By Hannah Morgan | Career Sherpa - Reprinted with permission
Is it possible to speed up your job search when the hiring decisions lie in the hands of employers? Yes, there are definitely things you can do to increase your odds. Taking control over what you can control is what I call a proactive job search. Too often job seekers over-rely on posted jobs to drive their search and as a result, end up feeling discouraged and unmotivated. It's time for you to restart your job search with a purpose and a diversified strategy. Invest time upfront in finding your focus. By understanding your strengths you will be much more likely to find the appropriate opportunities, as opposed to randomly applying for anything that looks close....
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By Hannah Morgan | Career Sherpa - Reprinted with permission
Virtual networking advice should include actionable steps not just theory. Here is virtual networking advice from 29 career experts you can actually use. Networking virtually may have become the new normal for everyone — those working and those not working. We all learned a lot about how to build relationships with people using social networks, online events and Zoom. To help you refine your virtual networking strategies and just get more comfortable with meeting people online, I reached out to my career and job search colleagues and friends to ask for their best tips and virtual networking advice. You'll find tips, insights and advice about:...
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Make civilian your second language and remove the military jargon
While we employ many Veterans just like you here at VA, we also have civilians in a number of roles, including in human resources. So, while there are plenty of folks who speak the same jargon as you, the person reading your resume may not understand the words, phrases and especially acronyms you use in the military. Taking the time to translate your experience into terms that will be more familiar to a broad audience is a good step on the path to a successful job application. A good place to start is in the job description itself. Every job announcement will have a "duties" section that describes the expectations for the role, as well as a "qualifications" section devoted to experience and skills....
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5 Ways to Speed Up Your Job Search
By Hannah Morgan | Career Sherpa - Reprinted with permission
Is it possible to speed up your job search when the hiring decisions lie in the
hands of employers?
Yes, there are definitely things you can do to increase your odds.
Taking control over what you can control is what I call a proactive job search.
Too often job seekers over-rely on posted jobs to drive their search and as a result,
end up feeling discouraged and unmotivated.
It's time for you to restart your job search with a purpose and a diversified strategy.
Invest time upfront in finding your focus
By understanding your strengths you will be much more likely to find the appropriate
opportunities, as opposed to randomly applying for anything that looks close.
Finding your focus means learning about you and learning about what you want to
do next. I have seen job seekers waste precious time searching without really knowing
where they are going.
Here are some questions to help you find your focus:
What are you good at doing?
What skills/knowledge/experiences do you want to continue to use regularly?
What value will you deliver to future employers?
Why do you do what you do?
What type of company do you want to work for?
When you can answer these questions, you can clearly write and talk about yourself
with greater certainty. That makes it easier for everyone to understand. Most importantly,
the answers help you create a stronger resume, LinkedIn profile, and a powerful
answer to "tell me about yourself."
Know your values
Finding the right "fit" isn't just about the perfect skills match. You've
probably seen a job posting and thought, "This is the perfect job for me".
But are you really? What do you know about the company, the team, and your potential
manager?
If you begin now to get clear about what's important to you about your next job
(things like workplace attitudes, management style, and communication types) you
can more specifically target companies and potentially weed out those that are clearly
not a good fit for you.
For example, if you know you want structure, a clear career path and structured
training, you probably would not be happy in a start-up with 15 employees. It's
likely there won't be a linear career path, clearly identified roles or any training.
This isn't bad or good, it's just different.
You will want to discover as much as you can about the company before, during and
after the interview phase to ensure that it aligns with your values.
Manage your time well
Without structure, it is just too easy to get distracted. Don't get sucked into
searching job boards. While applying to jobs feels productive, it doesn't always
result in an interview. There are many actions for you to take that will help move
your job search forward.
You want to block time weekly for important job search tasks. Allocating time on
a calendar is a visual way of holding yourself accountable. You probably blocked
off time for important activities at work, so it's time to do it for your job search.
