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SALT LAKE CITY -- A lot of people don't like the idea of networking.
JibberJobber.com CEO Jason Alba says some people are shy or introverted. Even if they do go to an event where they could really make connections with important people in their industry, they don't know what to do when they get there.
"They'll go somewhere. They might go to the food table or they might stand in the back, kind of like a wallflower. But, they're not there to meet people and try and make those good connections. I think that's really where most people fail," Alba said.
Other people have had bad experiences and have a bad impression of what networking is. Maybe an old friend called them out of the blue, invited them to dinner, then they discovered the friend just wanted to get them to buy into a multi-level marketing campaign.
Despite how you may feel about networking, analysts say it give a job-seeker a leg up in finding work. So, here are five ways you can be more effective at it.
Know what you want
Going to a networking function, like an industry conference or a dinner, isn't enough of a plan, according to Alba. He says you should have a specific goal when you go to any of these events.
"If you say, ‘I'm going to go there and meet 10 people,' that might be OK. But, I would rather hear you say, ‘I want to meet three people that I should schedule lunch with in the next three days,'" Alba said.
The people you schedule lunch with can't be just random attendees of these functions, either. Alba says these people need to be important figures that have some clout in your industry.
Lose the sales pitch
Have you ever spoken to a bad salesman? His interest about you feels fake and it seems like he can't say anything that isn't designed to get you to buy what he's selling. You don't want to seem like a bad salesman when you're selling yourself. So, lose the sales pitch completely when you first meet someone.
"[It's] usually because your pitch is really bad. There's jargon. There are clichés. It's confusing. I don't know what it means and I don't know how it's relevant to me," Alba said.
When you meet someone while networking, Alba says you want to focus on just building the relationship. Ask that person questions and get to know more about them. There is a time to give your sales pitch, but not right away.
Don't rush things
When you meet another professional in your industry, that person is bound to ask you some questions about yourself. But Alba says too many job seekers want to give out as much of their professional information as they possibly can. Slow down. Alba says you don't have to recite your entire resume right away.
"For me, a lot of times, the first meeting is really about setting up the next meeting, which is either a phone call or a lunch or something like that," he explained.
Point that person to your online presence
This is how the people you meet while networking will learn more about you. If you don't have some sort of website or a profile page on LinkedIn.com, Alba says you need to get one right away.
"There's no way around that, especially as a professional or as a job seeker, you need to have a LinkedIn profile," he said. "The cool thing about that is it takes the place of a blog or a website. It becomes your online presence."
Follow up
As cliché as this sounds, people have to follow up. Alba says everyone promises to do this, but few people actually do it.
"If you follow up with people, with purpose, you'll stand out and you'll be remembered and it helps you nurture that relationship," he said.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
