Larry Steward ⋅ Pound Ridge , NY Stewardship Coaching ⋅ 30 years experience

Hello James,
I'm with Dennis on this. I have benefited from the networking process for most all the career moves I have ever made (many!) but it is a fine art that most never learn how to do correctly. And I find this a real shame because it is absolutely the best way to secure a new position because you keep full control of the process. Because once you know the right way to network, you will always be receiving information, new contacts to keep the process rolling and getting on the inside to uncover things about to happen.

Keep in mind, you are an experienced professional with a lot to offer. By the time you get a few good networking meetings or discussions under your belt, you are in a good position to provide information you've collected to pass along to those you are meeting. So it is a two-way street. A win-win for everyone and should be treated as such. Most important, know what you want for yourself instead of trying to find what's open and try to squeeze yourself into it. People can easily share information about the work they do, the people they know in their company, their industry, interesting companies to consider .... However, when you inquire about any job opening - things will fall silent. It will be rare that someone will know of an open position. That's ok because you can learn ways to create a position for yourself if you ask the right questions. Just don't ask "what positions do you know of?".

You should indicate in your initial contact why you are seeking their advice. It should be related to the nature of their work, the type of company it is, a function you want to understand better and as the conversation flows take notes. Ask questions about the problems they may be having. Are they over worked? Why? Could they use someone with your experience to help them (provide a solution you can solve).

And as Dennis and others have shared it is acceptable to ask for another contact, or show them a list of target companies and see if they know anyone working there no matter the position. All you need is a contact that you can and should approach informally (forget handing out your resume) it will sabotage everything! You need to let people know you are seeking information about how your background can possibly benefit their company and not try to disguise your purpose to only find an open position. It doesn't work that way and your effort to network will grind to a halt if you continue to make that mistake.

This process works extremely well if done right because people will respect your resourcefulness and good research to first find them and they should be impressed with the quality of your questions. Chances are they used these same techniques themselves along the way. But they don't want you to assume they have in their pocket that magical position you are looking for. You will eventually discover where the growth opportunities are, what new changes are taking place and if you really become a student of this, you will be able to create a role for yourself quicker than you think. Why, because people and companies are always changing. People relocate, get married, get fired, are about to get fired, or maybe they are over loaded with work and you just happen to come along at the right time. As you get close to one of these developing situations, you will have enough information about how to help them solve the problems they are sharing with you and find yourself being introduced to the hiring manager.

You see a company would much rather welcome someone abroad that has shown up on his own expressing a serious interest in the company and demonstrated the contribution he can make rather than have to place an expensive ad, or pay a recruiter then interview hundreds to find someone when you're already standing there. Mission accomplished. Now go out there and do it! Good luck you deserve it.

Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison , AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

Another angle that can be put top use earlier is to use the contacts to request informational interviews (not jobs). While you are a few months out, just ask them if you can get together for coffee or lunch to learn more about their company and the types of work they do. Use this time to earnestly build relationships and collect information. If you do this enough, you may find that someone approaches you about a job when the time is right. Real networking is not about obtaining a goal but about exchanging information and building relationships. Networking is what is done well in advance of needing something, so that you have some equity in the bank to draw on.

Dave Weinberg ⋅ Rio Rancho , NM Practical Risk, LLC ⋅ 40 years experience

James,

Thank you for your service. George has some good advice. I'd add to it this way. If you already know and have met your network contact, George's advice is sound. However, another way to ask for help is "If you are not aware of any opportunities, who do you think I should talk to that might?" This opens up opportunities for network growth. It may involve cold calling, a somewhat uncomfortable thing for many of us, but it can be very rewarding by adding to your network, which opens new possibilities not only now, but also in the future.

George Wilhelmsen ⋅ Rochelle , IL Sargent & Lundy ⋅ 38 years experience

Hi James,

Approach them when you are ready. That means you are nearly out (within 30 days), and are looking for a position.

What I would advise is that you mention where you met them, whether they said they would help, and if so, tell them what you are looking for in terms of a position, and ask if they have any positions open, or contacts in their network to help you find a new position.

I would suggest keeping this on the "pleading" rather than "demanding" side, if you catch my drift. "You promised to help me" comes off as needy. "In our discussions, you indicated that I should contact you when I was seeking employment after my hitch. At this point, I'm going to be in the job market in 30 days, and was hoping you would have a few minutes to help me find a position." would be a better approach.

If you need more, drop me a line and I'll be happy to help you.

George Wilhelmsen

Shuet Loke ⋅ Jersey City , NJ AIG ⋅ 20 years experience

From my personal experience, getting a networking contact is the hardest thing to achieve. Savor every networking contact. I believe it is fine to let the contact know that you are in a job search. Show case your skills and experience during the conversation but remain positive if the contact says he/she is not aware of any immediate job openings. From my personal experience, ask the contact if there are other individuals he could refer to you for networking purposes and if he could use your name. 9 out of 10 times, the networking contact said yes to using his/her name. It is a numbers game - keep networking and you will be successful. Hope this helps.

Mary Beth Myford ⋅ Fleetwood , PA Eurofins Lancaster Labs PSS ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi James,

Thank you for your service.

When I was between jobs, I did a lot of networking. I discovered two key things that made it more comfortable for me: Lots of people network to gain business (or get a job) and most everyone wants to help. I hope knowing those two things puts you at ease a little.

If you already know someone you want to network with, then call or write them, say you are getting out of the service in a few months and you want to start letting people know what you are looking for in hopes that they can connect you to someone with a position. Ask if they would like to get together for coffee or just talk on the phone (in person is better, but with people's busy schedule many will elect for the phone call). When you have your networking conversation, ask them for their advice on who to contact next. End your conversation with "Is there anything I can do for you?". This will show them that you want to help them as well.

When you get someone's name, then reach out with an email or a call and start off with "Joe/John/Jane suggested I give you a call. I am transitioning into the civilian workforce soon and he/she suggested that you would be a good person to talk to. I would love to get your advice on how to find my next position."

Like I said, most people network and most people want to help.

Start early, because the person you need to get to may be two or three people down the chain.

Best of luck

Dennis Santare ⋅ Garden City , NY U.S. Marine Corps, Captain ⋅ 10 years served

It's in our DNA as veterans not to ask or be "pushy." But it's okay out here in the civilian world. Take your contact to coffee or a meal. Talk about what you want to do for work. Then ask for something - a lead, another contact, or their opinion on the best path. Let them talk about their own path. It gets easier with practice. You will likely not be to aggressive or pushy because you already have the emotional intelligence to have been a Master Chief!