Is Your Networking Effective?

By George Zeller

One of the many pitfalls in networking is not meeting your network contact in person. As a career counselor having 20 years of experience working with professional-level job seekers, I am amazed at the number of job seekers who try to do all of their networking by email or telephone. It may be quicker, but the old adage of "quality, not quantity" comes to mind.

There are several advantages to meeting in person, starting with the ability to make a true human connection. Why is this so important? For one thing, you are more likely to be remembered.  After a telephone conversation, your networking contact may well have forgotten about you twenty minutes and 5 additional phone calls later!  One of the goals of networking is to be remembered so that, if and when an opportunity arises, your name comes to mind.   A job opportunity could emerge 3 months or more from the time you spoke with your network contact.  Again, who is more likely to be remembered? The  phone caller or the visitor?

Another big reason you want to meet someone in person is to gain the trust and confidence of your network contact and this is best achieved by your professional presentation and poised personal demeanor. A successful face-to-face encounter may encourage your networking contact to refer you to other contacts, which is one of the prime reasons you are networking in the first place. Think about it.  Do you think that someone is more likely to give you referrals after speaking to you on the phone for only 10- 15 minutes (sometimes even less)?  By meeting in person, your network contact will hopefully feel a lot more comfortable referring you to his/her colleagues.

Another advantage is that you will spend more time with your network contacts by meeting them in person.  This gives you a better opportunity to establish rapport, ask more questions and make an impression. However, you must respectful of your contact's time and plan to meet no more than 20-30 minutes, unless your host invites you to stay longer.

Finally, it will be harder to dismiss your requests for advice and feedback when you meet face-to-face.   Most managers have developed skills in limiting demands upon their time and energy when they are on the telephone; however, they will often be more patient with someone in front of them, especially when that person has a compelling and strong presentation.

These suggestions are by no means meant to be a panacea and foolproof way to get the most from your network contacts.  However, I strongly believe that you maximize the value of your network contacts by meeting them in person.

George Zeller is the Senior Employment Specialist at Jewish Vocational Service's Career Moves where he serves professional job seekers with coaching, resume development / critique, networking leads, presentation/interviewing techniques, workshops, job leads, job-matching and outplacement services . Jewish Vocational Service, a non-sectarian agency has over 65 years' experience helping job-seekers in greater Boston to find jobs and build careers. Career Moves staff work with hundreds of professional job seekers each year and offers top quality job search and career counseling services at an affordable price. George has been with JVS for 20 years and is well known and respected for his skill, advice and support. He is a frequent contributor to Bostonworks in the Sunday Boston Globe and guest on various radio programs. George has a Master's Degree in Counseling and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer. George is a past president of the Association of Career Professionals International. To learn more about Career Moves at JVS visit www.jvsjobs.org or call 617-451-8147 .