WineTalent Job Hunting Primer: Part 4 – Networking
The current employment landscape has a lot of people unexpectedly looking for a job. Forecasters in the wine industry have been very gloomy about wine sales and consumption. This has had some companies laying off employees, and many companies being wary about bringing on new employees. While this is a trying time, it is also the best time to expand your network.
Part 4 – Networking
A recruiter is only as good as her network. If I’m a good recruiter, I’m networking, networking, networking. But what is networking? It is building relationships with people both in and out of the wine industry and forging new ones. As a job seeker, networking can help you meet people that may have jobs open today or that may be able to introduce you to others who could influence your career.
When I started a new office for my old employer here in Sacramento, I had to figure out how to meet potential clients. I started by joining the Metro Chamber of Commerce and attending monthly luncheons. But simply attending a luncheon did not bring in business. There was always a “meet and greet” time at the luncheons. As a self-identified wallflower, I had to force myself to go and say hello to new people. Oh, the agony! But I’d muster up my courage, make sure I had business cards handy, and greet as many people as possible. I got quite good at sidling up to a group of people, finding a good time to step forward, smile and put out my hand while introducing myself. Awkward? Yes, but I didn’t care. I needed to get to know businesspeople in this new town and figure out who was hiring. Today I still go to business meetings, still sidle up to groups and still break out a friendly smile and a handshake to introduce myself.
What I’ve learned over these 30 years of networking is that while many things change, many things stay the same. I think networking is still the same today, with some networking opportunities moving into social media and the internet (yes, if you’ve gotten this far in my article, we are networking right now).
So as a job seeker, how can you network? Here are some simple suggestions.
- Identify people that could give you good information and contact them. This could be finding a contact on LinkedIn that holds a job you are interested in or reaching out to someone who recently published an article that you found interesting.
- Find meetings, seminars and industry mixers that make sense for your career goals. While you may not need to attend a chamber of commerce mixer, perhaps you should be attending an industry roundtable of likeminded professionals in your niche.
- Be promiscuous on LinkedIn. I know that sounds racy, but LinkedIn is a program that benefits people who have a lot of contacts. The average user can see people within three degrees of separation from them. So, if you have more contacts, you’ll be more findable by others, and have more ability to see potential contacts to reach out to.
- Read everything you can about the career you are interested in and connect with subject matter experts. I’m really into careers. I read books about careers. I read blogs about careers. I listen to career podcasts. I can’t get enough information about careers. I’ve reached out to people behind these sources—and made great connections with many people. Some of you may even be reading this now!
- Offer to help others. If you hear of a friend putting on a charity event, offer to help out. Is your local industry association putting on a get-together? Volunteer to help sign people in (Oh, this is one of my favorite hacks—you get to know everyone who is attending the event, welcome them to the event, and introduce yourself—winning!)
- Look for opportunities. My list is just the beginning. Think about how you can rub elbows with people who can help you in your career and go meet them. Most often they are flattered, happy to help and haven’t been contacted by very many others.
Now you’ve gotten yourself out there. Make sure you have a snappy “elevator pitch”, look them in the eyes when you introduce yourself, have your contact info handy and get to know these new contacts. But your work doesn’t end there. The best way to be successful in networking is to follow up afterwards. I’ll cover this in my next article, but I don’t want to leave you hanging. The best way to follow up is easy. As soon as you get back to your computer, send an email message reintroducing yourself, give a couple of relevant points from your meeting and the reason why you want to foster a relationship with them. If your interactions have been online, send a quick recap of your interest in forming a relationship with the person and open the door to future interactions.
Good Luck—now get out there and build that network. In the words of Bob Dylan, “When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.” You’re only going to gain new contacts, which will be helpful in your career, today and in the future.
