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NETWORKING

SKILLS

Return the Favor

Networking is a give-and-take

proposition. Send thank you letters

after each meeting or helpful phone conversation. Keep

in touch with members of your network and give back

to it whenever possible.

Informational Interviews

You can collect information on your chosen field via

informational interviewing. Informational interviewing

is simply asking questions of different members of your

network. Remember to ask for the names of at least two

more contacts during and informational interview.

Questions you may want to ask during an

informational interview are:

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What aspect of your job was the biggest challenge

when you first started?

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What qualifications do you seek of new employees?

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What are the things you like or dislike about your

job?

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If you could start over again in this field, what would

you do differently?

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Should I have a particular certification or achieve a

higher-level degree in order to advance in this field?

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What classes and activities in college best helped

prepare you to enter this field?

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How can I make myself a more desirable job

candidate?

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What kinds of job titles would I probably have in

this field?

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What life experiences have most helped you acquire

and develop knowledge of this field?

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Are there any professional groups you would

recommend I join?

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How do you see this industry changing in the

future?

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Who else should I contact within the field?

Develop a Tracking System

Develop a method of keeping track of each conversation,

phone call, letter, interview, follow-up and promise.

Without a good organizational system, you could

become confused.

Be Professional

As you begin to make professional contacts, make

sure you dress and act the part. Conduct yourself in

a manner that will convince your professional contacts

that you can do the job. This will also help you obtain

other referrals much more easily.

Recruiting experts agree that a very small percentage of jobs are found by

combing through classified sections of newspapers. In fact, around 80 percent

of jobs are found through networking.

What is Networking?

Networking is simply gathering information from

and making contacts through the people you already

know. How do you start establishing a network?

After you have professional objectives in mind,

begin talking to people you know such as:

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Friends and family

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Classmates and professors

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Former employers

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Colleagues from professional, community, and

religious groups

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Former teachers and faculty from schools you

have attended

The key to creating a network is to obtain the

names of at least two additional contacts each time

you talk to someone. The types of questions you

should ask when obtaining further contacts are:

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What organizations should I investigate?

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Do you know anyone who works in or is

associated with my field of interest?

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May I mention your name when contacting

other people or organizations?

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