Networking, Just Do It!

NETWORKING, JUST DO IT!

Your career coaches talk about it incessantly. Your parents and well-meaning relatives harp on it, endlessly. Even speakers who come on campus dwell on it, relentlessly. Which irritating subject are we discussing? NETWORKING, naturally.

Since there is absolutely no escaping the subject, JUST DO IT!

Let’s start just by talking about how to have a conversation with a purpose. Imagine the following scenario. You see a poster advertising a career panel on the arts and you decide, on a whim, to attend. You are particularly excited to learn that one of the panelists represents the field of arts administration because you could easily imagine yourself pursuing a management career in the arts.

At the panel, the speaker- who happens to be an alum- emphasizes the importance of being proactive in your job search, even if it means moving outside of your comfort zone. She tells everyone in attendance that, as an alum, she is more than willing to be a resource person for anyone who is serious about arts administration. Most of the other students stream for the exit when the panel is finished but you find yourself drifting towards the front of the room, inspired by her passion. After a brief conversation, she offers you a business card and tells you to be sure to contact her. So what happens next? JUST DO IT!

Your career coaches talk about it incessantly. Your parents and well-meaning relatives harp on it, endlessly. Even speakers who come on campus dwell on it, relentlessly. Which irritating subject are we discussing now? FOLLOW UP, naturally.

Before you follow up on the alum’s kind offer, you decide to do some research. You read about arts administration in a book about Careers in the Arts. You send the alum a list of questions which you would love to have answered about breaking into the field. You phone to set up a mutually convenient time to talk, ideally in person. You meet and get your questions answered including how best to look for jobs in arts administration. You ask permission to use the alum’s name in contacting others in arts administration whom she recommends. Better yet, you ask the alum if she might be willing to send a short note of introduction before you contact her friend or associate. Afterwards you send a thank you note, possibly hand written, expressing your appreciation and highlighting what you learned from the exchange. You promise to keep the alum well informed as your search progresses and emphasize how much you would appreciate having her continue to bring opportunities to your attention(http://www.dartmouth.edu/~csrc/jobs.html)
Congratulations, dare I say it, you are now a NETWORKER! And here is a little known secret. You just did the alum a huge favor! You provided an opportunity for her to feel like she was giving back to her alma mater without writing a check. You made her feel like her career choice was a good one and that she must be special if someone is seeking her out for advice. And
you gave her the great satisfaction of helping someone else climb the career ladder, as someone previously did for her.
Isn’t it time to join the legions of others out there having conversations with a purpose? Isn’t it time to reward all of those folks who signed up for alumni career advisory networks or became active in professional associations for the express purpose of helping others like yourself?
Now don’t you feel good?