Recession is in the air, people are tightening their belts and polishing their resumes and advice on networking is blooming. How do you network anyways? Let's see if Google can help us. I type into a search "networking + jobs" and one of the first results has the following passage:
Online Gaming
Before getting married, I was big into computer games. With the internet, gaming was even more addictive since you were now facing people as good or better than you. Beating a game was no longer the end of the story -- there was always the option to improve your skills and face somebody even better. So in my game of choice, I applied to join a gaming clan where we competitively faced other clans in formal leagues. To be honest, I was not that good but I had some extra factors in my resume -- plenty of computer hardware and several server-level internet connections courtesy of my company. (Being able to host servers where clans can meet and practice is big-time currency in the online gaming world.)
Most gaming clans use IRC as the default method of communication to coordinate practices and matches against other clans. It became natural routine to be connected to IRC all the time so while I was busy programming, I always had a small IRC window open at the bottom of my screen to monitor conversations. The nature of IRC is semi-anonymous since all we see are gaming nicknames; hence people tend to be truthful about what's going on in their lives. When they're working on a new project, IRC is the first place they'll talk about it. When they're sick of school or work, they'll talk about it on IRC. When they have plans for travel or relocation or change, IRC. When they have a computer issue or a solution to a computer issue, IRC. Throw in the random chit-chat life in general and you end up getting rather good feel for everybody's personalities and abilities.
When my company picked up more customers than I could handle, all I had to do was open a private message window to the member I wanted to recruit as I knew he had the programming skills and was in the right stage of life for a change. Over time, we ended up hiring 2 members from my gaming clan as full-time employees and 2 more for contract work. There's a few more members I'd have no qualms about hiring since I know their skills in detail from trading tricks & tips about computer hardware, server software and/or programming. (Whether I could have the work enticing enough to attract them is a different story.)
So kids (and adults who haven't cut the cord yet) -- the next time your parents nag you about computer gaming, say you are networking. I'd suggest picking games that require teamwork versus off-line or one-versus-one games. And don't play Worlds of Warcraft as MMORGs tend to be all-consuming -- anybody competitive you meet in that environment probably wears diapers to avoid bathroom breaks.
Store customer
My wife runs a boutique clothing store and her target customers are rather talkative. For them, shopping is more of a pastime so while they're browsing for clothes, they tend to gab away. The typical topics are work, school, family, housing which is probably not too far off from what everybody else talks about. One customer mentioned she worked a half block down the street as a cashier in a souvenir shop while studying accounting at the local community college. Before you jump to any conclusions -- no, I did not offer her a job just like that.
The story now takes meandering route before we return to the networking topic. I have a son that recently hit 2 years so he is quite the handful. After my work shift is over, I pick up my son and head out to my wife's store to hang out for a while. Being the typical rambunctious toddler, he often ransacks the store so I often take him for walks around the neighborhood to give my wife some sanity. On the days I pass by the aforementioned souvenir store, the cashier was always busy reading textbooks when no customers were shopping. (Although she would fly out to play with my son if she noticed us.)
One night, I dropped by the office and our CEO was there again working the midnight hours away. I point-blank ask him if we need to hire somebody to take some duties off his plate. He agreed yes and the first idea in my head was my wife's customer. Within days, we arranged an interview with her and the rest was history. Currently, she works for us a few days a week while continuing her college education. The managing staff uniformly are impressed with her tenacity and attention to detail -- we definitely would like her to become our full-time accountant after finishing up school with eventual growth into a controller role (and ultimately CFO) as the company grows also.
So when you're shopping (or doing anything else), it doesn't hurt to chit-chat a bit. While not every shopkeeper will have a spouse involved in running a separate company looking to hire, entrepreneurs tend to know other entrepreneurs so you never know.
What this all means
The big unknown in hiring is work ethic and ability to learn more skills. Perhaps large companies can get by with the square hole + square peg method just from sheer number of workers but small companies are always under the gun for resources and having flexible, ambitious workers is a must. Unfortunately, resumes and interviews don't provide the window into people to make this judgment. After all, applicants can practice their words and speeches into perfection so you can't discover the real person behind the polish with that brief interaction.
One bad employee could kill a small business which means networking is just as important for hiring as job seeking. And the best type of networking is natural social interaction. Look not for the person who's mingling at a trade show party handing out business cards and talking quick blurbs about themselves. Instead, keep mental tabs on everyday contact. The barista making your latte, the receptionist answering the phone at your doctor's office, the clerk ringing up your purchase -- in all likelihood, they want to move up in the world and are looking for that foot in the door. While you would not hire somebody on the spot after 6 seconds of conversation, perhaps you can give them more opportunities to reveal more about themselves when you periodically patronizing their workplaces. (It may not be polite to eavesdrop but it works.)
Job seekers -- you cannot tell from appearances who has contacts or influence to help your career. If nature's law held sway over this arena, business owners would have red plumes on their jackets, CEOs would wear yellow robes and hiring managers have green cuffs. (Although I do have a wag you would get better odds focusing on quiet people doing more listening than talking -- after all, it seems slightly boastful to talk about having decision making powers over others unless you're in a bar trying to pick up the opposite sex.) Since it's not that simple, networking needs to be a integral part of you instead of an active thought or process. When the time comes when you need to call in some chips, you definitely do not want the other person to be thinking "first call in 3 years and it's to ask about a job".
