• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Career Sherpa

Guide for Lifetime Career Navigation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Home
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Get Advice
    • Job Search
    • Networking
    • Personal Branding
    • Interviewing
  • Blog
  • Contact

3 Ways to Make A Lasting Impression

September 8, 2010 by Hannah Morgan

Yesterday, a colleague and I finally became connected on LinkedIn.  We’ve known each other for awhile, but we had not invited one another to formally connect.  How often does this happen? Quite a lot, I am sure.  There are probably people who either you know so well you don’t feel you need to be connected on LinkedIn, or the other extreme, people you don’t know well enough to connect with.  The point here is to be purposeful in your use of LinkedIn.  Leave no stone unturned.  In other words, make sure you regularly assess you connections and make sure you haven’t left someone out.

The idiom, Practice What You Preach, comes up daily for me as I launch my own business.  It is the attention to detail I sometimes lack, so I wanted to bring them up here to hold myself accountable!

Follow up on every lead within 24 hours

Why 24 hours?  Because, I’ve found, that after that you begin to forget details.  Plus, immediate follow up demonstrates respect for the person who filtered you the information.  Think about how hard it is for some people to share contacts.  If they trusted you with their information, you really owe it to them to follow up quickly AND let them know the outcome, because they do want to know!

I have found it is really easy to push off this follow up.  By the time the week is over, I feel guilty.  Then I feel stupid.  Ultimately, I may never follow up on that lead if too much time goes by.  Use your sense of urgency!

ALWAYS send a Thank You

Whether by email or snail mail, always send a note of thanks.  Again, that 24 hour time period is important.  Send it out while your thoughts are still fresh.  3 simple paragraphs.  First, why are you writing.  Second, what qualifications or significant piece of the conversation do you want them to remember.  Third, thank you and your closing, perhaps there is an action item or follow up date you want to remind them of. (If you are looking for more details on the Thank You letter/note, see this post.)

Research and Practice Your Answers Before Every Meeting

It is so easy to just run out the door to a meeting without having done your preparation.  I know first hand.  There is a reason you are meeting with that person and it is your responsibility to develop an outline of what you want to make sure is discussed.  Especially if the meeting is an interview.  Know the players!  Learn about their backgrounds on LinkedIn.  Research their companies.   Know the answer to the question, “So what do you do?”

Are there things you know you should be doing, but don’t?  Are you a procrastinator?  How do you overcome putting things off?

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
Join over 4,000 members who receive cutting edge advice and learn how to job search better with fast, fresh, fun updates!
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.
Hannah Morgan CareerSherpa.net
Hannah Morgan
Hannah Morgan is a nationally recognized author and speaker on job search strategies.  She founded CareerSherpa.net to combine her career expertise with her love of writing, speaking and social media. Her mission is to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process.  Hannah is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, Aol Jobs, LifeHacker, The Muse, Business Insider, SmartBrief, Payscale as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.

Related posts:

  1. SUMMARY SUNDAY: Always Make The Best First Impression
  2. 12 Ways To Update How You Network
  3. The Easiest Ways to Set Yourself Apart
  4. 3 Ways of Job Searching
  5. 15 Ways Finding a Job is Like Dating

Primary Sidebar

10 Reasons You Need A Visual Resume

  1. The Death of the Paper Resume
  2. The Morphing of Job Boards and Resume Databases
  3. The Dreaded Black Hole of Applicant Tracking Systems
  4. The Rise of Referrals
  5. Employer-Candidate Mismatch
  6. Communication Mismatch
  7. The Gig Economy
  8. The Web Becomes a Tool for the Masses
  9. Trend Setters as Trailblazers (CEOs, Entrepreneurs, Freelancers)
  10. The Rise of LinkedIn

Embarking on a job search is like preparing to climb a mountain.

Maybe not Mt. Everest, where sherpas are found, but you will still need a guide to show you the best paths and methods for making the trek. The terrain can be tricky and unfamiliar so you will want someone to show you the way.

Sign Up Here for advice on job searches, careers, social networking, personal branding and developing and improving your online presence.

Categories

Articles You Might Like

  • The Easiest Way to Research and Find Alumni on LinkedIn
  • What's the Best LinkedIn Headline For An MBA Candidate?
  • 31 Tips for Your 2019 Job Search (from the pros)
  • 25 Inspiring Ideas for What To Post On LinkedIn
  • LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search & Careers

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

NEVER MISS A POST!

I dish out all kinds of advice on job search, social media trends, personal branding, developing and improving your online presence- you name it. You will find everything you need for a successful job search!

SIGN UP HERE!

© Copyright 2019 · Career Sherpa · All Rights Reserved.

  • Contact
  • Sitemap
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more