How to strengthen your network at the end of the year
I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend (and somewhat smoothly returned to work this past week)! December is one of my favorite months of the year. Not only is it my birthday month, but it's also the time folks take a second and send out holiday cards to recognize all the meaningful relationships in their life.
For this week's newsletter, I want to focus on how to use the end of the year to strengthen your professional network.
Think about sending a holiday card. As I've said before, getting a job is all about network, network, network. Make a list, collect snail mail addresses, and send a simple card wishing each person a Happy New Year and a short note thanking them for being in your orbit or for helping with your job hunt. The card shouldn't be the typical family photo with kids in wool sweaters and dress-up shoes. This is a good idea for candidates on the job hunt, or for people thinking about launching a job hunt in the near future. In a world of email marketing and text notifications, snail mail stands out.
Set a goal for where you want to be by Martin Luther King Day (mid-Jan). The goal should be around what you can control: how many people you want to talk to, how many LinkedIn connections you want to make, how many jobs you want to apply for -- things like that. Tell someone else your goal. (Feel free to respond to this email with your goal and I'll follow-up with you as you get closer to the deadline).
Re-check all the job sites to see who is hiring. My phone has been blowing up with organizations wanting help with searches. I recently posted the jobs we are hiring for on my website. A bunch of roles have $500 referral bonuses if you refer someone we hire, so please share far and wide.
Some of the roles I’m excited about:
Executive Director for Trans Housing Coalition, $70,000-$80,000, Atlanta.
Communications Director for Voices for Progress, $115,000+, Washington, D.C.
Chief Operating Officer for Future Now, $176,000-$200,000, Remote.
P.S.: Tell me the job boards, listservs, and Slack channels you check to find jobs. One of my December goals is to expand the list of places I'm posting, so it's always helpful to know where people look.
Now, onto housekeeping!
NRG Consulting is offering coaching programs to folks on the job hunt, whether you’re an entry- or senior-level candidate. Check out the programs we’re offering on our website, and get in touch with us.
If you find this newsletter helpful, forward it to your friends and help us build our network! Also, if you have feedback or an idea for a future newsletter topic, shoot me a note.