Posted on Sep 14, 2015
Do you agree with these 4 Networking Tactics for Veterans?
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Most people know that networking is the critical foundation of any job search. Unfortunately, most people – including veterans – are terrible at professional networking. Beginning with a basic misunderstanding regarding the purpose of networking, most job seekers either do not attempt the effort or poorly execute it. Any job seeker who expects to be successful must learn the four steps to effective networking and relentlessly practice them with vigor and resourcefulness.
The good news for veterans is that, because of their service, most Americans are eager to help them succeed in their job searches and careers. However, veterans themselves are solely responsible for their job-search success, and those who learn to network effectively will be the ones who find it.
Networking, or what academics call "leveraging social capital," is the art of using human interaction to obtain the information and access that will lead to the achievement of one's goal. Professional and productive networking can be summarized into four major abilities or practices. The utilization of these four abilities will not only advance veterans in their professional lives, but they may well advance them in other areas, too. Here are the four practices:
1. Know yourself and know your goal.
2. Inventory your connections.
3. Know what you want from others.
4. Bring a mutually supportive posture.
Let's examine each of these in turn:
1. Know Yourself and Your Goal
The first step to effective networking is to know clearly who you are and what you seek to accomplish. The more precise you are, the more efficient and effective your networking campaign will be. One way to communicate your essence and goal to others is to create an effective elevator pitch.
For example, telling someone "I am looking for a good IT job in Chicago" is not helpful. On the other hand, telling someone "I am a creative individual who loves quantitative problem solving. I excelled at a number of technical assignments in the Navy, and now I seek to break into the cybersecurity field in the Chicago area" is an excellent example of a concise and clear goal that people can understand and act upon. In this second statement, not only is the job seeker revealing a clear goal, he's also defining his talents and background, which highlight his qualifications.
2. Take Inventory of Your Contacts
We have all heard the adage: "It is not what you know but who you know." Many cynically retort that that is the problem – they don't know anyone. But they might be surprised to find that they know more people than they realize.
When preparing for a job search, the candidate must organize all her professional and personal contacts. One can use a computer spreadsheet or a pad of paper, but the key is to record every single adult person they know. This may be hundreds of contacts or even thousands. Your former soccer coach, old military unit buddies, Aunt Bessie's bridge club members, that guy you always talk to at the dog park – it does not matter, they all go on the list. You never know how "that guy from high school" might know a key hiring decision-maker at your dream job company.
Next, you must organize these individuals by thinking through what and who they might know. Tag each one with identifiers, such as " IT industry," "lives in Chicago" or "worked at XYZ Company." Once you have completed this laborious task, you need to prioritize all the members of your list according to their relative usefulness. Some will be top priorities, and others you may never find time to contact, but you will have a comprehensive place to start.
3. Connect with People
The best way to network is face to face. The next best thing is a phone or video call. On the other hand, a simple LinkedIn connection, if not followed by personal contact, is useless.
When meeting with people, know exactly what you seek from them. For example, most job candidates are seeking introductions, information or feedback. Be clear when you reach out to people, and name drop others you have met along the way. For example: "Mary Jones at XYZ Company told me during a recent meeting that you were the most knowledgeable graphic designer in Louisville. I left the Army last year, and I am researching how to become a Web designer. I would love to meet with you to get your advice."
Do not ask for a job. Simply – and sincerely – seek to improve your knowledge and your access. Even if there is not a job opening at that time, you will have new knowledge and possibly new connections. You will also have a strategy for moving forward.
Every interaction is an opportunity to practice your networking skills. Even a job rejection is an opportunity for feedback. Instead of simply accepting the rejection, use the opportunity to find out why you were not the right candidate. Saying something like: "Thank you for letting me know I did not get the job. May I please get some candid feedback? Since I left the Air Force, I have been very focused on finding a marketing communications job, and I would like to learn who else I should meet." This request shows that you are serious about improving yourself and your connections to qualify for the positions you seek, and it also shows that you are open to criticism and can admit when you require additional assistance. There are very few employers who would not make time for such a request.
4. Understand Mutuality
Networking is a two-way street. The premise is not "what can you do for me?" but rather "what can we do for each other?" This may seem odd when there is an obvious power imbalance. After all, what can an executive vice president learn from a transitioning petty officer? You never know. It might be insight into a business problem, a connection to another job candidate or a fresh perspective on a personal matter. The important thing is to always offer to help: "You have been so helpful to me, Ms. Smith. Is there anything I can do for you now or in the future?"