This is a list of job search activities worthy of blocking time for:
Networking: One on one meetings
Email: Respond to emails and send emails
Phone: Make followup calls, return messages
LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn to post updates, comment on posts, respond to group conversations,
research target companies or people, write recommendations
Knowledge Update: Read industry newsletters, take a course
Online Application: Apply for jobs online
Me Time: Volunteer activities, exercise, hobbies or interests
Invest in activities with the greatest return on investment
New hires come from a variety of sources according to numerous studies. What this
means is that you could be found by any of these, so diversify how you look for
opportunities.
New hires came from referrals, a company's career site, job boards, or an external
recruiter, just to name a few sources.
Tracking source of hire data from companies is complex. Often there is more than
one way a candidate has heard about a job.
The idea here is to invest your time in a variety of different activities to cover
your bases and increase the odds of discovering new opportunities or being discovered.
Key Activities:
Reach out to people you already know and make sure they know exactly the type of
role you are looking for next.
Create a list of target companies you believe you would like to work for and monitor
their company career page, create an alert on their career page, follow their LinkedIn
page, connect with company insiders and have a conversation.
Use multiple job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and at least one niche job board
that caters to your industry or occupation.
Contact several external recruiters to see what jobs they are working on. (Remember,
recruiters work for the employer, not you. If you have the exact skills they are
looking for, they might be interested in speaking with you.) See how to work with
a recruiter to help find a job.
Don't "go it alone"
Job search feels isolating and you may feel like you are the only one struggling.
Reach out for help. There are job clubs, networking groups, career coaches, and
other resources that can help you with your job search.
This is not the time in your life to be stubborn and refuse help. You need it, everyone
does. Statistics prove that those people involved in job clubs or other groups find
jobs faster than those working alone.
REMINDER: if you feel you are sinking into depression, get help. It is quite normal
and almost expected that you will feel depressed, however, if you can't shake it,
please do something about it.
Assess what is working and what is not
Job search will take longer than you want. Don't beat yourself up. Conduct an assessment
of what you've been doing and what the outcomes have been.
If you see a decline in interviews despite a high number of applications, it might
indicate that your resume or cover letter needs refinement. Or, if you're getting
interviews but not job offers, it may be time to refine your interviewing skills.
Here are things to evaluate:
Are you getting interviews for jobs you are interested in? If not, re-evaluate your
resume.
Are you arranging networking meetings? If not, add this to your daily activities.
How many jobs are you applying for jobs? Are you a good fit?
Are you active on LinkedIn? Are the right people looking at your profile and contacting
you?
Are you getting interviews but not job offers? Work on your interviewing skills.
By looking back over your activities for the past 2-3 weeks or so, where have you
been successful and where have you not seen traction?
Finding a job will take longer than you want. But remember, you can only control
what you do.
Virtual networking advice should include actionable steps not just theory. Here
is virtual networking advice from 29 career experts you can actually use.
Networking virtually may have become the new normal for everyone — those working
and those not working.
We all learned a lot about how to build relationships with people using social networks,
online events and Zoom.
To help you refine your virtual networking strategies and just get more comfortable
with meeting people online, I reached out to my career and job search colleagues
and friends to ask for their best tips and virtual networking advice. You'll find
tips, insights and advice about:
Where to network virtually
Who are good people to network with online
How to find people to virtually network with
What to say when reaching out
How to overcome your fear/dislike of networking online
Who and how to engage with people on LinkedIn
And mistakes to avoid when networking virtually
A Must-Have Skill
Learning how to network online is a new skill we all need to develop as we move
forward in our careers.
Actually, virtual networking is a complex set of skills. It's a combination of written
communication skills, being aware of the situation (the forum/platform) and empathetic
to those you are communicating with or who can see what you are saying. It's knowing
when to be humble and knowing when to take credit. Sure, personal branding and getting
your message out is important but virtual networking means you embrace the idea
of giving and not just taking. You also communicate like a real human with compassion,
civility and imperfections.
