Great job and career networking tips.

These job networking tips will help you avoid the tragedy i have been through. I have had to endure the heartache of looking for a job, yet when I looked at some of my colleagues in university, they had good jobs.

The most surprising things were that these jobs these guys got were never advertised in the media. So how did they get the jobs? Networking.

Networking is networking, right? It’s not – when you’re job-hunting, your networking task is a little different and a tad harder than the average networker’s. For starters, you’ve got to sustain a conversation beyond “What do you do?” “I’m job-hunting.” “Oh.”

Job-hunters take a lot of flack on their networking prowess, usually for one of these reasons:

• They don’t network until they need a job.

• When they network, they immediately ask for job-search help.

• They request introductions from people they’re meeting for the first time.

If you’re in the thick of a job search and you haven’t spent much time or attention on your network so far, the first of these problems may be unavoidable. But you can easily avoid the other two common problems by following a these job networking tips;

1. Begin with the “give” not the “get.”;

the seminal secret of positive networking is ‘discovering what you can do for someone else’. It’s about opening a relationship, not closing a sale. When you network this way, it takes all the pressure off – guaranteed.

2. Become a Super Connector:

Great networkers enjoy connecting people. The secret of discovering what they can do for someone else is part of their DNA (Dynamic Networking Ability).

3. Sooner Rather than Later: An important career networking tip is to act now. In business the best time to exchange cards is when you first meet. Make it a natural part of your introduction so there’s none of the anxiety of wondering when you should do the exchange.

4. The Name Game:

Nicetomeetyou is not a name, but a common response on meeting someone- avoid it. Always introduce yourself by name and exchange a business card. You have just given yourself a fighting chance of that person remembering who you are.

5. Remember me?Experienced networkers give this important networking tip: always say ‘Nice to see you’ or ‘Great to see you’. They know it works better than ‘Nice to meet you’. The latter greeting is problematic when that person may respond, ‘We’ve met before.’

6. Ask questions.

It’s been said that it is better to be interested than interesting, which is heartbreaking to us. But getting to know what’s important to someone else enables you to help them.

7. Treat Everyone Like Royalty:

Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. Avoid rushing to rank your contacts in The Frog Chain. It makes life a whole lot easier than trying to figure who’s who. Besides, one person’s frog may be another person’s prince or princess.

8. Smile Power:

Positive Networking starts with a smile. You smile at someone and they smile back. It’s automatic because the brain is hard-wired to function this way. A smile opens the door to friendly communication. It’s your best networking asset. Never leave home without it.

Another career networking tip is: if your partner doesn't introduce you to someone immediately, it's your cue that your partner cannot remember the person's name. Step forward, extend your hand, introduce yourself and get the person's name. Now you have helped your tag teammate out.

10. Circulate in the Pond:

Positive Networking is about meeting people and building your network. At events, avoid the temptation to stagnate- talking only to people you know. Remember the Positive Networking goal of meeting seven new people at each event. This may require you stepping outside of comfort zone.

11. Be Email Friendly:

Keep them short, just one very brief paragraph with one subject per email. If you have an article that you think your contact might like, paste it into the body of the email and highlight what might be of interest. Avoid attachments.

12. To Send or Not To Send?:

Before you email anything to anyone, ask yourself: Is what I am about to send going to contribute anything to this person's busy day. If it isn't, don't send it.

13. Take the online, offline.

The best relationships are not sustained through one dimension, and the association deepens when there is dialogue beyond the initial connection point. Turn an email into a phone call; a comment into coffee; Linked In invite into lunch.

14. Be authentic.

It’s easier to detect lip service when you can actually see someone’s lips, but insincerity can permeate online messages too.

15. The Gentle Art of Conversation:

A key quality of great networkers is their style of conversation. They are focused, listen carefully and are non-confrontational in their style. Some good Chinese advice: Do not remove a fly from your friend’s forehead with a hatchet.

16. Follow up.

After initial contact, don’t assume the contact will be thinking just about you. Follow up and make the person remember you.

This job networking tips ensures that you will get the next job easily and maintain helpful contacts.

See more Job search articles and tips here

From networking tips to Home page.