Keeping Waiting Time Productive By Networking

By Michelle Vandepol.  Michelle writes for the Agassiz Harrison Observer and magazines such as SUCCEED and Woman Alive. Her debut novel Mother Mexico will be published by iUniverse in early spring. Look for excerpts online at her blog  www.nothisplace.blogspot.com.

If there is anything worse than being out of work, it's feeling badly about it. In fact that might be a part of what is holding you back. We've all no doubt heard that networking is the fastest way to fast track our career opportunities. I don't know about you, but when I think networking, a part of me laughs at the image that pops up: the air kissing, power suit wearing, martini sipping super faux-acting woman. While that may be someone's version of networking - it's definitely the one that was portrayed in one too many eighties' films - it doesn't have to be yours. Thank goodness, because you forgot to buy a post-baby power suit and your house is too littered with Barbies and Legos to host after dinner drinks for the neighborhood.

Networking can help you be productive while job hunting and waiting for the responses from HR, or drumming up business. If you do it right, it will feel effortless in a short while.

An easy way to get your head around networking is to keep your ears and eyes open for ways you can help others get ahead. Not by doing time-wasting stuff they should be doing for themselves (like reformatting their resume), but keeping them in mind when you hear of a job they might want to apply for, a new fantastic daycare, a space on a committee you're currently on, or another working mom you think they might get along with. A lot of business and hiring, for smaller companies especially, is done by word of mouth. Someone knows someone who knows someone and before you know it you have an in to where you want to and so do they.

The most successful networkers are those who practice it as a lifestyle. It should not be an artificial thing you do to get work, make a quick buck, or climb the social ladder. Anytime you are misrepresenting yourself, it will be obvious and a joke. You may need to work on your self-confidence to see yourself as a highly successful person, but you can do that and still stay true to yourself.

Staying productive is different than staying busy. Staying busy is fine for distracting yourself, but what we want is focus. Keep your life as efficient as you'll need it to be when you have your dream career. That means voice mail and e-mail checked and up to date. It means organized records and a diligent calendar keeping. Notice I say, calendar keeping. You don't need to be scheduled and do the same thing every day at the same time if it's not your style, but you do need to make appointments and keep them, avoid double-booking or overextending yourself. Keep a binder of contacts, business calls and quotes, and resume revamps. Take things as seriously as you want others to take them.

There are different ways to put the word out during the job search and wait. Use a variety of the ones that suit your personality. Start a regular social event or join one, take a class or workshop in your business area, do a few discounted jobs in exchange for a reference or advertising, set up a blog or website and link to other blogs and websites, take a volunteer position or internship, or serve on a committee in your community.

A big part of networking is staying positive. No one wants to hear how much setting up your own business is draining you or how long the days have been. Do what you have to do to make it work. In this time you can take special note of people whose work you admire. Ask them for advice. Be specific. Be casual. Be one time. I'm not in favor of going and asking any one person to be your mentor. It's a big burden for them to carry alone and frankly, if they're a busy working mother, they have their own work to do. You're a big girl. You can deal with it on your own. Ask intelligent questions and you'll fill in your own blanks in time.

Ask questions of people you admire for their work attainments or family balance or both. When you are asking the questions, keep it mind they could be seen as prying. Be careful how you word them. If you're not sure it will come out right, wait until you've rethought how you want to present it. In a group setting, don't put any one person on the spot. Either make plans to get together one on one in the future with the person whose brain you want to pick or start a group discussion.

A functional way to both network and fill in the time while you look for your dream job is to consider a temporary stepping stone position. It will make things less tight financially and free you up to explore more where you want to go. You never know if the person who lines you up with your next fabulous job might be the one who meets you at this one. One word of caution: if it's quite far removed from your goal job and you're not feeling satisfaction, do not get stuck there by getting too comfortable and eliminating other options. Part of getting into something new and growing in your career is to reach outside your comfort zone, but not too far. Grow a bit, tackle something new, get comfortable with that, and then stretch again.

When choosing even your temporary jobs, make sure the lifestyle the job is going to bring is the right one for you. We can get used to a lot of things as workers: variety in pay, hours, and prestige; but if you are worrying about the timing of getting through rush hour in time to let your partner work the opposite shift or haven't given yourself enough time to look for daycare where your child is happy, you will have a harder time focusing on your job and it will quickly show up in your performance. May I remind you to stay focused on your career aspirations? Predators looking to rip off people looking for work opportunities work the networking system too.

Thank everyone who helps you with ideas, contacts, and job suggestions. In your binder, keep lists (free of names) of what you notice people around you are doing successfully and copycat others' general career paths if they appeal to you. (Not with the same company or contacts though of course) You have to do the grunt work of finding your niche yourself.

The network can be a negative place too and you want to stand out as a beacon of positive light. Don't put yourself in inflammatory positions. Bad relations get around faster than good. Nix the ranting and shut down the gossip. Know that classic adage mom shared with you: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. You never know who knows who. Be thankful for the work you get and treat every job you do with your best effort and respect. Put in your time, pay your dues, don't burn your bridges by knocking the position or company out loud, even when you leave. You never know when you might need that resource again. (as a reference, as a client for your business, for freelance work, etc.)

Treat everyone you meet well and you be treated well as well. Networking is just a polished way of saying what goes around comes around, right, mom?