As an introvert (I know many of you are too), I have found networking virtually
is much more comfortable than attending those large, in-person events. I pick and
choose when, where and who I want to meet. And as long as I've psyched myself up
for the networking encounter, I'm ready! Well, almost.
Many thanks to these experts for sharing their virtual networking advice: Brenda
Meller, Jacob Share, Terrence Seamon, Brenda Abdilla, Bob McIntosh, Loren Greiff,
Biron Clark, Jessica Sweet, Mark Anthony Dyson, Andy Foote, Matthew Warzel, Kenneth
Lang, Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill, Austin Belcak, Erin Kennedy, Shelley Piedmont, Dorothy
Dalton, Jessica Hernandez, Adrienne Tom, Lisa Rangel, Meg Guiseppi, Virginia Franco,
Lezlie Garr, Donna Serdula, Jack Kelly, Dawn Graham, Donna Svei, Susan P. Joyce,
Ashley Watkins.
WHERE TO NETWORK VIRTUALLY
Treat your career transition like a job and plan to spend the bulk of your "working
day" on networking, learning, researching new positions, and attending as many
free events as you can. While at the virtual events, introduce yourself in chat
(wait until about 5-10mins after the webinar starts) and remind people of your targeted
job title and geographic area, as well as your LinkedIn URL
Think about where you want your career to be in the FUTURE and then sign up for
a class, certification or thought leadership group that relates to that future.
Let's say you are a software engineer and your future interests lie in robotics.
Take a robotics course and make a point of networking (in your own, authentic way)
with others in the class as well as the instructor. You can offer to have a virtual
coffee, start a sub-group or offer some assistance to someone you meet. Be sure
to follow the instructor on social channels and if you can get a list, try and LinkedIn
with all of the attendees. This is so easy to do and has multiple benefits.
There are so many ways to network online which are great for introverts and anyone
who gets that sinking feeling walking into a crowded room. In some ways online events
are much more time effective than live events and will be around for a while. Sign
up for some of the many excellent online conferences, live podcasts or workshops
which are either free or low cost during the pandemic. Make sure your full name
is shown on your profile with your LinkedIn url which will display when you log
on. If the event goes into breakout rooms ask the participants in your room if they
would like to connect. Share your LinkedIn url with them in the chat or refer them
to your Zoom or Teams profile. Super easy!
I ask people if they want to schedule a virtual walk. We can zoom or not zoom (you
know, doing the old school mobile phone). Walking and talking takes care of two
important activities we all need: exercise and socialization. Another option I give,
since everyone can't leave their house and walk, is say we can not be made up for
the Zoom Chat. This way we all come as we are — no makeup, dogs barking, etc. No stress
on a Zoom presentation...just focus on Zoom conversation and connection.
Where to start? Reconnecting with those you've worked with and for in the past.
It's OK to even say, I know we've been out of touch for a while but want to hear
about you — how you've been and what's happening with your work. Once you feel more
sure-footed you can start reaching out to others you don't know... YET. Spare your
agenda of getting what you want in the beginning but come with value. Show them
you know them. Give first.
When it comes to networking, we always want to look for ways to boost our chances
of making a connection. An easy way to do that is to find people who are active
on online platforms like LinkedIn. If someone is creating content and engaging with
content, they are going to be more receptive to connecting and they've given us
an opening with the stuff they're creating. When someone creates a post, they do
so with the goal of sharing information and adding value. They hope that people
see their content, enjoy their content, and engage with their content. We can use
this to our advantage! If we want to make this happen, we need to find people who
are active online. There are two ways to do this:
Run a Google search for "Top People To Follow On LinkedIn [Industry]."
That will give you a list of relevant people in your target industry that you can
follow.
Run a search on LinkedIn for your target job title or a relevant keyword.