- "Wondering how to find your next job? Try networking -- the best way to find a job!"
- Former co-workers
- Client contact
- High school friend
- Craigslist job postings
- Online gaming
- Customer of my wife's store
Online Gaming
Before getting married, I was big into computer games. With the internet, gaming was even more addictive since you were now facing people as good or better than you. Beating a game was no longer the end of the story -- there was always the option to improve your skills and face somebody even better. So in my game of choice, I applied to join a gaming clan where we competitively faced other clans in formal leagues. To be honest, I was not that good but I had some extra factors in my resume -- plenty of computer hardware and several server-level internet connections courtesy of my company. (Being able to host servers where clans can meet and practice is big-time currency in the online gaming world.)
Most gaming clans use IRC as the default method of communication to coordinate practices and matches against other clans. It became natural routine to be connected to IRC all the time so while I was busy programming, I always had a small IRC window open at the bottom of my screen to monitor conversations. The nature of IRC is semi-anonymous since all we see are gaming nicknames; hence people tend to be truthful about what's going on in their lives. When they're working on a new project, IRC is the first place they'll talk about it. When they're sick of school or work, they'll talk about it on IRC. When they have plans for travel or relocation or change, IRC. When they have a computer issue or a solution to a computer issue, IRC. Throw in the random chit-chat life in general and you end up getting rather good feel for everybody's personalities and abilities.
When my company picked up more customers than I could handle, all I had to do was open a private message window to the member I wanted to recruit as I knew he had the programming skills and was in the right stage of life for a change. Over time, we ended up hiring 2 members from my gaming clan as full-time employees and 2 more for contract work. There's a few more members I'd have no qualms about hiring since I know their skills in detail from trading tricks & tips about computer hardware, server software and/or programming. (Whether I could have the work enticing enough to attract them is a different story.)
So kids (and adults who haven't cut the cord yet) -- the next time your parents nag you about computer gaming, say you are networking. I'd suggest picking games that require teamwork versus off-line or one-versus-one games. And don't play Worlds of Warcraft as MMORGs tend to be all-consuming -- anybody competitive you meet in that environment probably wears diapers to avoid bathroom breaks.
Store customer
My wife runs a boutique clothing store and her target customers are rather talkative. For them, shopping is more of a pastime so while they're browsing for clothes, they tend to gab away. The typical topics are work, school, family, housing which is probably not too far off from what everybody else talks about. One customer mentioned she worked a half block down the street as a cashier in a souvenir shop while studying accounting at the local community college. Before you jump to any conclusions -- no, I did not offer her a job just like that.
The story now takes meandering route before we return to the networking topic. I have a son that recently hit 2 years so he is quite the handful. After my work shift is over, I pick up my son and head out to my wife's store to hang out for a while. Being the typical rambunctious toddler, he often ransacks the store so I often take him for walks around the neighborhood to give my wife some sanity. On the days I pass by the aforementioned souvenir store, the cashier was always busy reading textbooks when no customers were shopping. (Although she would fly out to play with my son if she noticed us.)
One night, I dropped by the office and our CEO was there again working the midnight hours away. I point-blank ask him if we need to hire somebody to take some duties off his plate. He agreed yes and the first idea in my head was my wife's customer. Within days, we arranged an interview with her and the rest was history. Currently, she works for us a few days a week while continuing her college education. The managing staff uniformly are impressed with her tenacity and attention to detail -- we definitely would like her to become our full-time accountant after finishing up school with eventual growth into a controller role (and ultimately CFO) as the company grows also.
So when you're shopping (or doing anything else), it doesn't hurt to chit-chat a bit. While not every shopkeeper will have a spouse involved in running a separate company looking to hire, entrepreneurs tend to know other entrepreneurs so you never know.
What this all means
The big unknown in hiring is work ethic and ability to learn more skills. Perhaps large companies can get by with the square hole + square peg method just from sheer number of workers but small companies are always under the gun for resources and having flexible, ambitious workers is a must. Unfortunately, resumes and interviews don't provide the window into people to make this judgment. After all, applicants can practice their words and speeches into perfection so you can't discover the real person behind the polish with that brief interaction.
One bad employee could kill a small business which means networking is just as important for hiring as job seeking. And the best type of networking is natural social interaction. Look not for the person who's mingling at a trade show party handing out business cards and talking quick blurbs about themselves. Instead, keep mental tabs on everyday contact. The barista making your latte, the receptionist answering the phone at your doctor's office, the clerk ringing up your purchase -- in all likelihood, they want to move up in the world and are looking for that foot in the door. While you would not hire somebody on the spot after 6 seconds of conversation, perhaps you can give them more opportunities to reveal more about themselves when you periodically patronizing their workplaces. (It may not be polite to eavesdrop but it works.)
Job seekers -- you cannot tell from appearances who has contacts or influence to help your career. If nature's law held sway over this arena, business owners would have red plumes on their jackets, CEOs would wear yellow robes and hiring managers have green cuffs. (Although I do have a wag you would get better odds focusing on quiet people doing more listening than talking -- after all, it seems slightly boastful to talk about having decision making powers over others unless you're in a bar trying to pick up the opposite sex.) Since it's not that simple, networking needs to be a integral part of you instead of an active thought or process. When the time comes when you need to call in some chips, you definitely do not want the other person to be thinking "first call in 3 years and it's to ask about a job".
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