Everyone should be aware of the fact that networking not onloy happens face-to-face but on-line too. Even if you don't do any on-line networking, chances are your prospective employer does and you have to be ready to present you best "on-linw image". Here is an interesting article form ComputerWorld.com:
"Perform an Internet search for your name. You might be surprised by what you find - an offensive comment, a negative blog post about a previous employer, or even unflattering pictures taken at a party. If you find such material, contact the Web site's owner or webmaster and ask to have the content removed.
If you find that you can't have the negative content removed, make sure you're prepared to address the matter if an interviewer brings it up. In most cases, employers will understand as long as you're honest. The best way to limit the effect of any negative material about you is to make sure it's counterbalanced by a substantial amount of positive, professional information.
Consider launching a polished website or blog related to your career. Feature your accomplishments, skills and certifications, and link to any professional associations you belong to. Controlling your online image doesn't mean blotting out any evidence of individuality or creativity. Employers know that you have a life outside of work and that a lot of online information should be taken with a grain of salt. But as more and more companies turn to the Web to learn about their potential hires, it makes sense to control what information they may find. "
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Most helpful Chicago Guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Showing posts with label Importance of Networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Importance of Networking. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Networking Insight
I found another networking blog, managed by a fellow Chicagoan, Jason Jacobsohn. It is called Networking Insight: http://www.networkinginsight.com/ While on my blog and in my book you can find information on WHERE and WHEN to network Jason's blog gives you useful advice on HOW to it in order to achieve maximum success.
Networking Insight blog discusses such topics as Building Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Networking Techniques and many others.
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Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Networking Insight blog discusses such topics as Building Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Networking Techniques and many others.
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Friday, June 29, 2007
"What Works in Women's Networks"
This article was published in June 18, 2007 issue of Business Week magazine. It tells stories of 3 big companies, GE, Best Buy and Deloitte, that realised the importance of networking for finding and promoting talent as well as promoting their business.
Importance of networking for getting a great job: This issue was described on the basis of Deloitte experience. Though most of the companies try to first find talent withing their organization when it comes to a lucrative job opening, women found it hard in Deloitte to get to positions they aspired to have. That's why internal Deloitte women network, WIN, was created. Why is this relevant to people who are not working for Deloitte and who are not women? Because if it is extremely difficult to get that great job being already in the company, imagine how difficult it is for an outsider to penetrate into the system unless he/she has a way in through a reliable and trustworthy contact he/she has within the company. And such contacts are obtained mostly through networking.
Importance of networking for growing your business: This issue was described o the basis of GE experience which created a network that included not only GE employees but also its customers and suppliers. In such a network the opportunities for cooperation and strengthening ties are endless. This example shows that a company of any size benefits from building networking relationships with potential and existing customers, partner, suppliers, etc. This is especially true for entrepreneurs, small business owners who don't have the GE's leverage and who need their own circle of support.
To sum up, this article once again underlines the importance of networking nowadays both for job search and business development. You can read the full article at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_25/b4039069.htm?chan=search
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Importance of networking for getting a great job: This issue was described on the basis of Deloitte experience. Though most of the companies try to first find talent withing their organization when it comes to a lucrative job opening, women found it hard in Deloitte to get to positions they aspired to have. That's why internal Deloitte women network, WIN, was created. Why is this relevant to people who are not working for Deloitte and who are not women? Because if it is extremely difficult to get that great job being already in the company, imagine how difficult it is for an outsider to penetrate into the system unless he/she has a way in through a reliable and trustworthy contact he/she has within the company. And such contacts are obtained mostly through networking.
Importance of networking for growing your business: This issue was described o the basis of GE experience which created a network that included not only GE employees but also its customers and suppliers. In such a network the opportunities for cooperation and strengthening ties are endless. This example shows that a company of any size benefits from building networking relationships with potential and existing customers, partner, suppliers, etc. This is especially true for entrepreneurs, small business owners who don't have the GE's leverage and who need their own circle of support.