Next, in the search sub-tab, click "Content." Then, under "All Filters"
click "Author Companies" and include a list of your target companies.
This will show you all of the content created around that topic by people at your
target companies.
Now all you need to do is engage! Like their post, leave a thoughtful comment, or
send them a DM continuing the conversation. This positions you as a supporter of
their work and will get you on their radar in a positive way. Rinse and repeat multiple
times and watch the magic happen!
I suggest "strategic networking". It's great to cultivate relationships
with the vast numbers of interesting people out there, but you have limited time
and specific goals, so you need to have a strategy. Instead of building your network
with all those interesting people, which can be quite exhausting, think about who
can be helpful in reaching your goals.
— What companies do you want to work at?
— What industry are you in, or are you breaking into?
— What topics are you an expert in or are you building expertise in?
— Where do you want to be seen as a thought leader, or be known?
— Where can you build "natural networks"? (your alma mater, for
example)
— What leaders, if you could learn from them, would help you build your career?
These are just some of the questions that will help you narrow down who you should
spend time building relationships with.
One of my favorite ways to network virtually is by following experts and thought
leaders on LinkedIn whose content I enjoy or admire. Then, I engage with them. I
comment on their posts, like their updates, add my own insights, thoughts, or comments.
I've met so many amazing colleagues this way and now we support each other, collaborate
on projects together, and ask about each other's lives. Most of them I'm never met
in person and it's a true testament to the power of building relationships on LinkedIn.
Remember, it doesn't have to be overly complicated or awkward. It can be as simple
as letting them know you appreciate their work and then showing up consistently
to support them.
In these strange times, virtual networking is an essential skill which will likely
benefit us in the future when we are no longer required to remain "socially
distant." Fortunately, we have LinkedIn and other social media to help us now.
I have expanded my LinkedIn network by connecting with people after engaging in
"conversations" with them via posts and comments in LinkedIn.
My tip is to find, follow, and engage with people who are relevant to you and your
profession. Expand your LinkedIn connections to be more visible in LinkedIn search
results. Build conversations and connect.
Search LinkedIn using keywords like a job title or an industry/professional topic
that interests you (an important aspect of your profession, for example).
Click on "Groups," and join the Groups that are relevant to what you want.
Click on the "Posts" filter in the search results page to see relevant
posts.
Click on "All filters" to see all the search options available, and choose
something you might have in common with people you want in your network like a school,
current/former employer, location, degree, skill, etc.
"Follow" those people in LinkedIn who seem to be the best potential connections
for you, and monitor what they share.
Like, comment, and share their posts, as appropriate, interacting professionally.
Send a customized invitation to "Connect" on LinkedIn, or accept their
invitation to connect. A large LinkedIn network makes you more visible in LinkedIn
search results. When communicating with LinkedIn (and other social media), never
post online what you would not say to someone in person. The world is watching,
and nastiness can definitely come back to haunt you! Always assume the best, not
the worst in someone's comments. This is a new way of communicating and building
relationships now, with minimal face-to-face interactions. Consider Zoom and Facetime,
but do not forget the good old-fashioned telephone call.
When it comes to inviting people to connect, look for common connections who can
introduce you to the person you'd like to connect with. From another angle, find
people to connect with who are already 2nd degree connections of yours on LinkedIn,
guaranteeing that you have such a common contact who can introduce you. If there's
no common contact who can help, reach out in places where the person is more likely
to see your message than a cold email. If the person has a blog or posts actively
on social media, leave one or more non-spammy comments to softly get their attention,
such as a response to a question they asked, and if they acknowledge you in any
way, try being more direct now that your name won't be completely unknown to
As part of your overall networking strategy, I'd strongly suggest that you get in
touch with recruiters. These professionals have access to the hidden job market,
maintain strong bonds with client companies, hiring managers and human resources.
