Career Collective post: Once every month or so, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. We’ll post our thoughts on our own blog and link to the post of our colleagues on the same topic.

This month’s topic: “Networking.” Responses from others contributors are linked at the end. Search the hashtag #CareerCollective on Twitter.

Networking. The mere mention of the word strikes terror in the hearts of even the most seasoned professionals. For some reason, the thought of connecting with fellow human beings has become more like something we have to do, instead of something that happens naturally. What used to be pleasant conversation and sharing morphed into to-do list entries and deadlines. We set specific dates and list relevant topics for planned contact. We make detail notes regarding outcome. We schedule the next contact. Whew. Sounds like work.

True. Everything works better with a plan. And there’s nothing wrong with contact management systems, especially when incorporated into a job search. But networks and connections aren’t just for job search. Get caught up in the busy-ness of business and life and risk missing important supports and resources. Isn’t networking another word for “staying in touch”? Focus on being a supportive friend and business associate. Share – ideas, training opportunities, business articles, hobby-related information, recipes, a quick hello – whatever may interest your contacts and watch your network grow. Stop fretting so much about the concept of networking and start cultivating relationships – a solid network sprouts from thoughtful, considerate contact.

Recently, two clients, independent of the other, shared networking stories with me. Both clients experienced the power a network they didn’t “intentionally” engage. First is Albert. Albert recently completed his master’s degree in psychology. He’s been considering different career paths ever since graduation. Albert remains, after all these years, connected to a childhood friend, Fred. While Albert and Fred now live in different states, they make time for occasional catch-up phone calls. During a recent call Albert mentioned his latest career options to his friend, as part of the overall update, not in a “help me find a job” context at all. Fred’s father has known Albert since childhood and always welcomes his son’s updates after a phone conversation with his old friend. Fred shared Albert’s most recent academic accomplishment. Fred’s dad said, “Gee, I was golfing with a friend the other day who can use someone with just that background …” Albert flew out for an interview this past Thursday.

Candice attended an industry conference a few months ago. She ran into a former colleague, Les. They’d touched base over the years, but it was nice to have a face-to-face opportunity to connect. They quickly shared life and career highlights and drifted back to conference sessions. Several months later, Candice’s phone rang. It was Les. Les had a conversation with another industry associate. That associated needed Candice’s skill set to launch a new program. Candice flew out last Tuesday to interview for the position.

Both clients enjoyed the conversation with old friends. Both conversations, inadvertently led to career opportunities. Both interviews came about because of a casual conversation. Neither position was advertised. Both positions were “perfect” for the respective client. Albert and Candice were the first, and hopefully only candidates, interviewed. They entered the interview knowing their contacts “pre-sold” their skill set giving them an unsolicited, enthusiastic endorsement. Both opportunities emerged because of an effort to stay in touch.

Absolutely, plan your work, work your plan, attend networking events, keep your online presence clean and up-to-date. That’s all important too. But don’t forget to sit back. Sip some lemonade on the porch with a neighbor. Email an old friend. Connect. You never know where you’ll find that next opportunity. There … doesn’t networking sound like a bit more fun?

Here’s what my colleagues have to say:

5 Little Secrets About Networking, @Careersherpa

Networking: Easy as 1, 2 , 3, @WorkWithIllness

How to Take the Intimidation Out of Networking, @heathermundell

Networking for the Shy and Introverted, @KatCareerGal

A tale of two networkers, @DawnBugni

Introvert or Extrovert: Tips for the Job Search No Matter Which ‘Vert’ You Are, @erinkennedycprw

Networking for Job Candidates Who Hate Networking, @heatherhuhman

Networking? Ugh! @resumeservice

Network, Network, Network, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes

3 ways to make networking fun for introverts and extroverts, @Keppie_Careers

Grow Your Career Networking Seeds Organically, @ValueIntoWords

Networking: It’s a Way of Life, @WalterAkana

Social Media Networking & Your Career, @GayleHoward

Networking: Why who you know doesn’t count, @Chandlee

Networking for the Networking-Phobic, @JobHuntOrg

I was going to title this, “It’s a small world after all”, but then “that song” would be stuck in our heads all day and I didn’t want to do that to us.

