How to nurture your network contacts -- Career Center Blog

September 8, 2011

How to nurture your network contacts

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By Randy Woods
NWjobs

Don't you hate it when a friend who hasn't spoken to you in years suddenly resurfaces in your life only to ask for a favor? Nothing sours a relationship like being inconsiderate of other people's time.

Now think about the last time you asked someone in your network for a reference or a job lead. Had you spoken to or e-mailed that person about anything in the last year? Two years? Can you really expect that person to help you out if you haven't taken the time to keep up your end of the bargain?

Like all living organisms, a network has to be cared for, and communication is its life blood. All of us are busy, but that's no excuse to let valuable contacts wither away from lack of attention. It seems that the professional contacts we make these days are weaker and last a shorter amount of time than just a few years ago. Perhaps we can blame it on the rise of social media, where contact information for potential contacts can be collected with a few clicks of a mouse -- and just as quickly forgotten. Or hidden under mountains of e-mail.

For too many job-seekers, their Facebook "friends" and Twitter "followers" are little more than names in an address file. To get real value from your network, here are a few ways to establish deeper connections with your contacts and encourage them to help you find your dream job.

Pay attention to social media updates -- We've all seen the weekly LinkedIn updates about people adding contacts, changing titles or joining new groups, but have we really taken note of the changes that could affect our own job search? (I admit to occasionally deleting these notices unread.) But if you set aside a small amount of time to review these updates -- perhaps once a month -- you might find more opportunities to strengthen your connections. Did your old boss just move to another company? Did your friend get a promotion? Send a note of congratulations to let them know you're still in touch. Other people in your network may have moved into new positions that place them in closer proximity to hiring managers. LinkedIn is a great way to check the pulse of your industry and track which companies are hiring.

Send them resources or job leads -- Giving is at the very heart of networking, so get in the habit of thinking of others while you're also searching for you own leads. You may see a job opening that's not quite right for you but would be tailor-made for someone you used to work with. Even when you're not currently looking for a new job, keep your network in mind -- send them relevant articles or introduce them to interesting people. Already since my recent layoff, I've received several job leads and introductions from my network. Have all of them paid off? No, not yet. But will I keep these people in mind the next time I see a job opening or a business contact that can help advance their careers? You bet.

Tell them about what you're doing -- These days, it's even easier to control how to tell the world about your job search, whether it's on the down-low via phone calls, text messages and e-mails, or on a wider scale through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. At the very least, if you list former co-workers as references, make sure they know that they may be contacted soon. Surely your references will give you a good recommendation either way, but their information could be much more relevant if they have a few days' notice.

Get out there and meet them -- Of course, there's no better way to cement a networking relationship than to meet your contacts in person. At least once a week, try to schedule time for coffee or lunch with someone in your network. Go to networking events and association mixers within your industry to keep tabs on your colleagues and gather new names. You never know when one of these casual meetings will give you an inside scoop on a position that no one else has heard about yet.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.