How to Become a 'Networking Natural'

In the increasingly competitive society we all live in it is getting more and more difficult to ‘stand out’ from the crowd. Never has the adage: “it’s not what you know but who you know” been more relevant! How can you get to know key figures that can help you get your foot in the door so to speak, or potentially even land that dream job you’ve always wanted? The answer: networking.

Networking is simply about forming associations and building relationships with people involved in the profession you are working in/would like to work in. But for some people the term ‘networking’ is enough to send shivers of dread and cause sweaty palms. Done well, it can set you apart from other candidates and leave a good impression with those who may be involved in recruitment. Done poorly, people may come across as fake or self-serving. The other extreme is not networking at all and sticking with a group of familiar people. This doesn’t help you in the long run.

This article aims to provide some techniques to make networking more manageable and natural for the budding networker.

Don’t think of it as networking!

Some people get turned off at the word ‘networking’ because this makes connections seem false and only meant for personal gain. Think of your meeting as making new friendships with people and genuine connections.

Be genuine

Ask friendly questions to build rapport and to show that you’re genuinely interested in what the other person has to say. Such questions may include: “what do you do at XX company? What is the work like at XX company? Where do you see the industry in 5 years from now?”

Don’t feel like you need to stand out

You don’t have to be the funniest person or the smartest in the room. Having those expectations on yourself will just reinforce the ‘networking’ fears and you can end up feeling fake.

Don’t feel like you need to ‘agree’ with everything

Having an individual opinion and stating so shows that you are an independent thinker. But challenge within reason and be open to the opinions of others – this shows your team work abilities too.

Find like-minded individuals

Begin by finding someone who engages at your level (or a level that you feel comfortable with) and spend a bit of time ‘practicing’ your networking questions and behaviour. This can also help build your confidence at networking.

Don’t aim too high (at first)

If networking is hard in general don’t go to the CEO of your dream company at your first go. Get to know the staff and managers below the CEO – know a bit about that CEO indirectly and gain that initial confidence before you meet them face-to-face and try your networking skills. Getting to know the CEO and the company beforehand also shows that you have done your research. Before you go up to the CEO and tell her about your stamp collection, make sure she is interested in stamps! It may not be true that: "philately will get you everywhere". (Sorry!)

Keep in contact

This is one tip people generally tend to forget. Just because you meet and had a good conversation with someone once doesn’t mean they will remember you forever. Share business cards and keep in contact with the person. For example, if you had an interesting discussion about Australia’s financial instability, send a follow-up email with a relevant article/paper you’ve read. This not only shows YOU’VE remembered that person but that you are up to date with the latest happenings in your field. Maintaining a genuine connection with the person means validating the conversation you’ve had.

What can you do for them? 

Reciprocity is fine, but see what you can do for someone else before you ask them to do something for them. Thinking about what this may be, really tends to focus your attention on the conversation and remember what has been said.

Networking is about getting to know people in your profession. Building these good connections may help you get a job in the company, build new friendships and people who could help you further your career.  One final piece of advice - the first step in networking is to get out and make a start!

It’s not about what you know, but who you know

Given the approaching end-of-year and the easing job market, it is essential that you are doing all you can to ensure you have access to 100% of the job market. It is estimated that only approximately 20% of jobs are advertised, this means that 80% of jobs come from the hidden job market. A great way to access the hidden job market is through gaining and maintaining relationships with your network. An employee at a company is always looking for ways in which they may be able to save the company money and if that means hiring a new employee without advertising, then it is in their best interest to inform all their job-seeking connections about an up-coming vacancy.

Networking is simply about forming associations and building relationships with people involved in the profession you are working in/would like to work in. But for some people the term ‘networking’ is enough to send shivers of dread and sweaty palms. Done well, it can set you apart from other candidates and leave a good impression with those who may be involved in recruitment. Done poorly, people may come across as fake or self-serving. The other extreme is not networking at all and sticking with a group of familiar people. This doesn’t help you in the long run.

This article aims to give some tricks to make networking more manageable and natural for the budding networker.

Don’t think of it as networking!

Some people get turned off at the word ‘networking’ because this makes connections seem false and only meant for personal gain. Think of your meeting as making new friendships with people and genuine connections.

Be genuine

Ask friendly questions to build rapport and to show that you’re genuinely interested in what the other person has to say. Such questions may include: “what do you do at XX company? How is the work like at XX company?”

Don’t feel like you need to stand out

You don’t have to be the funniest person or the smartest in the room. Having those expectations on yourself will just reinforce the ‘networking’ fears and again you can end up feeling fake.

Don’t feel like you need to ‘agree’ with everything 

Having an individual opinion and stating so shows that you are an independent thinker. But challenge within reason and be open to other’s opinions – this shows your team work abilities too.

Find like-minded individuals

Begin by find someone who engages at your level (that you feel comfortable with) and spend a bit of time ‘practicing’ your networking questions and behaviour - that can also build your confidence

Don’t aim too high (at first)

If networking is hard in general don’t go to the CEO of your dream company at your first go. Get to know the staff and managers below the CEO – know a bit about that CEO indirectly and gain that initial confidence before you meet them face-to-face and try your networking skills. Getting to know the CEO and the company beforehand would also show that you did your research.

