[featured-image size=”featured” single_newwindow=”false”]image credit: The Blue Diamond Gallery[/featured-image]Anyone who has ever had the responsibility of hiring will tell you that it's a lot of work, takes a ton of hours, and is a major distraction from their day-to-day to do list. Charged with hiring the very best person from a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates can be quite the challenge for even the best hiring managers.
Job searching isn't a picnic either. Submitting what seems like endless resumes can really wear you down and make even the most optimistic person feel like they are begging for work.
Here's the thing. You can't bring a negative “begging” attitude to a conversation about prospective employment. It won't make a good impression or lead to introductions.
Hiring managers would absolutely love to happen to meet a highly qualified candidate while they were out at a networking event. It would give them confidence that there are great candidates out there for their position. They'd also have a moment interacting with you socially to see whether you'd be a good fit with their team.
Instead of saying you are “looking for a job” be specific about where you want to work and what you bring to the table.
What can you, as the job seeker, offer? What skills and passions do you have? What are you hoping to learn at your next job? What connections within your industry do you bring?
If you are looking for work it is always best to be specific when networking. [click to tweet]
If someone says to me, “I'm looking for a job in nonprofit” my mind goes blank and I can't think of any leads. If they say they “have a background in communication and would love to work for an advocacy organization” that leads to a conversation about what issues they care about and what their experience was in communication.
It's your experience plus your passion that makes you a great candidate. [click to tweet]
Help hiring managers help you. Don't sell yourself short and don't be too vague. You just might be speaking to someone who would love to hire you or knows someone who would.
In the comments
Share what you find challenging about networking. Maybe your question will end up as the topic of a future blog post!
Robbie Samuels has been recognized as a networking expert by Inc. and Lifehacker, and profiled in “Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It” by Dorie Clark.
Want to bring Robbie to your organization? Learn more about his sessions and keynotes at www.RobbieSamuels.com.
Join Robbie's mailing list for more tips, resources and stories. Follow him @RobbieSamuels.