Related to this sense of mutuality is the dedication to keeping your contacts informed of your progress. This is a basic and essential courtesy that works to your advantage. Most networking candidates meet with a contact, maybe send a thank-you note, and then never follow up again. Instead, keep all your contacts informed as to your progress during your search, after it concludes and even as your career develops. You don't know where your next opportunity will arise, but it will most likely come from the network you've built and maintained.
Your Task
Effective networking is not just a job-search tactic but a way of life. The best networkers never have to conduct formal job searches, because they are so well-connected and attuned to those connections that opportunities find them. This level of network connection is something all veteran job seekers should aspire to achieve.
By using the four habits of effective networking, this goal is easily an obtainable one. And once you have achieved your own goals, resolve to help your veteran brothers and sisters as they too transition to successful civilian careers.
The good news for veterans is that, because of their service, most Americans are eager to help them succeed in their job searches and careers. However, veterans themselves are solely responsible for their job-search success, and those who learn to network effectively will be the ones who find it.
Networking, or what academics call "leveraging social capital," is the art of using human interaction to obtain the information and access that will lead to the achievement of one's goal. Professional and productive networking can be summarized into four major abilities or practices. The utilization of these four abilities will not only advance veterans in their professional lives, but they may well advance them in other areas, too. Here are the four practices:
1. Know yourself and know your goal.
2. Inventory your connections.
3. Know what you want from others.
4. Bring a mutually supportive posture.
Let's examine each of these in turn:
1. Know Yourself and Your Goal
The first step to effective networking is to know clearly who you are and what you seek to accomplish. The more precise you are, the more efficient and effective your networking campaign will be. One way to communicate your essence and goal to others is to create an effective elevator pitch.
For example, telling someone "I am looking for a good IT job in Chicago" is not helpful. On the other hand, telling someone "I am a creative individual who loves quantitative problem solving. I excelled at a number of technical assignments in the Navy, and now I seek to break into the cybersecurity field in the Chicago area" is an excellent example of a concise and clear goal that people can understand and act upon. In this second statement, not only is the job seeker revealing a clear goal, he's also defining his talents and background, which highlight his qualifications.
2. Take Inventory of Your Contacts
We have all heard the adage: "It is not what you know but who you know." Many cynically retort that that is the problem – they don't know anyone. But they might be surprised to find that they know more people than they realize.
When preparing for a job search, the candidate must organize all her professional and personal contacts. One can use a computer spreadsheet or a pad of paper, but the key is to record every single adult person they know. This may be hundreds of contacts or even thousands. Your former soccer coach, old military unit buddies, Aunt Bessie's bridge club members, that guy you always talk to at the dog park – it does not matter, they all go on the list. You never know how "that guy from high school" might know a key hiring decision-maker at your dream job company.
Next, you must organize these individuals by thinking through what and who they might know. Tag each one with identifiers, such as " IT industry," "lives in Chicago" or "worked at XYZ Company." Once you have completed this laborious task, you need to prioritize all the members of your list according to their relative usefulness. Some will be top priorities, and others you may never find time to contact, but you will have a comprehensive place to start.
3. Connect with People
The best way to network is face to face. The next best thing is a phone or video call. On the other hand, a simple LinkedIn connection, if not followed by personal contact, is useless.
When meeting with people, know exactly what you seek from them. For example, most job candidates are seeking introductions, information or feedback. Be clear when you reach out to people, and name drop others you have met along the way. For example: "Mary Jones at XYZ Company told me during a recent meeting that you were the most knowledgeable graphic designer in Louisville. I left the Army last year, and I am researching how to become a Web designer. I would love to meet with you to get your advice."
Do not ask for a job. Simply – and sincerely – seek to improve your knowledge and your access. Even if there is not a job opening at that time, you will have new knowledge and possibly new connections. You will also have a strategy for moving forward.
Every interaction is an opportunity to practice your networking skills. Even a job rejection is an opportunity for feedback. Instead of simply accepting the rejection, use the opportunity to find out why you were not the right candidate. Saying something like: "Thank you for letting me know I did not get the job. May I please get some candid feedback? Since I left the Air Force, I have been very focused on finding a marketing communications job, and I would like to learn who else I should meet." This request shows that you are serious about improving yourself and your connections to qualify for the positions you seek, and it also shows that you are open to criticism and can admit when you require additional assistance. There are very few employers who would not make time for such a request.
4. Understand Mutuality
Networking is a two-way street. The premise is not "what can you do for me?" but rather "what can we do for each other?" This may seem odd when there is an obvious power imbalance. After all, what can an executive vice president learn from a transitioning petty officer? You never know. It might be insight into a business problem, a connection to another job candidate or a fresh perspective on a personal matter. The important thing is to always offer to help: "You have been so helpful to me, Ms. Smith. Is there anything I can do for you now or in the future?"