I’m reading Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. In it he recounts Stanley Milgram’s small world experiment, the original study about six-degrees of separation. (Which of course lead to the Kevin Bacon’s six degrees of separation game … but I digress.) This experiment really drives home how we all are connected and this story puts a personal spin on how.

When I first started interacting on Twitter, I retweeted J.T. O’Donnell, founder of Careerealism frequently. She thanked me, a conversation ensued and eventually she asked if I’d like to contribute to an upcoming article about resume writing. I happily agreed and contributed to “Hate Resume Writing? Here’s how to get it done” last March. Careerealism is based, I believe, in New Hampshire

In early June, following publication of that article, my phone rang. It was a young woman from Atlanta. “Mary” said she read the article on Careerealism, liked what I had to say and decided she wanted me to write her resume for her. Remember, she’s in Atlanta, GA.

The Saturday morning, after I delivered “Mary’s” documents, I got an email from a friend on Facebook. This particular person is the reason I’m on Facebook at all. She’s a long-lost friend from high school and sent an invitation to reconnect via Facebook way back when I was on dial-up. (You’ve not experienced Facebook until you’ve experienced it on a dial-up connection.) I dipped my toe in social media, thanks to Renee, and have been happily immersed ever since.

Renee is in Raleigh, NC. I’m in Atkinson, about 2 hours south, (outside Wilmington, NC). In this message, she shared an interesting dinner conversation from a family gathering the night before. Her husband’s cousin was visiting from Atlanta. She was recounting her recent move to the Atlanta area and subsequent job search. She told them she’d even hired a professional resume writer. My friend Renee mentioned she went to high school with someone who became a resume writer and asked who wrote the resume. Renee’s cousin-in-law said she found her writer through the Careerealism site and her name was Dawn. What?

Turns out Renee’s cousin-in-law is “Mary”, my client from earlier in the week. I was not only Renee’s high school friend turned resume writer; I was Mary’s resume writer, located through a Web site based in New Hampshire. What a happy coincidence. Because I accepted a Facebook invitation a few years ago, I developed a passion for social media. That involvement led to contributing to the Careeralism article. The article caught the interest of an Atlanta-based client. Later, we found the client was connected to the person who sent that original Facebook invitation.

Tell me it’s not a small world. The next time you think social media, networking and reconnecting with old friends is a waste of time, think again. The connections didn’t happen overnight. But because I was there, willing to participate, I expanded my reach, met new clients and colleagues and re-established conversations with old ones. We’re really not that far apart. And with all this closeness, you can easily see the power of a network.

It’s early New Year’s Eve, the last day of 2009. I just tweeted this:

“One of my favorite things about 2009 … all my Twitter friends. You guys gave me more than you’ll ever know. Thank you! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!”

And it’s true. I can trace a good bit of the wonderfulness of 2009 back to Twitter – the people I’ve met, the relationships I’ve forged. I signed-up for Twitter out of curiosity. As a professional, it’s important I stay current on emerging trends. Twitter is such a powerful networking tool, it’s important I know about it so I can help my clients understand social media in a job search. I had no idea what I would discover when I first created @DawnBugni on Twitter. Now, a little more than a year later one of my best professional network resides in Twitter and personal friendships have blossomed. 

Back in September, A member of the Professional Association of Resume Writer’s (PARW) posed a question about Internet privacy in general and Twitter in particular on our elist. This is how I responded to her.

“Sue -

“I’ll be the very first to admit I am a Twitter addict, a serious Twitter addict. 
 
I’ve met incredible people via Twitter and social media.

