility to other potential jobseekers and learn something new from each.  One objective to support that goal is to amass 10 solid contacts that can be used to expand your network.  It helps to connect with folks of similar interests, but if you are bold enough, make a point to expand your circle to those outside your experience/niche/profession.  Let’s say, hypothetically, I’m an electrical engineer working for a component company.  Sure I can connect with other engineers, but it does not mean that I can’t reach out to others, perhaps in other professions or from industries that while related, I may not have been exposed to.  This allows me to broaden my perspective and learn the lessons that others might be willing to share.  Understandably, I’m not doing this all of the time, but if out of 10 contacts, I make an effort to connect with three people outside my typical niche, perhaps I can open my eyes to other options.

2) Be prepared with contact  information (in the form of business cards, a resume, etc.) that can be easily passed on to others.

3) Provide something to share, either questions, or a resource, or a referral to pass on to others.

4) When making contact with someone who you share some common interests or information, make sure to extend your contact by following-up.

5) Outside of networking, keep active with other interests (e.g., sports, volunteering, politics, current events, etc.). Keep yourself well-rounded and keep your conversations upbeat, lively and fluid. Nothing is more boring than meeting folks that are solely about the search and do nothing else.

Anything else to share? Please by all means, comment here and share the knowledge, life lessons, and your experience.