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| The China Business Network Silicon Dragon Dinner SF (Photo credit: Elliottng) |
Networking is a great way to meet new people in the field
that you want to work in. You can learn
more about the companies and you have an opportunity to put yourself in the
forefront of employers minds before you apply for a job (or after). As you know, your network is more likely to
help you find a job than the want ads so you need to get out there and network.
Networking doesn’t come naturally to everyone though so here
are 5 tips that can help you find success at networking events:
1. Plan ahead
See if you can find out what companies are going to be at
the event and who is going to be representing those companies. Do some research and see what you can find
out about them. Find their LinkedIn
account. Check to see if they have been
published online. See if they have been
interviewed in any news articles. The
more you know about the companies and their representatives the more you will
be prepared to hold an intelligent conversation.
You can also get prepared by making sure you have business
cards ready and resumes that you can hand out if the opportunity arises.
2. Use your business
cards
Don’t have business cards yet? Get them!
A good business card is an absolute must for networking. How else are they going to be able to contact
you later?
In the past, business cards have contained things like your
address and phone number and your position in a company. But since you likely don’t have a company
that you work at that last point is not applicable. That stuff is boring anyway. Instead, include your social networks -
especially LinkedIn.
Make sure to collect business cards too, and as soon as you
get home, organize them and take some notes on what you talked about with each
person. If their business card has a web
site or a LinkedIn profile, look it up.
If there is a way of contacting that person, do so within 24 hours of
the networking event so that they will remember you. It is also a good way to carry on the
conversation that you started at the event.
3. Present value
People need to know why they should connect with you so make
sure that the first few words that you utter to someone you meet at a
networking event give them a reason to get to know you more. Talk about something current in your field to
show that you are up to date with what is going on. If you’ve done your research you might be
able to draw attention to a shared interest.
For example, if you know that the company you work for does a lot of
work with a certain charity and you happen to feel the same (don’t lie about
it) you can mention that right away. The
more value your present to the person you are speaking to, the more likely they
are to remember you when they are hiring.
4. Don’t be a
technological savant
Knowing how to use technology - especially the Internet and
social media - can be very valuable. If you
don’t even have a LinkedIn account how are you going to connect with those that
do after the event? If you don’t know
how to use the Internet, how are you going to do the research?
You can even have an electronic business card that makes sharing
information even easier!
5. It’s OK to put
your own motives aside
Sometimes one of the best things you can do is put your own
motives aside when you are connecting with others. Either during or after the event you might
know someone that should meet someone you are talking to. You might be able to help others out along
the way and employers like to know that you are not completely focused on
yourself all the time.