* I’ve had real life conversations with several Twitter Tweeps (contacts) and learned sooooo much from those phone calls.
* I have been given countless opportunities I would never have known existed were it not for Twitter interactions.
* I’ve engaged five clients so far by tweeting job search advice and having people reach out to me because they liked a bit of advice I offered.
* I read daily what recruiters and HR managers have to say via their tweets and their blog posts making me wiser for my clients.
* I’ve tightened my writing because of the 140-character limit.
* I’ve improved my understanding of the entire job search process because of the information shared on Twitter by other career people and jobseekers.
* I’ve been exposed to things I would not have taken the time to find on my own in and out of the career realm.
* I received “virtual hugs” from around the world when I had to put my 17-year-old Dachshund to sleep and shared the sad time via Twitter.
* I’ve had tear-wiping laughter because of conversations on Twitter.
* I’ve connected with fellow resume writers on a more personal level.
* I’ve helped and been helped countless times because I answered/asked questions.
* I am uplifted by the positive energy generated by the Twitterverse.
 
“I could go on (and on and on and on and on), but you won’t believe I’ve tightened my writing if I do. )

“As far as privacy, what you put out there is what is seen. Use discretion as to what you are or are not willing to share and you’re in control.
 
“I read (via a Twitter post/link) Twitter is like riding a bicycle. You can’t explain the joy to someone until they do it themselves. They will fall. They will have to figure out balance. They have to work out their methodology, but once they see the wonderfulness, they’ll wonder what took them so long to do it.
 
“I assure you, when you first sign up, you will spend the first two weeks scratching your head trying to figure out what the heck am I doing and why???? You hesitate responding to someone because you don’t know them. Then you’ll get over that fear and start to interact. You’ll find like-minded people. You’ll also find the “famous” are regular people, with a passion for banana splits and chocolate just like you.
 
“At the risk of sounding like a complete sap, my life is enriched because of the time I spend in the Twitterverse.
 
“Here’s a prime example of enhanced relationships. Because Julie Walraven chimed in on this topic as well I’m going to use her. I’ve read Julie’s posts on the PARW list for years, I’ve known of her, recognized her name, but that was about it. Because of Twitter, I now count Julie as a wonderful, giving, generous friend. I know her dog’s name is Teddy. We’ve shared resume writing business information as well as commiserated over the dust bunnies generated by living with dogs. Again, I could give about 10 other examples with others in our industry, but I’ll stop. (I’m bordering on frightening myself with my obsession. I can only imagine what I’m doing to you. LOL) ”
 
Yes. I’m proud to say I am a Twitter addict. You should join me. You’d be amazed at what you’ll learn and the opportunities you’ll find there.

Happy 2010!!

Career Collective post: Once a month, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. We’ll post our thoughts on our own blog and link to the post of our colleagues on the same topic.
This month’s topic: What are some specific tips to help job seekers really ramp up their efforts for the holiday season and the new year. Responses from others contributors linked at the end.
Follow the hashtag #careercollective on Twitter.

After receiving the topic for this month’s Career Collective post, I bet I’ve read more than 50 articles addressing different aspects of staying motivated during the holiday season in the past few weeks. And that’s a mere drop in the bucket compared to what’s out there. Today, a Google search using “Job search during the holidays” brings back 97,500 (and counting) results. In fact, digging through my own archives, I found a post I wrote addressing this very topic last year. I’m not even going to try and condense all the Web wisdom I found in this one post, but will share a few ideas:

• Attend holiday parties. Enforce and expand your network.
• Ask friends to take you to their holiday work parties so you can network.
• Connect with company executives during holiday gathering. They’re more accessible.
• Send holiday greetings to your network thanking them for their support during the year.
• Start networking by sending holiday cards to people you’ve not contacted lately.

Do you see the common thread? Network, network, connect, network, network. I’ll say it again. NETWORK.
Between all the holiday decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping and traveling, who has time to sit down and rev up a resume, compose a cover letter or conduct company research? If you do, bravo. If you need to do it, then make the time. For the rest, rather than add more stress to your already crazy schedule, use holiday gatherings as an opportunity to connect and shore up your search. But use discretion. (I’ll spare you the “don’t drink too much” lecture. You should know that by now.)

