letting your network know you are looking for work

So you’ve decided you want to start your job search and you don’t want your current employer to know you are looking! This is kind of tricky. Or, you’ve recently been let go and you need to let people know you are looking for work.

Planning

It should start with a Plan To Grow Your Network. Technically/ideally, this shouldn’t be a job search-related thing. Growing your network needs to be a life-time/on-going activity!

Who Do You Need to Know?

By asking yourself “Who Do I Need to Know“?, you’ll be able to identify key people to begin to reach out to!

Read industry newsletters and blogs.
Think about the people you know who are the well-connected and active networkers.

How will you meet them?

Now you have to figure out how you can find someone to refer you if you don’t know them. Please read How to Find Great People to Connect with On LinkedIn!

Attend professional association meetings and events.
And use social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to become a “stalker”. I mean if you aren’t getting the attention you want!

What will you say?

If you are unemployed, you don’t need to confess you are unemployed when you introduce yourself… it doesn’t net the desired results, I promise you!
I know you’ve heard you should be asking for “Informational Interviews” but really…Stop asking for informational interviews!
Do your research and prep work so you know why the person you are calling would be willing to meet with you. How to Ask for a Favor helps you understand the objections you will be faced with and how to overcome them! But, don’t just ask for a favor because that’s not going to work so well when people are super busy with their own lives!
It isn’t about you, it is about THEM…be interested in them first! Here are 5 little secrets about networking!