I'm as Mad as He**

Play word association and what IMMEDIATELY comes to mind when you read the title of today's piece? Three guesses and the first two don't count. Anyone who says something other than "Network" has to face the fact that your association with our friend TJS is going to be a long slog. (Go to YouTube and see the Peter Finch "I'm as Mad as He**" rant and pay special attention to the lines at the beginning, once he gets started. They have definite applicability to those involved with TJS.)

I say that because no matter what you are doing, networking should always be at the very forefront of your consciousness, but especially when you are looking for a job. This seems a simple concept but it is shocking that there are enough people still out there who don't realize the value of mining their circles of friends, colleagues, neighbors, classmates, etc. and using those circles to create ever-expanding new circles. Probably the same people who still have double-digit percentage rate mortgages.

There are those of us who may know the value of networking but who do not want to due to lack of self-confidence or a simple question of personal style. This space won't address such situations directly, but may make it easier for the wallflowers to begin reaching out.  This won't address laziness either. I don't currently have (but maybe someday I will) the tools or certification, never mind the understanding, to help those who are aware of what networking can do, have the contacts at their disposal, yet sit back and think it is ok for the world to come to them and are indignant when the phone doesn't ring and the email box is empty.

No, your humble correspondent will attempt to provide a service, in some cases stating the obvious because I am not going to get caught assuming that readers of this blog will have thought of something before, however simple. Besides, the price of admission to TJS' The Job Search is free, so you may have to wade through the primer to get to the textbook.

For those of you who are not on LinkedIn, get on it. When you go there, fill out your profile as completely as possible and also upload your CV. Recruiters do comb through LinkedIn both to find candidates to fill permanent positions but also to locate those who might be willing to serve as subject matter experts for some initially indeterminate period. Once your information is loaded in, think of absolutely anybody you have ever known from wherever and whenever in your past and look them up. Seriously, go back to grade school or your old neighborhoods and do a brain dump and see what you find. There may (and probably will) be multiple people with the same name, so do a little detective work, read the profiles, and see if you can narrow down the possibilities. Someone whose name you had not considered in eons will show up as being in a position of responsibility at a great company for which you would LOVE to work--I can almost guarantee that.

I joined LinkedIn in March 2007 (hadn't even heard of it before then) at the invitation of a senior executive with whom I used to work at the company I had just left. Three years later I have more than 550 contacts which come from employers, social acquaintances, schoolmates from college and graduate school, childhood friends, and am always looking to add more. The site is helpful in suggesting people you may know based on contacts you already have, but that benefit won't kick in until you have done some leg work and sent invitations to people (and have had them accepted).

A word on sending LinkedIn invitations. It tends to be a lower-yielding exercise, but it is recommended that you add a personal note each time you contact someone through LinkedIn. I say 'lower yielding' as it appears to me that, compared to notes I send, many fewer potential contacts reply with anything other than the invitation acceptance. Still, I think it is absolutely worth it, especially if the contact is a bit tenuous or stale, or you may want to ask for something like a referral or meeting later on. (It is also a bit of an 'old school' approach, which is always a good thing.)

In your non-business situations, especially in the current environment, there is absolutely no shame in letting your friends know you are looking for work and asking if there is anyone they might know to whom you could speak. (Psst--it could be your favorite barkeep, restaurateur, shopkeeper, or train conductor. I am not suggesting a carpet bombing with your news, but if you know people well enough, you should be able to figure who might be able to be helpful.) Get the word out there, sell yourself. If you were a marketer launching a new product, goodness, once you'd done your market research, you would pull out all stops and use all available avenues to make sure the launch was a success. TJS is absolutely no different.

People want to be helpful, but don't anticipate that your nearest, dearest, warmest personal friends and running partners will be the most helpful. The best leads, advice, or referrals will more likely than not come from an individual whom you would not consider a bff. (best friend forever, for those not in the absolute know...) Your closest confidantes could genuinely be busy, pre-occupied, or maybe they were never going to come to your aid when the going got rough anyway. I am not trying to stir the pot, but the implication is clear--don't discount the ability of anyone to be your white knight.

I would be very interested to hear about networking stories and approaches that have worked especially well and those that may have produced less than optimal results. More on this topic next week.