Holiday networking doesn’t mean running up to Uncle Nuncio, who you’ve not seen in years, hugging him and launching into your 30-second elevator pitch or handing out business cards willy-nilly and espousing your career goals at every holiday event. It means, being interested in others and being interesting in what you share. Interesting/interested usually doesn’t include every detail of your search or employment status. Want to disperse a crowd quickly? Dominate the conversation, especially with your job search frustrations, and turn every topic back to you and what you need. With that approach, don’t be surprised when people start checking their imaginary watches, develop urgent bladder issues or start backing away from you slowly.

Instead, allow conversations to happen. Engage. Spend more time listening to what’s going on around than you do telling your story. Eventually those conversations turn to work. It’s where we spend a good deal of time so naturally, the story telling moves to work-related topics. By listening, you’ll learn about Suzy’s pregnancy and upcoming maternity leave, a company’s restructure, Bob’s surgery and mandatory two-month recuperation or corporate expansion plans. You might not know all the characters, but if you listen and ask questions these stories can open the door to opportunity for you. Pay attention.

Remember, if you look (and listen), while the rest of the world celebrates, you’re facing a reduced candidate pool, improving your chances of being noticed. Whether you’re actively seeking a job or a casual looker, the time of year, the day of the week shouldn’t have any impact on your approach to a job search. Prepared is prepared, regardless the time of year. Effectively managing your career means “ramped up” 24/7/365. Opportunity waits for no man (or woman.) Use the holiday season to reach out to old friends, make some new ones and enjoy yourself. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking hiring or chances for a new adventure disappear during the holidays. Listen closely. You may think you’re hearing jingle bells, but really, it’s opportunity.

(By the way, I received emails from two clients, in two completely different industries, this week excitedly sharing news of interviews. It’s a little more than two weeks before Christmas. And a third client contacted me for a quick update to pounce on an opportunity for a un-publicized position she found through networking with a friend. Doesn’t sound like “no holiday hiring” to me.)

Here’s what my colleagues have to say:

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter @ValueIntoWords  Navigating the Mistletoe of Job Search

Laurie Berenson @LaurieBerenson Three resolutions to take it up a notch

Martin Buckland @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes Season’s greetings and your job search

Chandlee Bryan @Chandlee Job search tips for the holidays

Megan Fitzgerald @expatcoachmegan Expat networking: Holidays are a great time to nurture and grow your network

Katharine Hansen, PhD @KatCareerGal Avoiding the holiday blues in your job search

G L Hoffman @GLHoffman Merry Christmas! Can I buy you coffee to talk about me?

Gayle Howard @GayleHoward It’s Christmas: And a ho-ho-ho-hum?

Heather Huhman @heatherhuhman 4 tips for making the most of holiday job hunting

Rosalind Joffe @WorkWithIllness Avoid this minefield: Drive your bus

Susan Joyce @jobhuntorg (Holiday) party your way to a new job

Erin Kennedy @ErinKennedyCPRW How to keep up the job hunt during the holidays

Grace Kutney @sweetcareers Holiday job search tips for college students 2009

Meg Montford @KCCareerCoach The gift every laid-off job seeker needs

Hannah Morgan @careersherpa Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa Cheers

Heather Mundell @heathermundell Have a holly jolly job search

Andy Robinson @andyinnaples Shift Your Focus to the Highest Impact Job Search Activities During the Holidays to Leverage Your Time

J. T. O’Donnell @careerealism Holiday tips for job seekers: 4 ways to impress others with your professionalism

Barbara Safani @BarbaraSafani Holiday networking can facillitate New Year opportunities

Miriam Salpeter @Keppie_Careers Four tips for effective networking follow-up for the holidays and the rest of the year

Rosa Vargas @resumeservice Holiday resume sparkle: Outshine the New Year job search mob

Snug as a Bug - Pet Sitting for ALL types of pets & just a bit more

If you read this blog with any frequency (THANK YOU!!!), you know in addition to being a professional resume writer, I ran a busy pet sitting service – emphasis on the word busy. Back on July 29^th, I came to the realization something had to give. I drove 150 miles doing pet sits, – never leaving the county – had promised a resume to a client AND it was my 10^th wedding anniversary. (OK, so I didn’t do such a hot job of scheduling that day.) Anyway, the light came on and I began the long process of figuring out how to sell or close a rural pet sitting business and not leave my loyal clients hanging – I’d been pet sitting for seven years.

