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Yesterday
a new client from Europe came to me because he was confused about
how and where to start networking in order to get a new job. Everyone
he met here in the Silicon Valley told him to forget the Internet
and convinced him that the only way to get quick results was to
network his way into a new position.
He had been so busy with his work that he hadn't made any contacts
outside of his work and he now had one month to find something new.
Many documents have been written about networking, however, this
article attempts to answer the real concerns of international business
men and women who have been here in the Silicon Valley for a short
while and who have no grasp of networking techniques that were laid
into the cradle of most US professionals.
As we talked for more than two hours, we decided to make the process
easier for him and put together a list of what works and what you
have to watch out for to make networking an enjoyable affair.
1. Find the associations that are likely to have people in your
field, - you can do this with a Google search and by subscribing
to mailing lists which tell you where and when they meet; www.Workit.com,
www.goto-silicon-valley.com
and many lists by international groups in the Valley are just a
few possibilities.
However, don't limit your networking to just groups similar to your
profession, expand the search to related interest groups- that way
you reach more people and groups who don't touch each other and
will give you new contacts.
2. In Europe, we are used to being generalists and have not learned
to present just the pertinent slice of our interests. So, be
precise. This helps people you meet to focus on what you are
actually looking for and they can also remember it better.
Always give examples, ie, don't just say you are looking for a job
in international high tech with X program, tell people exactly what
widget you are used to working with, where it is typically found
and how they can reach you if they see a job opening for which you
qualify.
3. Before attending the networking event, find out what kinds of
people typically attend and see if you can gear your "elevator
speech" and your examples to their fields. You'll also
be more credible if you understand what they do and can speak intelligently
about it.
4. The most important thing is to practice what you are
going to say, remember the old adage,--you can never repeat the
first impression someone gets of you. You can practice in front
of the mirror (smile!), you can tape yourself, you can practice
with a friend and you can have someone video tape you. The main
thing is that you do it and not become tongue-tied when someone
asks you what you do, or what s/he can do for you.
5. "I'm standing at the door, how do I talk to someone,
when they are all in groups already?" Meeting new people
at these events can be daunting, especially when you go the first
time. However, most people here in the Silicon Valley are very friendly
and are ready to include you in their conversation if you join their
group and introduce yourself. If you feel really uncomfortable,
an easy way to connect is to find the person who organized the event
and ask him/her to introduce you around.
6. "How do you start the conversation" my client
asked. You can talk about your surroundings, about the organization
that's putting on the event, the food, the drinks, the weather -
anything that is non confrontational and puts the person you are
talking to you at ease. Remember, other people are sometimes nervous
about meeting new people too. Then you can ask the question that
comes the easiest in a networking event - "and what do you
do?"
And then listen carefully to what they do, so that you can find
common interests and/or see if you happen to have something in your
repertoire that might help or interest them.
7. So now you've talked and listened and you want to move to some
new person, but you don't know how to leave without being rude.
You have several ways to do it - first realize that most people
you'll meet are there to network and to meet new people and make
new connections. So, it is fairly easy to say that it has been great
meeting them, that it was fun to talk to them and that you can get
together at another time, but right now you should both move on
to make other contacts.
Or, you can say you want to refresh your drink, get something to
eat - however, you better do it or the person you just left standing
there will lose face and really feel bad. A lot has been written
about being genuine while networking and this is the time to show
it.
8. You've met many people, and now you have at least 30 cards,
how do you keep track of all the information? The first thing
you do (before you get home) is to write comments on the cards about
how people looked, what you talked about, the special interests
or whatever it takes for you to remember them. Then you enter them
into your special computer program - at least that is one possibility.
I keep the cards together according to events and put them into
a plastic business card folder in a 3 ring binder and make sure
I review the cards and my notes before the next networking event
where I will might the same people again.
9. Of course the way you keep in touch is an important part
of networking and it is essential for people looking for jobs.
Send emails, see people in person, invite people for coffee or a
drink and after you've found the networking events that suit you,
go regularly and make friends. Because ultimately, if you aren't
in a group of people where you want to make friends, it's no fun,
and the outcome won't be very positive.
10. I know that for Europeans, the whole networking scene can initially
seem 'phony' and self-directed, - a bunch of people collecting business
cards - but I think this is where we don't understand the American
mind set. A networking environment which works and is successful
is full of people who are open to new things and genuinely concerned
with getting to know and benefit others.
We have to remember that doing good things just to do them is part
of the American social landscape; about 10% of the annual US economy
comes from the non-profit sector and "normal everyday people"
are involved with helping their communities on a regular basis,
therefore it is not far fetched to understand that they want to
help us when we meet them networking.
On the other hand, don't forget, what my colleague and friend, Andreas
Mueller, calls the "Karma Principle"- try to genuinely
be there for your networking partners, keep them in mind when you
see an opportunity to help them and good things will come back to
you as well.
The best contacts I've made took a long time to make, and it was
really after we became friends and understood what the other was
doing that we could help each other. For me, this has led to wonderful
friendships which have gone beyond the boundaries of networking
- it is up to us to create this kind of ambiance and keep working
at it; and I can't resist throwing in one of my favorite quotes,
it was Voltaire who said in Candide, "il faut cultiver son
jardin" (one must cultivate one's garden) and that's what we
have to do to make the whole networking process satisfactory and
worthwhile.
Angelika Blendstrup, PhD, is a business communications consultant
(www.professional-business-communications.com)
who helps foreign-born executives with problems understanding the
complexities of American business culture and the English language
to communicate effectively. Learn more about
Angelika...
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