Smart networking has subtlety, mutual help factor
Published February 24, 2005
How networking works: Networking wherever and whenever you can might not always be a good idea. That’s a concern of Gail Golden, a consultant at RHR International Co. RHR is staffed by psychologists that specialize in the management and development of people. Based in Wood Dale, it has 15 offices worldwide.
“Walking up to strangers and asking for a job is the kind of behavior that gives networking a bad name,” said Golden, who has an MBA and a doctorate in psychology.
“Instead, effective networking also is about figuring out how you can help others, so that you create a web of mutually supportive relationships,” she added.
Golden says she recently met with a group of executives “in transition”–they were looking for jobs.
“One woman offered to introduce me to several other people who might be … useful contacts,” said the consultant. “I asked for her resume … and am keeping my eyes open for opportunities in her field.”
That kind of mutual exchange is healthy networking, Golden points out. “Effective networking is subtle … and although the goal is in part to further your own business or career, it is at least as much about helping others. Without that balance, you just look like a panhandler.”
Saying thanks: A handwritten thank-you note, instead of an e-mail, is a way to show you really care and want to say thank you after a job interview.
But it may not always be the most efficient way, according to Michael Wilkinson, a business analyst and industrial engineer based in Atlanta.
“We don’t live in a snail-mail society anymore and everyone wants instant gratification,” said Wilkinson. “If you want to make a point and want to show how on the ball you are, then do both: E-mail first and then immediately send a card expressing your `caringness.’”
Wilkinson’s concern about writing a letter instead of using cyberspace is this: “When all of the e-mails are sent in and the decision is being made about whom to hire, your note, letter or card may still be in the in-box and read only after the fact.”
———-
Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in Monday’s and Tuesday’s Business sections. Hear her on WBBM Newsradio 780 at 6:21 p.m. and 10:22 p.m. Mondays and 11:20 a.m. Saturdays. Watch her “Career Coach” segments on CLTV. E-mail ckleiman@tribune.com.