I approached several potential buyers. They all turned me down, basically saying, “I really don’t want to be that busy” (WHAT???? This is the “Summer of 2009”. Hello. Recession. Double-digit unemployment … But that’s a blog “rant” for another day). Finally, for my own peace of mind, I realized I had to walk away. I’ll spare you the details of that decision-making process. Suffice it to say it was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made in a long time. And I greatly underestimated the emotional roller coaster that decision would bring.

Fast forward to October 4^th. I composed a farewell letter to my clients (approx 75 households in a 25-mile radius), stayed up until 1 a.m. stuffing and addressing envelopes. I awoke, bright and early on October 5^th to do two pet sits before arriving at the post office to buy stamps and mail out the farewell letters. Around 8:30 that morning, pet sits completed, stamps purchased, I’d dropped the letters into the mailbox. There was no turning back. Following is how the rest of that week shaped up:

• About 10 a.m. one of my most loyal pet sit clients called to book two pet sits. I wasn’t prepared mentally or emotionally to have the “I’m closing” conversation, but had to have it. She’d get the letter the next day. I couldn’t play dumb. At one point, she started to cry. In retrospect, a wonderful testament to the value I provided my customers. At that moment, it triggered heart-wrenching, “What have I done???” thoughts.

• Half an hour later, my 9:30 Tuesday morning resume client called and said the temporary agency she’d registered with months ago finally came through with a job, starting Tuesday morning, so she was going to postpone having her resume written.

• An hour later, I heard from another pet sit client, who not only wanted to book me the following week, she had a friend who also needed my services at the same time. Another unexpected, difficult “I’m closing” conversation.

• Oh, and the client I scheduled to write for on Monday never followed through with payment, so there went that project.

• Then my 2:30 Monday appointment didn’t answer the phone at any of three numbers I had for him.

• Also on Monday, a resume colleague emailed to reschedule a business conversation. She didn’t know the craziness of my day, but it was frosting on the cake. Even my resume colleagues didn’t want to talk to me.

• Tuesday my writing project never followed through with payment, so there went that one too. (I’ve got to revisit my business model and how I schedule/invoice, but now’s not the time.)

• Wednesday, another pet sit client called. She’d not had a chance to go through her mail, so didn’t know I was closing my business yet. Another difficult conversation ensued – she had 15 Jack Russell terriers and a horse. Who would take care of that crowd, if not me?

• Thursday, my morning resume consult didn’t answer the phone and when I called my afternoon appointment she responded with, “Oh, I meant to call you, I decided to postpone working on my resume for awhile.” By the way, I’d schedule Friday to write for her because when we spoke on Wednesday, she was in such a hurry to get it done.

• Thursday afternoon, I heard from the son of the client that didn’t respond at three different phone numbers on Monday afternoon. He’d heard the message I left his father (friendly and upbeat) and wanted me to know his father had passed away from a heart attack on Monday morning. He said his father was the type of person who would want me to know why he didn’t keep his appointment. His son, a stranger until that moment, and I cried together. Partially because in the few conversations I’d had with his dad, I found him to be charming and delightful and I regretted not having the opportunity to know him better and I felt the son’s pain, partially because I wondered what exactly the universe was trying to tell me. I found some solace when the son said knowing about his dad’s career plans and the content our conversations gave him great peace of mind.