Related to this sense of mutuality is the dedication to keeping your contacts informed of your progress. This is a basic and essential courtesy that works to your advantage. Most networking candidates meet with a contact, maybe send a thank-you note, and then never follow up again. Instead, keep all your contacts informed as to your progress during your search, after it concludes and even as your career develops. You don't know where your next opportunity will arise, but it will most likely come from the network you've built and maintained.
Your Task
Effective networking is not just a job-search tactic but a way of life. The best networkers never have to conduct formal job searches, because they are so well-connected and attuned to those connections that opportunities find them. This level of network connection is something all veteran job seekers should aspire to achieve.
By using the four habits of effective networking, this goal is easily an obtainable one. And once you have achieved your own goals, resolve to help your veteran brothers and sisters as they too transition to successful civilian careers.
Networking
Employment
Jobs
Transition
Edited 10 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs I would add a fifth (though it may just be an expansion of number four): surround yourself with positive people. It is too easy to surround ourselves with "psychic vampires" that feed of negative emotion. These are the people who will ask how things are going, then tell you why the negative is so much worse than reality. These are the people who will try to bolster their own sense of self by reducing your sense of self. In a transition from military to civilian life, career change, job search, or even in military life, these are the people who thrive on misery, and can bring down the individual.
1) Knowing oneself is an ongoing adventure. I am not the same man today that I was yesterday. I am nothing close to the man I was fifteen years ago (when I was discharged from the Navy), and I would like to just slap the punk ass kid I was when I enlisted. So I would say that knowing oneself is more difficult than anything else on this list.
Knowing the goal is difficult in that it starts with understanding our strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has talents, things that come easy to us that we don't think about until it is pointed out to us. It is easier to understand out weaknesses than strengths as we (societally) are told that humility is a good thing. So between exaggerating weaknesses and not observing our strengths, it makes setting the goal complicated. Once we get past that complication, then it is easier to map out a path to finding success and/or happiness.
2) Connections are important. It is the good old six degrees of separation thing. They have to be the right connections. Networking for employment is not the same as social networking. Adding a connection who may be a friend, but is on a career path that doesn't suit your goals is going to lead to convoluted results. When Networking for professional growth, it is important to stay focused on the end goal above all else.
3)This ties in directly with number two. It is important to consider the symbiotic nature of professional connections. It is not just about how a connection is beneficial to oneself, but it is about how both are going to benefit each other. Mentoring, job hunting, training, personal skills all are important parts of advancing one's career. In determining if a connection is a good fit, the first thing to evaluate is how connecting is going to benefit oneself in advancing. The second thing to consider is how the connection is going to benefit. Knowing exactly what a person is looking for allows for a more impartial evaluation of a potential contact.
4) Once one determine's that a contact is beneficial, then it comes time to add that contact into the fold. This is where the rubber meets the road. Being a positive and supportive person is going to show one's connections that they are a valuable resource. Being a valuable resource can open doors that one may not even know existed.
1) Knowing oneself is an ongoing adventure. I am not the same man today that I was yesterday. I am nothing close to the man I was fifteen years ago (when I was discharged from the Navy), and I would like to just slap the punk ass kid I was when I enlisted. So I would say that knowing oneself is more difficult than anything else on this list.
Knowing the goal is difficult in that it starts with understanding our strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has talents, things that come easy to us that we don't think about until it is pointed out to us. It is easier to understand out weaknesses than strengths as we (societally) are told that humility is a good thing. So between exaggerating weaknesses and not observing our strengths, it makes setting the goal complicated. Once we get past that complication, then it is easier to map out a path to finding success and/or happiness.
2) Connections are important. It is the good old six degrees of separation thing. They have to be the right connections. Networking for employment is not the same as social networking. Adding a connection who may be a friend, but is on a career path that doesn't suit your goals is going to lead to convoluted results. When Networking for professional growth, it is important to stay focused on the end goal above all else.
3)This ties in directly with number two. It is important to consider the symbiotic nature of professional connections. It is not just about how a connection is beneficial to oneself, but it is about how both are going to benefit each other. Mentoring, job hunting, training, personal skills all are important parts of advancing one's career. In determining if a connection is a good fit, the first thing to evaluate is how connecting is going to benefit oneself in advancing. The second thing to consider is how the connection is going to benefit. Knowing exactly what a person is looking for allows for a more impartial evaluation of a potential contact.