Keep in contact 

This is one tip people generally tend to forget. Just because you meet and had a good conversation with someone once doesn’t mean they’d remember you forever. Share business cards and keep in contact with the person. For example, if you had an interesting discussion about Australia’s financial instability send a follow-up email with a relevant article/paper you’ve read. This not only shows YOU’VE remembered that person but that you are up to date with the latest happenings in your field. Maintaining a genuine connection with the person means validating the conversation you’ve had.

Networking is about getting to know people in your profession. Building these good connections may help you get a job in the company, build new friendships and people who could help you further your career.  The first unmentioned step is to get in and start! A handy place to start would be the Career Exchange website itself, find employers who have advertised in the past or employers who you see frequently advertise and give them a call. You never know, they may have the perfect role for you around the corner in 2016.

Career Comparison – Reasons why job hunting while employed is essential

Searching for potential job opportunities whilst working can seem like an unnecessary activity at times. It requires you to be thinking about many different factors - your current position, financial change and employment availability within your profession among other stressors. You need to use your personal time to be on the lookout for job opportunities. This is one of the reasons individuals become accustomed to their work lives as it begins to develop into an established routine. It is very easy to find yourself in the same position for many years without knowing what other opportunities are out there. However, being on the lookout puts you at an advantage over your colleagues, and indeed everyone within your industry as work trends show that we move jobs more often and several professions become more competitive than before. For these reasons and more it’s important to stay ahead of the game and keep hunting, and we will show you the best way to balance a work life and a keen job seeking eye!

1.    Being aware of your industry employment status 

Every industry differs in terms of job availability. If your industry is facing low job demand this could suggest that there are limited positions available for your current role. On the positive side your position may be more valuable to your current employer. Alternatively, that if something were to happen and you lost your position, it may be more difficult to obtain another role quickly.
 
It is always worthwhile to conduct a search on available roles in your current industry (or an industry you are hoping to make your way into). How frequently do roles come up? What is the general scope of remuneration against experience? Are most roles full time, part time or contract? By doing so, you can determine the job demand and job security within your desired industry giving you the benefit of planning your career ahead of time. Better yet, such scoping of emerging roles provides you with a competitive advantage over other employees as it allows you to assess the value and worth of your current position in the industry by comparing it to alternatives.

2.    Planning ahead for something better

Reality is that there may always be a position that is better than the one that you currently have. This is OK, however, as it gives you something to work towards. It can be hard to think of another job as you may be comfortable where you are now, but comfortable is not a term successful people use. Thinking ahead in terms of where you want to be and how you are going to get there puts you at an advantage over your colleagues. Scoping your potential next big move could be the best exercise you have undertaken.

This does not mean you have to stress out constantly looking for jobs, but rather look over advertisements within your desired field, and occasionally have a preliminary chat with a potential employer or recruiter, or send your resume out. Be very careful to explicitly state that you want your interest to remain completely confidential and not be placed into a database without your consent. Overall, consider planning ahead, networking, and spending time thinking of what your next job could potentially be.

3.    Networking

Networking is arguably the strongest factor that decides who gets the next available job. Knowing the right people could get you through doors that you would never have believed possible.

Aim at increasing your network. This could mean requesting that your contacts keep their eyes open for job opportunities as they arise. Or attending conferences, workshops and other professional events as well as buying a few coffees for people in order to build your network. Remember, people would rather hire those who they know rather than those they don’t know.

Hopefully these tips will allow you to move away from the comfortable ‘steady as you go’ space that you have fallen into and allow you to expand your network, look beyond your current position, and plan ahead for what job opportunities lie out there. Who knows, your dream job could be around the corner!

Wanting to look for other job opportunities...

Career Exchange is an online Allied Health Career Portal that has been developed to meet the needs of job seekers and advertisers within the Allied Health community. Career Exchange provides job seekers with a platform where they can connect with industry professionals and new employment opportunities. Career Exchange allows you to search for employment opportunities through cutting edge web design and usability. There is always relevant information pertaining to job seekers and you have the ability to upload a copy of your resume through your Applicant Account for free. 

Career Exchange: Active Job Seeking, networking and industry information all in the one place.  

4 ways to get the recognition you deserve

Sometimes the hardest working people in the office are also the quietest…

The workplace is becoming more competitive and if you want to get ahead in your career it is imperative to get noticed at work. You can be the hardest working and most competent employee in the company. But if no one knows who you are or what you can do, you’ll be passed up for additional responsibilities, new projects, awards and promotions! Therefore to continue moving forward towards your career goals it is important to be recognised for the great work you do.

Here are our 4 strategies to shine light on your skills, abilities, results and potential:

Develop Specialist Skills. The more knowledgeable and skilful you become in a particular area, the more likely you will be selected for additional responsibilities that require your expertise. To achieve this talk to other employees that work in the area you want to build more skills in and set up a meeting with your manager and discuss what training and skills you need to become more valuable to the company.

Volunteer for Projects. Stay alert for opportunities that will allow you to expand and showcase your best skills, and align your efforts with your boss’s key interests. This will demonstrate your initiative and passion for the company.

Stay Updated and Let It Show. Talk with your colleagues and managers to keep in touch with what is going on in your profession. Ensure that you take the time to share interesting and useful thoughts through conversations, emails and any other work related communications. This will get you noticed because it shows that you are thinking ahead in order to be strategic rather than reactive.

Get Involved and Build a Network. Take the time to build and nurture relationships with managers and other people in the company. These are the people that later down the track may help you get assigned to new projects, training opportunities and recommend you to other openings. It is also a great way to get your name out there and build yourself a positive reputation.