Building an Impact-focused Career Part 2: Networking Your Way to the Perfect Position
As springtime comes to Colorado, many of you are planning a hiking schedule, and maybe even debating a rafting trip or two. If you’ve had the pleasure of navigating our state’s rivers, you know that timing is everything. Good rafting starts with lots of snow during winter, a gradual warm-up into spring, and the right amount of melting to create a great run off that makes for an exciting ride.
Some of the same principles apply to landing your perfect social impact job. The process takes time, and often starts slowly. As your network of contacts builds, momentum is generated that pushes your resume to the top of the stack. Finally, the moment arrives when you are presented with the perfect opportunity to navigate the interviewing waters and successfully come ashore in a new position. So, what’s the secret to getting there?
Networking. And though this very word leaves many of you terrified or overwhelmed, this post aims to demystify the process and give you tips to overcome your networking fears.
Hopefully from last month’s post, you have identified the sector that makes the most sense for you. Now within your sector, identify either the issue you care most about or the job function that you want to serve in an organization. Either of these can be the frame for your Approach to networking, which is the first key to success.
When you are looking for a job, thinking about a switch, or trying to discover what options lie ahead of you, use Informational Interviewing as a door-opening tool.
Based on what you decided above, set up conversations to gain information on a specific role/function or about a specific issue. As you learn about your chosen topic, you may identify a few target companies that you want to be a part of, and then focus your networking efforts on those companies.
Once you have identified the primary topic you want to learn about, it is time for Research, the second key to success. The research phase should identify three to ten people that you want to connect with. Idealist, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can all be good sources of information for your research.
Use these tools to find people you already have a connection to who fit your criteria for networking (either they have the title you want, or they are involved in the issue you care about). Join groups on LinkedIn, search the alumni databases of your college, research company web sites and staff lists, and talk to trusted advisors and friends about who should be part of your first networking efforts. When you begin digging, the first ten people are often relatively easy to identify.
With your list in hand, it is time for the Ask, which is key number three. An effective networking request includes a statement of your intent, why you want to meet with that person specifically, and what you hope to learn. It is also best to be specific in your request for time, and to offer a few suggestions. Be yourself, and use the language you would normally use rather than a stock template. If you want a starting point, you can check out a sample networking email here.
With your meeting secured, the next key to success is to ask quality Questions.These should be primarily open-ended to gain as much insight as possible. You can learn lots of information by intermixing personal with general, as well. For example,“tell me about your path to XYZ company” creates a connection between the two of you, while “what backgrounds does your company look for in new hires” yields a wider array of options for what may get you hired.
Informational interviews can be a good time to get salary information, as well, but avoid getting too personal. Ask what the salary range is for a job or title. Or, if you are speaking with someone who has had a long tenure with an organization, ask what the salary was when she or he first took the position. If you are talking with someone in a company you want to work for, ask how that company approaches salary negotiations, so if a position opens up you will know what is considered typical when it comes to job offers. Visit my website for a list of typical informational interview questions.
While you are selecting questions to ask, it is also vital to Craft Your Message. When you sit down in an informational interview, you get to drive the conversation. Start with a version of your elevator speech, which for this purpose is a quick synopsis of who you are, what you are interested in, and why you reached out to the person across the table. This will set the tone and help the person you are interviewing organize their thoughts. And, once this person understands your primary desires, he/she can point you in the best direction.
Be sure to close each interview by asking for recommendations of other individuals to speak with. By presenting a focused objective for the interview, your interviewee can give you better connections. If you do the work to create talking points that specifically describe you and your goals, then a web of recommendations will be easier to develop.
Finally, always Follow-up with the contacts you create. A nonprofit professional once told me that the nonprofit sector is like a bag of microwave popcorn: people do a lot of bouncing around inside the bag from place to place, but it can be hard to get into the bag if you are on the outside. The person you met last week may very well end up employed at your dream organization in six months. So, send thank you notes, let people know how other conversations have gone, and send out an update when you land that perfect position. Remember, you are not just networking for your next job, but for your entire career.
Check back next month to explore how to chart your professional development plan and craft a sustainable career path that leads to a lifetime of making a difference.
Lee Wheeler-Berliner is the founder and principal of WB Consulting, a firm dedicated to enhancing the strategic impact of companies and helping others pursue social good. Learn more at wbconsultingcolorado.com. This post is the second in a three part series on career planning that makes a difference. Catch up with part one here.