They can deftly navigate you through the labyrinth of the interview process and
successfully negotiate a lucrative salary. Most recruiters work on a contingency
basis. Their interests are aligned with the job seeker as they only get paid if
their candidate accepts the job. They are paid by the company, not the candidate.
You can find recruiters on LinkedIn, Indeed.com, job boards and Wecruitr.com. Firstly,
check to see if the recruiter specializes in your field. You want to find recruiters
who are active in your space. If they aren't, they may not be able to help since
they lack the appropriate contacts. One of the best ways is to network and get in
touch with a recruiter is via a personal recommendation. This puts you in the front
of the line as the recruiter feels you are a most placeable candidate. Look for
recruiters who post relevant jobs online and send them an email with your resume
and brief description of what you're looking to do next. If you see a recruiter
who posts a lot of relevant jobs on LinkedIn, send her an invite, along with a concise
narrative of what you've done, what you are looking to do next and how much money
you'd like to earn. Ask your colleagues, former coworkers and people who landed
top jobs in your sector, which recruiters they used, then reach out to them. You
can ingratiate yourself with recruiters by introducing them to friends and peers—after
they've agreed to it— who have the relevant backgrounds for their job orders. They'll
gladly repay your kind deed by keeping you in mind when the right job opens up for
you.
When you know you want to start networking with someone, but you're not sure what
to say, you can use their LinkedIn Activity to help guide you. From the Activity
section in their profile, you can click, 'See All Activity', which will bring you
to a page where you can filter the results by 'Articles', 'Posts', and 'Documents'.
Using those filters, you can read through their content and find something that
really speaks to you that you can use to start a conversation. A few things to remember:
Flattery will get you everywhere. So, if you can find something to genuinely
compliment, all the better!
Be genuine. Networking can be awkward, and the more you try to be someone
you're not, the worse off you'll be. In all your interactions, try to relax and
just be yourself. (or, ya know...the polished version of you.)
Lead with gratitude and respect others' time. NEWS FLASH: Everybody's busy,
and we all think we're busier than everyone else. But gratitude goes a long way.
So always be grateful when someone allows you into their networking 'bubble'.
Play the long game. Don't be the one who only networks when it's beneficial
to you. Make it a long-term good habit. Building relationships takes time, so decide
now that you're in it for the long haul.
For networking virtually when neither party is prolific on a social media platform,
I'm an advocate of finding some sort of commonality — same alma mater, hometown,
career journey, etc., — and making that a part of your first inquiry.
When networking with someone who is active on social media, I recommend commenting
with insightful thoughts that add value to the post BEFORE reaching out privately.
With both approaches — you've "warmed" up the connection and increased
the likelihood of a response!
Virtual networking doesn't have to be awkward — especially if using LinkedIn.
Start with a simple message,
"Hi- I just read (and commented on) your recent post about introverts and extroverts.
As an introvert, I can relate to your comment on feeling stressed out in company
meetings when there are so many people jumping in with opinions all at once..."
(or something like that).
Discussing someone's recent post with them starts a conversation that, when cultivated,
can turn into an interesting discussion. You can relate your own story to their
post or bring up something else you read that was similar — and share that link.
Starting a conversation based on something they said can turn into a lasting business
relationship.
What to say when networking: I like to ask for something simple to start to avoid
overwhelming the reader. It never hurts to give a compliment, either (as long as
it's genuine). For example, you could say,
"Hi Amy. It's impressive how quickly you climbed from HR Associate to Manager
at IBM. I was thinking of applying to the HR team myself. Have you felt that it's
a good environment since joining?"
Or, you could start with the same approach but ask a different question:
"Hi Amy. It's impressive how quickly you climbed from HR Associate to Manager
at IBM. Are there one or two actions you took that you feel led to this success?
I'm beginning my HR career and am hoping to emulate the type of path you took. Anything
you can share would be great."
The key here is you're giving a genuine compliment, showing you did some research
about them and customized the message, and you're asking for one single piece of
info or advice to avoid overwhelming them. This is one of the best ways to begin
a conversation/relationship online.
