Urban legend has it that corporate budgets for the year have already been expended and the hiring process all but stops in December. Not so! While you may be tempted, do not put your job hunt on ice. Even in those companies where hiring is temporarily frozen, networking and interviewing continues unabated in order to lay the groundwork for a rush of job offers going out when the new budget year arrives in January.
Remember that about 80 percent of all new hires are the result of someone knowing someone else through personal networking. And because there are so many parties, gathering and events of all kinds in December, this is the high season for networking your way into a new job.
Often, introverts are especially intimidated by networking’s challenges. If this resonates for you, think about Ivan Misner, the consummate networker and founder BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. In a 2011 Entrepreneur article, he tells the story about the time his wife called him an introvert. He wrote: “So, I went online and took a personality test. It determined I am a ‘situational extrovert,’ that I am a loner who is reserved around strangers but outgoing in the right context.”
His story reminds us of the importance of each person finding his or her “right context” for networking: that zone where you are able to put away your insecurities, because you feel somehow safe and have a valid reason to be present.
Maybe you aren’t yet comfortable in a room of 200 strangers. Or alternatively, maybe you feel out of place in a smaller room full of people, because you can’t blend into the crowd and be inconspicuous. Maybe you don’t feel comfortable networking, because you don’t know what to say or how to strike up a conversation. Perhaps you’ve yet to find your confident job-hunting voice.
Here are six tips to help you break the ice and make any event into the “right context” to build and strengthen your relationships:
1. Be curious, and show an interest in others. If you’re at a business forum, trade show, presentation or other public- or industry-related event, you can always begin with something like, “Hi, great to see/meet you. What brings you here?” Follow up with some general questions about another person’s professional background or organization, and listen carefully for hooks you can use to follow up in a way to keep things going.
Possible lines you can use:
— “Yes, I’ve heard of your organization and your work in the area of such-and-such. Can you tell me more about that?”
— “I’m interested in today’s speaker because ______. How about you?”
In short, ask interesting questions that demonstrate you know something but want to know more.
2. Be an involved and active listener. Give your full attention to the person with whom you’re speaking. People can tell when you’re surveying the room and looking for someone else you’d rather be with. It’s just plain rude if your eyes wander all over the room while talking with someone. It makes the person who is speaking to you feel unimportant.
When you really aren’t interested in what someone is saying to you, find an appropriate moment to politely excuse yourself and then continue circulating.
3. Pick out a loner and engage. You probably don’t enjoy wandering aimlessly through a room full of people with no one to talk to. Neither does anyone else. Look around, and see who is on the periphery. When you approach that person with a friendly smile, handshake and greeting, he or she will respond in kind. Look for things you might have in common, and you’ll be surprised where that interaction might lead.
4. Be judicious about handing out your business card. Always come to a networking event with business cards in your pocket., but don’t be “that guy” who just goes person-to-person shoving his card in everyone’s hands before moving on. All too common is the experience of coming home from such an event, looking through a pile of cards and not remembering anything about the peope who gave them. Those cards head straight for the proverbial circular file. And don’t be so presumptuous as to give people two or three of your cards expecting them to want to pass them on further on your behalf.
Instead, aim to talk with just a handful of people at any event, and as you are concluding your interaction, ask if you might continue the conversation at another time. When you get a positive response, ask for their card so you’ll be able to call in a few days and set it up. They will likely ask you for yours as well, and then you can give it to a willing receiver.
5. Stay sober! Alcohol flows freely at holiday parties and events. Remember that after a couple drinks, you will loose your edge and are likely to say things that you will later regret.
It is imperative that you keep your mind focused and never leave a negative impression though inappropriate acts or words. If you are asked why you aren’t drinking, a simple deflection is to respond by saying you’re are a designated driver for someone else.
6. Know when it’s time to move on. Even when you hit it off well with a new acquaintance, remember that both you and that person came to the event to meet multiple people. Don’t risk being thought of as the person who clings and never lets go! Instead, ask if you might follow up with a phone call and another one-on-one meeting when neither of you will be distracted.
Happy holidays — and happy hunting!
Arnie Fertig, MPA, is passionate about helping his Jobhuntercoach clients advance their careers by transforming frantic “I’ll apply to anything” searches into focused hunts for “great fit” opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.
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6 Holiday Networking Tips originally appeared on usnews.com
