network and work the net!

Hi Rylarians,

Hope you have all recovered from one of the most memorable weeks of your life – and still feeling hyped and pumped! OK … maybe just pleasantly tired! Thanks for your contributions last week. You are unique and each of you has a special point of differentiation - work it and use it to your advantage!

You are now in an awesome network! A new network of 40 people who know you….
You know the secret of how to grow your network painlessly? …..by keeping in touch, maintaining a contact listing and making each contact relevant…and helpful…

Networks are simply the relationships you have with people, and when it comes to job hunting, people who are willing to help you. The more people you know who are willing to talk with you about your job search, and your career aspirations, the faster you’ll find a new job or land that promotion!

The secret to growing your network - Help other people. Make it your goal to help people you meet naturally during your day. Be intentional. Look for ways to help co-workers, neighbours, and people in your professional organization, (What? You don’t belong to a professional or community organization?), people at conferences and every new person you meet.

The reason this works is the rule of reciprocity, which says that if you help people, they will be favorably inclined to return the favor in the future. By helping others you are making deposits in accounts that you can withdraw later.

What can you offer? Whatever might be helpful, and it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Perhaps you can send them a link to a website, or a copy of a relevant article. Introduce them to someone in your network. If they are in sales, ask them what a good prospect looks like. The important thing is to cultivate a habit of being interested in the needs of others. Once you discover their needs, you are well on the way to finding a way that you can help.

If you find someone who is feeling unsatisfied in their job, suggest they visit www.assessment.com. They can get a free, customized sample of MAPP, a powerful tool that identifies what truly motivates a person. MAPP helps people move confidently toward a more satisfying job.

If you make it a goal to help one new person each week, you will soon have a network that any executive would envy.

Ps don’t forget to prepare your thank-you speeches to deliver to your sponsoring Rotary Club – and remember – this is another opportunity to expand your network!

Lots of warm wishes - your networking friend for life..
Ivana (aka Babouska)