So let’s tally this up … The same week I decided to close a successful pet sitting business to pursue what I thought was my ever-growing resume writing business – my phone did not ring for resumes, except cancellations, for two days, three of four writing project disappeared, four of five resume clients canceled, one of them passing away (two more appointments canceled the following week.) In the same week, three pet sit clients called to book four appointments and one wanted to refer a new client. I gave up pet sitting and am turning away pet sit business to advance my resume career, yet my resume clients start disappearing like chocolate at a fat lady convention. (I can use that analogy. I’m round!)

To say I was confused, frightened and full of self-doubt would be an understatement. I didn’t know this old, round body could still get into the fetal position, but that’s pretty much where I spent the week.

Why do I bare my soul to you with this l-o-n-g story? Well, to tie it into the job search of course. Know what I did during my time of self-doubt and fear? Honestly, I had a good cry; then I reached out to my network. You know the network I tell you repeatedly that’s soooooooo important to nurture and cultivate and support. Know what? They were there for me. They rallied. They reminded me this too shall pass. They offered virtual hugs. They emailed frequently. They called to check on me. They let me rant. They let me know when I’d ranted enough. They let me cry. The kicked me in the butt when I needed it. Most importantly, they were there, letting me know I didn’t have to go through anything alone.

Know what else? They were right. Within two weeks I’d weathered the storm. The resume business rebounded. Now, less than two months later, I’m rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ wondering how I ever fit pet sitting into the mix. I won’t say a job search will go that quickly, but I will tell you even at the bottom of a pit, from a fetal position, an attitude adjustment and good friends will get you through most anything.

Sure, it was a lot easier sitting around feeling sorry for myself, but eventually, even I couldn’t stand to be around me. I had to take a different approach. I can finally tell this story. I kept saying, eventually, this’ll make a great story, there’re some great lessons in here and we’ll laugh about all of this … and I was right. As another good friend said to me tonight, “We are git ‘er done kinda gals. We don’t stay knocked down long.” I’ll be honest. I had to “fake it ‘til I made it”, but adopting that “git ‘er done” attitude made all the difference. Try it. You’ll be astounded at what happens.

This month the collective posts to coincide with Quintessential Careers Job Action Day on November 2, 2009.

Career Collective post: Once a month, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. We’ll post our thoughts on our own blog and link to the post of our colleagues on the same topic.
This month’s topic: Focus on providing workers and job seekers information, ideas and concrete steps to secure their futures in a changed economy. Responses from others contributors linked at the end. Follow the hashtag #careercollective on Twitter.

During the past year, as I watched the face of the economy and, in turn, job search strategies shift, I started sharing the importance of networking and social media, more and more with my clients. Blogger and recruiter, Jeff Lipschultz included statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor in his post “40 jobs in 40 years? Fact or Fiction?” According to 2008 statistics individuals changed jobs, every 2.9 to 6.0 years. With that kind of movement, career management must include current job search knowledge. One of the most important segments of both career management and job search is an individual’s network. The tag line “Your network is your net worth.” advertises “Strictly Business”, a, weekly networking event here in Wilmington, NC and no words ring truer in the late 2009 employment environment.

My dad retired after 46 years with the same company; my mom with almost 30 years at another. The “retiring with a gold watch and a pension” days are long gone. The time when seasoned veterans sat and passed knowledge and the stories behind the design and series updates to junior employees are gone too. A strong network, cultivated over time, can serve everyone – employed or unemployed. The answers that used to come from the facility elders now come from your network and stability from four decades with the same company shifts to the stabilizing force of network connections.

Workplace dynamics now change quickly, bringing with those changes, a faster moving job market. Establishing a solid network of knowledgeable contacts helps uncover answers needed to advance a career or resolve a business issue. The problem is, many career-oriented people get so wrapped up in building their careers, the network gets neglected. I give career changers, the upwardly mobile and the unemployed all kinds of information about networking – almost as if it is a new concept, wholly foreign to them. It seems, now that they’re ready to launch a job search; they’re also ready to “launch” a network – “I’ll call ….” Unfortunately, networks don’t work that way. Waiting until you’re unemployed or ready to make a career move to start reconnecting with Joe from 10-years-ago isn’t the best plan … but then again, better late than never.

