When I graduated with my undergraduate degree, finding a job
was tough. Really tough. I had a really good resume for someone who had just
graduated from college, and I was certain I’d be able to find a job. My first
stop after college was a small town in north Mississippi. I had a job lined up
with the NBC affiliate in Tupelo, but the news director got fired and my job
fell through. So I sat in my small, two-bedroom apartment in New Albany, MS,
all day, every day, in the sweltering heat of the Mississippi summer. I’ll
never forget the day my then-fiancé came home and declared he had had enough,
and he was moving us back to Texas. Thank God. Moving day in November couldn’t
come fast enough.
I thought if I could line up a job so easily in Mississippi,
surely I could find a job in the booming Dallas Metroplex. Nope. Since our cost
of living had increased by about 100 percent, and my fiancé’s salary had only
increased by about two, I needed to find a job. It was during this job hunting
period that the phrase, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” kept
popping into my mind. I had never believed that to be true until then.
At the time, most of my network lived in West Texas. I knew
one girl in Dallas, and she helped me land my first “real life” job. Since that
first job, I have realized how important it is to network. I am now a member of
the Dallas chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators
(IABC), and I’m on the board of two philanthropic organizations in the area. I
found my current job through a job posting on the IABC Web site, and I’ve been
approached by people on the boards where I sit if I would be interested in a
job at their company. As the Ibarra & Hunter reading points out, creating
opportunities to meet other professionals outside your organization is a great
place to start networking (2007).
Utilizing personal networking tools like LinkedIn should be
standard now. While I don’t use it to its fullest capability, it is a way to
keep in touch and keep your ear to the ground, should something unexpected come
up. It is also a way to keep in touch with old bosses and colleagues, which
could be helpful if you need to ask them for letters of reference or
recommendations.
With the advent of all kinds of social media tools we can
use, I think networking has almost become second nature to everybody, whether
we realize it or not. We use networking skills to not only find out about jobs,
but to hire babysitters, get people’s opinions on a new dress we are thinking
about buying and polling your friends about potential vacation spots.
Networking takes place all the time, whether you realize it
or not. It can help you land a new job, get promoted or find something more
close to home, like the perfect nanny for your newborn.
References:
Ibarra, H. & Hunter, M., (2007). How Leaders Create and Use Networks, Harvard Business Review.
Interesting story, Lauren. In your experience, have your weak or strong ties been more important when finding new job opportunities? For example, was the one girl you know in Dallas a strong tie (close friend, family) or a weak tie (acquaintance)? Have you worked to create the three types of networks put forth in Ibarra & Hunter (2007)? Which one of those do you feel is your most developed network now? Which could you most improve?
ReplyDeleteThe one girl I knew in Dallas is my husband's second cousin. They had met a handful of times, and she is about 10 years older than us. Since then, we have become very close, though. I would attribute it to that first job: we had something in common and were never at a shortage of things to talk about!
DeleteOf the three types of networks, I would say my personal network is the strongest, and that my strategic network needs to the most work. I think this is because I don't have the time necessary to devote to building it out.
Lauren - I agree, social networking is second nature now with all the tools that are so easily accessible to everyone. I actually think networking is so advanced now that it makes retention at companies extremely difficult. If someone is good at their job and there is demand in the job market not much separates that person from easily gaining an interview. And naturally, flirtation can lead to flight (from your company).
ReplyDeleteWhen analyzing your current network I think it is fair to say you have multiple relations, as stated in the Hanneman & Riddle (2005) reading. You are in several social networks. I am sure there is some overlap between the networks. I wonder if there are any actors that share multiple networks with you.
I think that social networking and the lack of loyalty the millennial generation has make it difficult for companies to retain employees. One downfall to how accessible it is is that I can tell when people I work with are looking for a new job: their LinkedIn profile is all of a sudden more updated and they clean up their Facebook page.
DeleteTo my knowledge, there are not any overlaps within the organizations. The three organizations are quite different, so that's probably why. I sit on one of the boards because of a man I used to work with, though, so there is a bit of professional overlap there.
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteInteresting story, and one that hits close to home on some levels. I came home from school four years ago expecting to land a job in a week - and a year later, I was still sitting there on my couch. I love the example you give of joining organizations (either professional or charity-related) as a way of networking. That is something I definitely want to start doing, and it's something I feel can great help anyone in terms of making connections with people for your personal network. Are there any other ways your organizations you belong to have helped you in terms of your career or your personal development? I know you mentioned you have been offered jobs through it, but has there been any signature advice or professional skills you've learned through making those connections? This is something I definitely want to start getting into, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
I always learn from those organizations, whether it's an easier way of doing something in my free time (when I had it :)) or a new way to communicate with our employees. I've also found the IABC functions to be extremely helpful--great speakers, great knowledge sharing and great networking opportunities. One of the best pieces of advice I've learned from that organization in particular is to not be afraid to try something. If you do something new and it flops, who cares! At least you took the initiative to give something a shot.
DeleteLauren,
ReplyDeleteYour post resonated with me. In this current economy, and just the time in our lives, networking is as comprehensive or simple as we want to make it. But I think we all need to do it. It needs to be in our social media blood -- and if it isn't, we need a transfusion, STAT.
The ideas that Ibarra & Hunter (2007)pose in their article seemed to touch me more closely than the others in that their theories were more accessible to employees than academics. But there is extra effort required to reach people in areas outside one's network, whether is it under auspices of a social event or something less subtle, like the direct approach (Ibarra & Hunter, 2007).
Mentoring is something I personally need to look at, and I will be pushing "out of the box" on that one, too (very soon). Have you thought of starting your search for a mentor (if you haven't already)?
This class (and this last week's readings and exchanges) has given me something good to go through and pursue deeper, more strategic ways of networking.
Thanks for the post.
I have kind of a pseudo-mentor. He is the old head of my department and was one of my biggest advocates while he was at Samsung. He fought for me, he taught me about the culture and he never told me no about an idea I came up with. He's not with the company anymore, but I meet him for lunch about once a month and feel completely comfortable asking him for professional advice. I was having some issues with my boss a while back, and I immediately went to him for advice.
DeleteSo, I guess I have a mentor? What do you think??