Here's a sample of a message you could send a potential recruiter/hiring manager:
Hey FIRST NAME OF COLD CONTACT ON LINKEDIN, I see we share a mutual connection,
so I'm reaching out with the hope of getting your help breaking into NAME OF DEPARTMENT!
I'm making a big transition out of NAME OF ROLE (at a remarkable time), so I'd love
to hear what life is like for you as a NAME OF COLD CONTACT'S ROLE and how you've
found success at NAME OF COMPANY. Thank you for your time and any insights on how
I can improve my candidacy as a viable fit within your organization. Would love
to connect! Here is my LinkedIn Profile (insert hyperlink, not full LinkedIn URL).
Cheers! YOUR FIRST NAME
it shows action
it's simple and brief, and not hard to read with large words
it shows that you looked at their profile and that you're asking for them to talk
about themselves
it shows a little about what you're looking for
it calls out the weird times we're in (could gain empathy)
it's inoffensive - it ends with a soft selling call-to-action
it's not asking for help, it's trying to build a relationship without being annoying
- do not send a resume in this outreach
it can make them feel like it's work without having a relationship. Wait
until the followup to include data like that
remember it's OK to reach out to someone up to 2-3 times before moving on
If LinkedIn tells you that you have certain people in common. Why wouldn't you refer
to those people in your connection request? The best connection requests I receive
are from people who
research me/my work
understand that having things in common counts and
are concise/well written.
Don't connect straight away. Follow that person first. The connection request will
not come as a surprise, if you follow him/her. If they follow you back, there's
a strong chance that your connection request will succeed. Comments in posts are
a cocktail party waiting for you to say something relevant/smart/funny. Add value,
make friends. Jump in. The water is warm. The bar is free.
One piece of advice that has served me well is to have a spreadsheet to keep all
of my networking information. This helps with any networking — virtual or in person.
My spreadsheet is not fancy. I keep the person's name, contact information (phone,
email address(es)), when I made an outreach, how I made contact (email, phone, etc.),
any followup information (when and how), and a notes section. In the notes section,
I put any relevant information, such as what we discussed, business information,
personal information, etc. The nice part of having this information on a spreadsheet
is that you can design it however you feel will work for you, collect the information
you find relevant, and filter or sort as needed.
When it comes to virtual networking, research always comes first. If your platform
of choice is LinkedIn, take some time to view your contact's profile very carefully
before sending an invitation to connect. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter
accounts are also great places to gather intel. Use the information you uncover
(recent promotions, awards, job changes, published book/article) to ignite a genuine
conversation, keeping the other party as the focal point in any virtual interactions.
Be open to sharing ideas, offering support, and actively engaging with others in
your current or target industry. Just remember to start slow by liking and commenting
on posts you find interesting—working your way up to tagging others to join the
conversation and sharing your own posts, content, articles, and videos.
To make networking feel less like a chore, approach it with the mindset of having
conversations and building connections. Everyone you speak with or cross paths with,
both online and off, can become a vital part of your network. Consider how you can
build improved rapport with people you know or want to get to know better online:
Ask questions (send an email, IM, or text) Demonstrate interest in people's lives,
work, or activities
Comment on social media posts
Send kind notes on special occasions
Offer assistance
Connect other people
Simple, authentic engagement can naturally grow relationships, open doors, and create
opportunities. Instead of approaching networking as an end goal, make it a regular
and consistent part of your every day.
I've found that the vast majority of people shy away from networking because they
perceive it as being needy and they risk getting rejected. "Networking"
(virtual or in-person) is not asking someone for something. Networking is getting
to know a person so you can figure out HOW TO HELP THEM. By thinking of it in a
more giving sense, the fear, anxiety, and dread goes away. Whether it's on Social
Media or someday in the future, in-person; approach your networking with the goal
of helping others, educating, adding value, and inspiring.
