Personalize your networking
The previous few issues of Get Hired have focused on networking. First, we launched a networking toolkit. Second, we talked about how to run networking meetings. Today, let’s talk about ideas to stay in touch with people throughout the year.
This is the time of year when I am working on holiday gifts and holiday cards. As a side note, let me know about the best holiday gift you received; I am looking for gift ideas for clients.
The idea of continuing the conversation beyond the initial introduction meeting is what I hear about most from bewildered job seekers. How do you keep the connection going?
One way to make this work is to choose one way that you always stay in touch with your network every year. No matter what.
This will be especially important once you land a job and your networking shifts to a different level of commitment. You likely won’t be scheduling 20 meetings a month anymore. Most of you are on the job hunt right now and more focused on networking so make a plan now to keep the connections going. You want to keep cultivating the relationships and stay in touch. These people have valuable insights and experiences you can continue to learn from. Here’s a metaphor for you: the idea is to keep the pot simmering so it doesn’t go cold.
Everyone does this outreach a little differently. Figure out what makes the most sense to you and your personality and go for it. I think it’s great to personalize it as much as you can. This will help your network from going stale. Plus, you want to choose something that makes sense for you and that you can keep implementing years in the future.
P.S.: Don’t feel like you have to do all of these things! Just choose one that works for you and stick to it.
Here are a few more tips on what to do during your next networking meeting–whether that’s with a stranger or someone you have known for a long time.
WAYS TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR NETWORK
Choose a holiday that might usually fly under the radar. I love Groundhog Day. It has meaning for my family because this is when Sarah and I celebrate our anniversary. So I love to send holiday cards every year around this day. I know some people who love leaf peeping and this is their yearly prompt to engage with their network.
Incorporate your annual outreach into your network meeting follow-up notes. If you have been taking advantage of the networking toolkit, the networking tracker prompts you to send emails 6 weeks and 12 weeks after you complete a meeting with someone. If you have a meeting with someone around the beginning or middle of November, then your holiday wishes will fit perfectly into your 6 week follow-up timeline. Talk about your plans for the holidays or include a personal letter if that is something you already do around this time.
Remember birthdays. If you are someone who keeps everyone’s birthday in your calendar and loves celebrating people, maybe you prefer to implement a card, text, or email. You can personalize this by saying what you admire about that person or say why you are grateful for knowing them. Or maybe you are more of a jokester and always send a knock knock joke. Make this outreach your own.
Choose to reach out on your own birthday or a significant anniversary. Maybe you choose your own birthday as the day you reach out to your network every year and share a bit about what you’ve been up to. You don’t even have to mention that it’s your birthday. You can just use that date as a reminder. Or you can choose a work-related anniversary. Maybe you choose the day you left your corporate job for social impact work and you use the purpose behind that decision to reach out and reflect on why you do what you do.
If you are looking for additional ideas, here are some previous issues of this newsletter that I hope will provide a little inspiration:
Tell us about your your experience with the Networking Toolkit
If you have been using the NRG Networking Toolkit, we want to hear how it’s going.
On to the jobs! Check out all of NRG’s searches.
Highlighted opportunities from NRG:
Director of Business Development and Operations for California Home Care Initiative (CA HCI) in collaboration with the ICA Group; $110,000-$130,000; Remote in CA
Community Engagement Manager at Freedom Forum; $105,000-$108,000; DC-based preferred. If DC-based, up to 10% onsite. Requires up to 30% overnight travel.
Campaign Manager at Coalition for Health Democracy Ballot Initiative; $150,000-$175,000; Massachusetts
Executive Director for Attleboro Area Interfaith Collaborative; $65,000-$70,000; Attleboro, MA
VP, Stop the Cabinet Appointments at Movement Labs; The salary will be competitive with other senior level roles at movement organizations; Remote
State Lead, Stop the Cabinet Appointments at Movement Labs; The salary will be competitive with other senior level roles at movement organizations; Remote
RFP - Senior Consultant, Align the Streets at Movement Labs; The fee will be competitive with other senior level roles at movement organizations; Remote
Development Director, Content at National Domestic Workers Alliance; $110,000-$115,000; Remote
Development Director, Organizing at National Domestic Workers Alliance; $110,000-$115,000; Remote
Senior Director of Immigration at National Domestic Workers Alliance; $122,000-$144,000; Remote
Director of Media Strategies at Working America; $134,142 - $165,789; Washington, D.C.
Political Director at Working America; salary range starts at $137,499; Washington, D.C
Director of Finance and Administration at Campus Compact; $80,000-$100,000; Hybrid in Boston, MA
Chief Operating Officer at a confidential org; $150,000-$180,000; Remote
Communications Coordinator at Azul; $65,000-$75,000; Remote
Program Manager, Organizational Development at Growald Climate Fund; $102,000-$127,000; San Francisco, CA, or Brookline, MA (in-office 3 days/week)
Director of Institutional Development at CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies; $119,995 - $141,858; New York, NY
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at UTEC; $90,000; Lowell, MA
Health Facilitator Fellows with Peer Health Exchange; $24.50/hour; opportunities in Boston, MA (PT), Chicago, IL (FT), Chicago, IL (PT), Los Angeles, CA (PT), New York, NY (PT), and New York, NY (FT)
This is not all! We are hiring for additional jobs and you can see all of our openings on the NRG website.
Follow NRG on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all of the roles we are hiring for.
If you aren’t currently a member of the NRG Talent Network, consider joining. The questions take 3 minutes to complete and then we’ll send you job announcements when your criteria (salary, location, etc.) matches the position.
Let’s move,
Naomi
P.S. If you’d like a thought partner to think through the best networking strategy for your search, sign up right now for 15 minutes with Kristin to learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you.
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