Networking Tips from the NYT

Alina Tugend continued extended her article on how to use the web to find a job from the NYT. "When Job Hunting, Be Your Own Salesman" contains excellent, common sense advice to the thing we all dread most - "networking".

She collects a series of tips from various folks:

• Know the goal of the conversation you are about to have. What do you need to take away from the person?


• Learn how to tell your story - what you've done, strengths, what you're looking for - and learn to tell it quickly and in a way that will resonate with people. YOU have to help people draw connections.


• Treat job hunting like a job.


• Keep good notes. Track everything. KNOW when you called someone last. The flip side of this is "don't become a stalker"


• Go multi-channel. Phone, email, im, whatever...mix them up. Don't use the same channel twice in a row on a contact.


• Pay attention to the messages you are receiving. Many of these will HURT. Those are the most valuable. Cherish them. Internalize them. LEARN FROM THEM!


• Revise your strategy if it isn't working.


• Be nice. Have good manners. Put the other person first.

All valuable advice. And really, it is not just about job hunting. I feel that it is critical to be networking almost 24/7. You just NEVER know when you are going to find that connection.