To sum up, this article once again underlines the importance of networking nowadays both for job search and business development. You can read the full article at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_25/b4039069.htm?chan=search
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Friday, February 23, 2007
Networking for Business Development, Part II of II
As with the previous article on the importance networking for those in career transition I would like to post some quotes from the article on the importance of networking for business development in case the owner of the site will one day decide to delete the article. Once again I want to stress that though the article is written for attorneys by attorneys it is very true for many other types of businesses, industries and professions. Please, note that comments in itallics are my personal observations:
“The basics - knowledge and expertise in a given area … - are a vital component of any client development activities. Once the basics are established, however, you have to distinguish yourself through relationships and contacts.”
“The foundation of building a client base through networking includes maintaining existing clients through expanded business relationships to better understand the client and meet its needs.”
“A second foundation of building a client base is the acquisition of new clients. A common denominator in both of these building blocks to growing and sustaining a successful law practice (or any other business for that matter) is acquiring and sustaining meaningful relationships with clients, potential clients and others who can refer you business”
“Networking must be the personal responsibility of each attorney. It involves maintaining regular contacts with clients, lawyers, industry leaders, and accountants (any other stakeholders relevant for your particular industry). Success is predicated on building relationships, making contacts and systematically working on business development each day. Networking is "building relationships with anyone who can help you grow your practice." Boress, Cummings & Schneider, Best Practices in Building Your Personal Network for Attorneys (Sage Law Marketing 2004).
“Experts agree that effective networking involves determining your networking purposes and goals. You should identify possible contacts and develop a plan to ensure building upon these contacts. Be involved with organizations in which your best contacts, potential clients and referral sources are involved. Determine one or two of the best organizations, whether national or local …, trade association or other gatherings of prospective referrals, and set a plan in motion to become active in the group's efforts.”
“Once you have identified the correct organizations to plug into, maximize your visibility. Opportunities include working on programs or membership initiatives. Identify a moribund committee and breathe new life into it. Take responsibility for a job that no one wants and do a great job with it. Identify a gap in the organization's programming or activities and develop a plan to address it.”
“Effective networking involves a commitment of time, energy, and resources to produce meaningful results. An attorney (or any other professional trying to build his/her business) must care for the network, including personal contact with clients and potential clients through e-mails, calls, newsletters, and visits. One commentator equates effective networking with a gardener caring for his or her garden. If you come across an article or case that may be of interest to a client or potential client, send it to them with a note pointing out the importance of the material. Remember client birthdays, acknowledge important achievements, or determine a client's favorite hobby or sports team. Use this information to build relationships. The fact that you are thinking about the client will pay huge dividends. In this light, the use of technology to care for and feed your network cannot be overstated.”
“Effective networking should include building relationships with other attorneys”. (i.e. your own colleagues in the industry) As you have the opportunity to send business to others you meet …, you likely will see an increase in the number of referrals that come in. When the referral does come to you, ensure that you follow up with a personal thank you note.”
“Networking is the very foundation of all business development activities. As a business development tool, it requires maintaining regular contact with people for the ultimate purpose of developing business. Effective networking involves defining possible contacts, determining your networking purpose, developing a plan of action, and committing the time and energy necessary to produce meaningful results. …Commence your networking activities by taking one action each day to initiate and maintain a business relationship. This may involve a note to a contact you saw at lunch or forwarding an article …to a colleague.... By constantly reaching out and nurturing existing relationships and establishing new professional relationships, you will position yourself in a stream of opportunities, resources, information and contacts that will pay dividends for years to come.
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
“The basics - knowledge and expertise in a given area … - are a vital component of any client development activities. Once the basics are established, however, you have to distinguish yourself through relationships and contacts.”
“The foundation of building a client base through networking includes maintaining existing clients through expanded business relationships to better understand the client and meet its needs.”