If you hate the idea of networking — virtual or not — you're not alone but that
doesn't mean it should be avoided or de-prioritized. In fact, building (online)
relationships or developing your professional & personal capital offers some of
the greatest LTV (life time value) with unexpected and most powerful ROIs. But don't
do it for a payoff — that will come in time. Think of networking like a bank account
or garden. It needs your attention, nurturing and refinement. The best tip I can
offer is to put some structure around it. It's not enough to say "I do it".
If you're a job seeker I recommend 10 per week. That's 2 (1/2 hrs) per day or 1
hr. That's very reasonable!
Many job seekers worry about appearing inauthentic in their networking outreach.
One antidote to this concern is to connect through curiosity. When you let curiosity
lead your outreach, it means that there's a genuine spark that inspires you to connect
with someone. Whether it was a great post they wrote, or something you discovered
about their background from reading their profile, use whatever you're curious to
learn more about as your reason for outreach. You'll be able to ask a question or
make an observation about something you truly would like to learn more about. There
are few emotions/behaviors more fundamental than curiosity. When curiosity is in
the driver's seat, your intentions are pure, thus leading to more authentic outreach,
upon which you can build a genuine relationship.
Reaching out to strangers causes anxiety for many and, as with anything new, takes
practice. An effective job search strategy combines adequate research with consistent
communication and follow-up. Don't give up after one or two messages. Building mutually
beneficial relationships and ensuring networking success requires being authentic
while showcasing your unique brand and personality. By keeping the "people
hire people" philosophy as the foundation of a high-quality job search campaign,
job seekers can more quickly align themselves with people who influence hiring and
interview selection processes.
One of the easiest and quickest LinkedIn ways to network with people
you want to connect with — or those whose radar you want to get on —
is to engage in their activity on LinkedIn. You can do this by commenting on their
LinkedIn updates. First, follow them on LinkedIn and then be on the lookout for
updates of theirs in your LinkedIn stream, that you can intelligently comment on.
Your comments don't have to be long — even a few sentences can have a big
impact — but they should be meaningful and hopefully prompt others to chime
in. You can also leave comments in LinkedIn Groups and on Pulse articles. Similarly,
you can send messages to people who post LinkedIn Stories. Besides getting your
name in front of these people, you'll make them happy. Your compelling comments
can help generate more comments, views and reactions to their updates or posts.
Job seekers who do things differently often stand out. One way to be different right
now while virtual networking is by doing your research or prep work before the Zoom
call. Do as much preparation— or even more— for the virtual event as you would in
person. Beforehand, you should write down 2-3 commonalities, talking points or thoughtful
questions to ask during the meeting. I've found that a lot of people are "winging"
virtual meetings but they can be high stakes.
Another way to differentiate yourself is by doing something thoughtful and a bit
bold. If you were networking in person, you might meet for coffee or tea and treat
the other person. When you are doing virtual coffee, it's harder to show your appreciation
for their time. Consider sending a small gift card to Starbucks or a local chain
for a cup of coffee on you or mail them your favorite box of tea. I've done this
a few times recently and it seemed to go over well. I mailed my favorite Teapigs
tea and the receipt emailed me immediately to thank me for the gesture which continued
our conversation and engagement.
Industry focus your networking (OK, one or two) by becoming the insider. Start a
podcast or video series. Ask people who are more advanced in the industry than you
are. Think of it as an informational interview.
Use your phone's voice app and post it on your social media. The anchor app makes
it too easy NOT to make a podcast as often or infrequently as you like. Instagram
makes it easy for a video interview between two people. You can send questions to
someone, and they will answer them. Publish it on LinkedIn articles. Follow-up,
over add value, be gracious, and be grateful. Always send thank you notes, mention
them as you learn from them on your LinkedIn updates and all social media. I mean
this, in time, there is a payoff in ways you won't imagine.
