Who Do You Know That Knows Somebody?

Who do you know that knows somebody, that you need to know? May sound like a funny question for me to ask, but networking is all about connecting with people. First connecting with your first degree of separation. Your first degree of separation are the people you know. People who know you. They are the ones in your cell phone book, your address book. The ones you worked with and for in the past and the ones you work with today. They are the people you hang out with and call friends or acquaintances. That’s typically a healthy number of people. So who do you know?

And more importantly, who do they know that you don’t know, that knows somebody you need to know that is looking for a person just like you to come work for them? Fairly long sentence, but there is meat in it. Can you find it? Who do they know that you need to know? That is what networking is all about. It about the unseen people behind each and every person that you know.

So how do you get to the people behind the people you know? And make a strong connection that produces an interview or a job that you are looking for? First, it starts with maintaining healthy relationships in your first degree. You must be nurturing your relationships. If you are not, why not start today? If you have neglected relationships, pick up the phone and say hello. Start somewhere. Send a note. Here’s the key – Begin to nurture the relationships with no EXPECTATION that the person will do anything for YOU! They may not even want to talk to you if you haven’t spoken for awhile, but you can’t do anything about that, just do your part. That’s a beginning.

If you have relationships that you have nurtured, that are strong and healthy. Tap into those relationships. Set up a date for coffee, dinner, lunch, breakfast or brunch. The setting is not the important thing here (though it is important), my point is get a meeting. Have a conversation with your strong connections. Listen to what they are talking about and assist where you can. At some point, they will want to know what is happening in your world. This is your opportunity to share. Share the good things, the things that are going well and share your desire for employment in your field. Be clear, don’t give all of the gory details of your termination or your layoff. Share the next steps. What you are doing today that is moving you forward in your job search. Share the challenges you have faced since you have been unemployed. And share with them your desire to meet people that may be able to assist you in your job search. You can ask, “who do you know that is an engineer? Would you mind introducing me to ______ (whoever it is they may have mentioned).” In other words you are asking them to introduce you to someone you don’t know that may be looking for someone like you.

If your friends, acquaintances or family members introduce you to someone in their network, you are obligated to be prepared. To be polite, friendly, to be credible. If you are not, you are not representing your connection properly and you may lose any future assistance from that individual in your life. Don’t misrepresent your connection. Don’t misrepresent yourself. Be forthright and honest, but above all, be PREPARED for the meeting when you get it. More to come! Chew on this for now.

Image Credit: sxc.hu