“A second foundation of building a client base is the acquisition of new clients. A common denominator in both of these building blocks to growing and sustaining a successful law practice (or any other business for that matter) is acquiring and sustaining meaningful relationships with clients, potential clients and others who can refer you business”
“Networking must be the personal responsibility of each attorney. It involves maintaining regular contacts with clients, lawyers, industry leaders, and accountants (any other stakeholders relevant for your particular industry). Success is predicated on building relationships, making contacts and systematically working on business development each day. Networking is "building relationships with anyone who can help you grow your practice." Boress, Cummings & Schneider, Best Practices in Building Your Personal Network for Attorneys (Sage Law Marketing 2004).
“Experts agree that effective networking involves determining your networking purposes and goals. You should identify possible contacts and develop a plan to ensure building upon these contacts. Be involved with organizations in which your best contacts, potential clients and referral sources are involved. Determine one or two of the best organizations, whether national or local …, trade association or other gatherings of prospective referrals, and set a plan in motion to become active in the group's efforts.”
“Once you have identified the correct organizations to plug into, maximize your visibility. Opportunities include working on programs or membership initiatives. Identify a moribund committee and breathe new life into it. Take responsibility for a job that no one wants and do a great job with it. Identify a gap in the organization's programming or activities and develop a plan to address it.”
“Effective networking involves a commitment of time, energy, and resources to produce meaningful results. An attorney (or any other professional trying to build his/her business) must care for the network, including personal contact with clients and potential clients through e-mails, calls, newsletters, and visits. One commentator equates effective networking with a gardener caring for his or her garden. If you come across an article or case that may be of interest to a client or potential client, send it to them with a note pointing out the importance of the material. Remember client birthdays, acknowledge important achievements, or determine a client's favorite hobby or sports team. Use this information to build relationships. The fact that you are thinking about the client will pay huge dividends. In this light, the use of technology to care for and feed your network cannot be overstated.”
“Effective networking should include building relationships with other attorneys”. (i.e. your own colleagues in the industry) As you have the opportunity to send business to others you meet …, you likely will see an increase in the number of referrals that come in. When the referral does come to you, ensure that you follow up with a personal thank you note.”
“Networking is the very foundation of all business development activities. As a business development tool, it requires maintaining regular contact with people for the ultimate purpose of developing business. Effective networking involves defining possible contacts, determining your networking purpose, developing a plan of action, and committing the time and energy necessary to produce meaningful results. …Commence your networking activities by taking one action each day to initiate and maintain a business relationship. This may involve a note to a contact you saw at lunch or forwarding an article …to a colleague.... By constantly reaching out and nurturing existing relationships and establishing new professional relationships, you will position yourself in a stream of opportunities, resources, information and contacts that will pay dividends for years to come.
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Networking for Business Development, Part I of II
In my last post I wrote about networking for those in career transition but once you find a job (and this is relevant not for all but for many job types) or start your own business networking is extremely important for business development.
Here is a great article by Timothy M. Lupinacci and Rhenda L. Barnes, both working in the legal field, called "EFFECTIVE NETWORKING FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING CONTACTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY",
http://www.abanet.org/buslaw/committees/CL983500pub/newsletter/200507/EffectiveNetworking.pdf
Though this article is written for lawyers by lawyers you can substitute a lot of occupations besides this one and the article will still ring true! If you are a tax accountant, financial advisor, IT specialist, marketing consultant, recruitment professional, sales representative (no matter what products or services you sell) or even a chiropractor, cosmetologist or a language tutor, etc. looking for new clients - this article is for you.
Of course, you might not do everything what is recommended there, say you won't probably take out your clients for expensive lunches, but you can deffinitely invite the prospective ones for a cup of coffee!
The selected abstracts from this article will follow.