I lead a Job Club for MassHire Lowell Career Center. There are mistakes I see my
clients make, some of which can be easily corrected, others of which take a little
bit of effort. The most obvious mistakes have to do with their settings, such as
lighting, sound, and the way they dress. Often the lighting is so poor that it looks
like they're using a candle, giving off an eerie effect. Solution: if your lighting
is poor, purchase a relatively inexpensive halo light from your nearest small business
or online. Also, turn on overhead lights. Make sure your shades are drawn so sunlight
isn't peeking in and out.
For sound, wear appropriate headgear which includes a microphone. Can't afford this
device? Quality earbuds will do the trick. Some of my clients are barely audible
which is a distraction and makes me want to say, "Jim, we can barely hear you."
If you are attending an online networking session, dress the part; don't dress as
if you're just lounging around the house. A nice shirt/blouse/sweater is appropriate.
To avoid possible embarrassment, wear proper bottom clothing. You never know if
you'll have to leave your desk and your pajamas will be revealed.
Last but not least, arrive at the networking session with the willingness to contribute
to discussions. If you need to prepare some bullet points of what to say and paste
them to the top of your laptop, so be it. One thing you'll probably be asked to
do is deliver your elevator pitch. Write it down NOW and memorize it. If conversation
is not your strength, ask questions and listen to what your fellow networkers say.
Playoff what they say by relating similar stories. Conversely, don't dominate the
conversation. Remember that other people want to contribute to the networking session.
A good conversationalist understands the concept of give and take in a conversation.
Networking doesn't need to be time consuming if you take advantage of the activities
you're already doing. Simple steps like adding your name, location and title to
your Zoom can help people learn more about you. Also, make it a point to connect
with one new person after each virtual meeting to get to know them better, or at
a minimum, sent them a personal invite on LinkedIn to add them to your network.
Don't reinvent the wheel every time you reach out to someone. Get yourself a good
set of networking scripts and use them. As you practice calling, you will get increasingly
comfortable and much of your anxiety will magically disappear!
My tip would be: Go ahead and do it! Don't wait for a return to normal. Normal may
never come. Now is the best time. Pick up the phone and call a network buddy. Set
up a zoom meeting. You'll be glad you did.
These are such simple questions, right? Wrong!! Small talk like this, when approached
from a place of curiosity and NOT knowing, as opposed to a confirmation bias, can
result in real and meaningful relationships.
Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. After connecting on LinkedIn, send a 'thanks for
connecting' reply message with a follow-up suggestion (like scheduling a phone call
to learn more about your newest connection). After an online event, schedule follow-up
conversations with other event attendees. Bonus networking tip: Connect with an
event host and presenter before you attend their event
NEED MORE VIRTUAL NETWORKING ADVICE?
Not only can you follow all the experts who contributed on LinkedIn and/or their
websites, but you can also get more virtual networking advice in these articles:
By Hannah Morgan | Career Sherpa - Reprinted with permission
While we employ many Veterans just like you here at VA, we also have civilians
in a number of roles, including in human resources. So, while there are plenty of
folks who speak the same jargon as you, the person reading your resume may not understand
the words, phrases and especially acronyms you use in the military.
Taking the time to translate your experience into terms that will be more familiar
to a broad audience is a good step on the path to a successful job application.
A good place to start is in the job description itself. Every job announcement will
have a "duties" section that describes the expectations for the role, as well as
a "qualifications" section devoted to experience and skills. Look at the postings
associated with the jobs you want and see what words they use to describe the requirements.
Another good tip is to focus on communicating the functions of your role, no matter
your rank or your specialty. While some job duties are self-explanatory, there are
others that require a little more definition, as civilians aren't likely to know
the duties that accompany things like ranks.
Work at VA
Ready to learn more? Head over to VA Careers for more in-depth tips and access to
more resources aimed at helping transitioning military personnel like you find a
place on our team.