The network-less miss out on the value strong connections bring to professional and (yes) your personal lives. Not only can your network provide answers to business questions – “Who knows a good cleaning service?” or “I remember Sue had a similar event at her company, let me give her a call – shoot her an email.” Your network can speed the rebound from unemployment and make career transitions more palatable as support comes through your connections and beyond.

In an article titled, “How to Advance Your Career Without Selling Your Soul”, Joe Hodas made an interesting point. “Career-advancement tips may seem irrelevant while many employees are operating from a place of fear or are just grateful to have a job.” This puts many in today’s work force operating toward the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid, focused on protecting their jobs and the “what ifs” rather than career advancement or personal development. Shoring up workplace uncertainty with a solid network of reciprocal support makes career control and individual growth more likely.

A deep, broad, well-developed network supports improvement as well – whether it’s inspiring stretches for promotions, courage for career changes, encouragement for certifications, reaching fitness goals or self-actualization milestones. All the other tips I’d share with job seekers are the same as I’ve always said, (throughout this blog, Twitter tweets and Facebook posts), remember a job search is all about “them” – the employer. Approach everything you do from that perspective during the search and you’ll be ahead of the rest of the pack from the very beginning.

After setting the right course and understanding the process, take a step back and engage your network to uncover everything you can about the situation at hand, whether it’s job-related or job-search related. Here, in the “short rows” of 2009, more than ever, you network is your net worth, integral to career success. Nurture it with lots of giving and a little taking.

Here’s what my colleagues have to say:

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter: You Can Thrive In, Not Just Survive, an Economic Slogging

Laurie Berenson: Making lemonade out of lemons: Turn unemployment into entrepreneurship

Chandlee Bryan: The Emerging Professional, Where the Green Jobs Are

Martin Buckland: The key to securing your future career

GL Hoffman: The Life of An Entrepreneur: Is It for You?

Gayle Howard: The Enlightened Jobseeker

Heather R. Huhman: Take Action: 10 Steps for Landing an Entry-Level Job

Rosalind Joffe: Preparedness: It’s Not Just for Boyscouts

Erin Kennedy: Cutting Edge Job Search Blueprint

Grace Kutney: Securing Your Career While Navigating the Winds of Change

Meg Montford: Job action day: Finding your “mojo” after layoff

Hannah Morgan: Why Our Job Search Advice is the Same but Different

Heather Mundell: Green Jobs – What They Are and How to Find Them

J. T. O’Donnell: Actions that get people jobs in this recession

Barbara Safani: Where the Jobs Are: 2009 and Beyond

Miriam Salpeter: Optimize your job hunt for today’s economy

Rosa E. Vargas: Are You Evolving Into The In-Demand Professional of Tomorrow?

Debra Wheatman: Plan B from outer space; or what do you have in case your first plan doesn’t work out?

And Katharine Hansen, our QuintCareers connection and Job Action Day 2009 coordinator generously shares these four posts.

Job Action Day 09: His Resume Savvy Helped New Career Rise from Layoff Ashes

Career and Job-Hunting Blog: Job Action Day 2009 Inspiring Stories

Job Action Day 09: They Leveraged Two Promising Recession-Era Opportunities: Green Careers and Entrepreneurship

Job Action Day 09: Recession is the Mother of Invention: Stories of Opportunity Springing from Unemployment

And here’s where else we’re listed: Thanks Katharine!

Career Doctor: Career Collective and other bloggers support Job Action Day 2009

Job Action Day: Empowering workers and jobseekers

Quint Careers: Job Action Day 2009 is all about emphasizing the bright spots in so-called “jobless recovery.”

QuintZine: Bloggers Drive Home Job Action Day Message

I did some research on local networking opportunities a while back for a job seeker. She and I met though the Job Angels initiative originally started on Twitter. She recently graduated with an engineering degree and moved from Michigan to Wilmington, NC. She knew virtually no one and was anxious to launch her career. She asked me how to meet and network in this town. I put a call out to my Tweeps on Twitter to get as much info as possible for her. They did not disappoint. Following is what they shared and what I found. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by all the opportunities this “little town” of 91,000+ had to offer.