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Here is a great article by Timothy M. Lupinacci and Rhenda L. Barnes, both working in the legal field, called "EFFECTIVE NETWORKING FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING CONTACTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY",
http://www.abanet.org/buslaw/committees/CL983500pub/newsletter/200507/EffectiveNetworking.pdf
Though this article is written for lawyers by lawyers you can substitute a lot of occupations besides this one and the article will still ring true! If you are a tax accountant, financial advisor, IT specialist, marketing consultant, recruitment professional, sales representative (no matter what products or services you sell) or even a chiropractor, cosmetologist or a language tutor, etc. looking for new clients - this article is for you.
Of course, you might not do everything what is recommended there, say you won't probably take out your clients for expensive lunches, but you can deffinitely invite the prospective ones for a cup of coffee!
The selected abstracts from this article will follow.
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Monday, February 5, 2007
Networking for those in Career Transition, Part II of II
I realised that sometimes when you give a link to a great article it may not be there when people need it: it can simply be removed by the website owner. So to avoid the situation when the wonderful article I talked about in my January 21, 2007 post is lost (and all the valuable information with it), here are some important quotes from this article:
"Even if you aren't looking for a job, it is always important to keep adding to your network -- both inside and outside your industry. Why? Networking allows you to be in a position to win and be in with the decision makers who are making things happen. You can't take advantage of that unless you position yourself to win by staying in contact with your network."
"Go out of your way to meet every single person that you have the opportunity to meet. Meeting new people will be easier for some than for others, but it will be worth your while. If networking is hard for you, start on a smaller scale - but start! The other thing I must say is be genuine, because people know if you are a phony. For some, it may take reading books to learn to genuinely like and meet new people."
"Beware of networking errors. (1) Be sincere; (2) Don't ask for (or expect) payback; (3) Respect other people's time; (4) Follow through on promises; (5) Use special care with referred 'friends'; (6) Don't make disparaging jokes; (7) Err on the side of politeness and formality; (7) Don't wait to be properly introduced - practice a self-introduction; and (8) Say thank-you."
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
"Even if you aren't looking for a job, it is always important to keep adding to your network -- both inside and outside your industry. Why? Networking allows you to be in a position to win and be in with the decision makers who are making things happen. You can't take advantage of that unless you position yourself to win by staying in contact with your network."
"Go out of your way to meet every single person that you have the opportunity to meet. Meeting new people will be easier for some than for others, but it will be worth your while. If networking is hard for you, start on a smaller scale - but start! The other thing I must say is be genuine, because people know if you are a phony. For some, it may take reading books to learn to genuinely like and meet new people."
"Beware of networking errors. (1) Be sincere; (2) Don't ask for (or expect) payback; (3) Respect other people's time; (4) Follow through on promises; (5) Use special care with referred 'friends'; (6) Don't make disparaging jokes; (7) Err on the side of politeness and formality; (7) Don't wait to be properly introduced - practice a self-introduction; and (8) Say thank-you."
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Networking for those in Career Transition, Part I of II
The essence of my Guide is based on one universal truth: the first thing you have to do when you relocate to a new place is to start NETWORKING, especially in USA. It will help you with most of your needs: finding a job, starting or developing your business, making friends.
If you have not actively networked before this concept may seem strange and unfamiliar to you but you have to get acquainted with it and master it. Here is a link to a great article by the Esquire Group about the value of networking for those in career transition: http://www.esquiregroup.com/jobs_career_24.cfm
The main message of the article is : "Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Labor indicate that 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking (personal contacts)." And this one sentence says it all in terms of WHY you have to do it (and my Guide will give you detailed information on WHERE to do it). Also this article gives tips on how to network and avoid typical errors in the process.
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
If you have not actively networked before this concept may seem strange and unfamiliar to you but you have to get acquainted with it and master it. Here is a link to a great article by the Esquire Group about the value of networking for those in career transition: http://www.esquiregroup.com/jobs_career_24.cfm
The main message of the article is : "Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Labor indicate that 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking (personal contacts)." And this one sentence says it all in terms of WHY you have to do it (and my Guide will give you detailed information on WHERE to do it). Also this article gives tips on how to network and avoid typical errors in the process.
*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
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