4) Once one determine's that a contact is beneficial, then it comes time to add that contact into the fold. This is where the rubber meets the road. Being a positive and supportive person is going to show one's connections that they are a valuable resource. Being a valuable resource can open doors that one may not even know existed.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
PO3 Steven Sherrill Great feedback and thanks for taking the time to respond with some great thoughts Steve!
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Prior, during, and even after my transition to the civilian sector I learned that these four guidelines are the key to any success story. Just to break down each from a slightly different perspective than the previous comments:
1. Know yourself and know your goal.
Like mentioned earlier, you do need to know who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are. Sit down and write them out. Remember while on Active Duty during reviews and evaluations, you had to list your strengths and weaknesses for your supervisor and they did the same from their point of view. Reflect on those evals to help you identify those. Knowing your goal or goals since you should never have just one. To be successful, you need to be goal driven, you need the "Why" for any given task for it to have meaning which will give you the drive to complete it.
2. Inventory your connections.
While networking, whether it is a one-on-one, or at networking functions, take note of all the people that you meet. Make notes on the backs of their business cards, if they have one, so that you can remember what they can do for you later or how you may be able to help them. Helping others will get you into the spot light faster than just taking notes.
3. Know what you want from others.
This kind of goes along with know your goals. What do you need to achieve your goal and how can others help you get there? Refer back to the networking notes and line them up with the things you need to achieve your goal whether it is to find a new job, starting up and new business, or advancing you in your current company. Networking is not only for those looking for a job, but one can network within their current company to move up the corporate ladder, if there is room to move.
4. Bring a mutually supportive posture.
As for mutually supportive posture, just be confident but not arrogant. Know what you have, what your experiences have taught you, what skills you can offer, and what you enjoy. Knowing what you enjoy helps with your motivation. Knowing that you are applying for something that you enjoy doing translates very well to the other person because it shows passion in the field. And most importantly, whether you are looking at a tech field or a public relations field, all fields revolve around people. Show that you enjoy working with others and that you can be an active participant in their corporate team.
1. Know yourself and know your goal.
Like mentioned earlier, you do need to know who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are. Sit down and write them out. Remember while on Active Duty during reviews and evaluations, you had to list your strengths and weaknesses for your supervisor and they did the same from their point of view. Reflect on those evals to help you identify those. Knowing your goal or goals since you should never have just one. To be successful, you need to be goal driven, you need the "Why" for any given task for it to have meaning which will give you the drive to complete it.
2. Inventory your connections.
While networking, whether it is a one-on-one, or at networking functions, take note of all the people that you meet. Make notes on the backs of their business cards, if they have one, so that you can remember what they can do for you later or how you may be able to help them. Helping others will get you into the spot light faster than just taking notes.
3. Know what you want from others.
This kind of goes along with know your goals. What do you need to achieve your goal and how can others help you get there? Refer back to the networking notes and line them up with the things you need to achieve your goal whether it is to find a new job, starting up and new business, or advancing you in your current company. Networking is not only for those looking for a job, but one can network within their current company to move up the corporate ladder, if there is room to move.
4. Bring a mutually supportive posture.
As for mutually supportive posture, just be confident but not arrogant. Know what you have, what your experiences have taught you, what skills you can offer, and what you enjoy. Knowing what you enjoy helps with your motivation. Knowing that you are applying for something that you enjoy doing translates very well to the other person because it shows passion in the field. And most importantly, whether you are looking at a tech field or a public relations field, all fields revolve around people. Show that you enjoy working with others and that you can be an active participant in their corporate team.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
CPO Jason Meier Great feedback and breakdown. This is great information for tranistioning veterans. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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I would add:
Sell yourself by emphasizing your military experiences that would be helpful in the job you are being considered for. Also stress any leadership or management schools you attended while on active duty. Also mention your travels to other countries & what you learned from these countries which add to your overall knowledge and experience.
And summarize by saying how you can help this company attain their business goals with your creativity and imaginative ideas..
I think what is important is to remember you are marketing yourself so this requires considerable thought and preparation. And of course having a positive attitude can be infectious..
Sell yourself by emphasizing your military experiences that would be helpful in the job you are being considered for. Also stress any leadership or management schools you attended while on active duty. Also mention your travels to other countries & what you learned from these countries which add to your overall knowledge and experience.
And summarize by saying how you can help this company attain their business goals with your creativity and imaginative ideas..
I think what is important is to remember you are marketing yourself so this requires considerable thought and preparation. And of course having a positive attitude can be infectious..
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