About two weeks later, I shared the same info with a long time resident of the community, after his company eliminated his position due to a business decision. He had no idea where to start networking or what was out there (should have had a well-established network already, but…) I decided, if these two people were unaware of the resources, then most likely so were many others. Since I’ve already done the legwork, adding the info to my blog was a no-brainer.

I realize this information is specific to one geographic area, but it might give someone a place to start digging for similar opportunities in their own city. Wilmington is not a large metropolitan area, but look at what it has to offer in the way of networking opportunities for local professionals. Imagine what your town offers. If the answer is nothing, then perhaps this will inspire you to get something started.

Several of these events are held in local adult beverage watering holes. As I told my young job seeker, I’m not advocating drinking to get a job. You can order a seltzer or soft drink. In fact, it’s probably best not to drink while networking. If you do, limit yourself to one or two, depending on the length of the event. You want to be remembered, but you don’t want to be remembered as “that guy”.

1.    Professional Organizations (Google your profession and see what you find)
2.    Wilmington Professional Group
3.    Wilmington Young Professional Group (Must be a Facebook member to view this link)
4.    Business Networking International (BNI)
5.    Strictly Business
6.    Downtown Meet & Mingle the first Wednesday of the month
7.    Front Street Brewery – Gals on Grapes every Tuesday
5.    Front Street Brewery – Guys and Dolls on Hops every Wednesday
9.    Tweetups
10.  The Wilmington Networking calendar
11.  The 3rd Street Plaza Ning site

More advice I gave her: Google “networking” and “elevator speech” or “elevator introduction” and PLAN what you’re going to do and how you’re going to interact. Ask open-ended questions and don’t make the focus the job search. Be interested in people, but also be interesting. Craft an introduction that allows people to see, smell, taste and touch what you do or what you’re passionate about. Engage. Ask a question up front to encourage that engagement and find a common ground. Make your intro POP (Purposeful, original and pithy). This time it’s not about the job search. It’s about engaging and building relationships. The job search help comes as a natural evolution of people caring about you. (Patience is a virtue … or so they tell me.)

And a quick, unsolicited piece of advice … even if you land a job, cultivate and nurture your network. They’ll be the key to opportunity and advancement for your entire career. Someone always knows someone who knows someone … People are more apt to help someone who has given back as well as asked for help.

While I adore social media, meeting IRL* is even more fun. Is it worth it you ask? I met a woman who later became a client at one of our Tweetups, so I’d say yes. I didn’t go looking for work. I went to get out and meet local Tweeps. It’s always fun. The client I picked up was frosting on the cake. Now get out from behind the computer, breath some fresh air and go make some new connections. “Ya neva know” what might come of it.

*In real life

Have I got a great article to share with you! Jason Alba, job search guru and JibberJobber founder, tweeted about it on Twitter earlier today. He’s mentioned in the article, hence the tweet.

This article is packed full of such useful information, I can’t add anything other than “do what the article says.” Here’s the link to How to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile: Stand Out to Employers, Recruiters. Read it and then follow me to LinkedIn. I’m off to tweak my own profile.

Be sure to read the comments after the article. You’ll learn how to add bullets and special characters to your profile as well.

Enjoy!

Catching up on my reading last night, I came across Jason Alba’s, JibberJobber blog post about networking. His wisdom ties into my last post, so take a look at what he has to say, “Networking Sucks in the Job Search (aka, Why Networking isn’t Working.)”

Bottom line, networking, as Jason says, is NOT only handing out business cards at a quarterly professional meeting. And it’s definitely NOT calling Joe, who you haven’t spoken with in 10 years, the day after you were laid-off and saying, “Hey man. I lost my job. You gotta help me.” You’ll be lucky if Joe even remembers you and now you’re “expecting” him to help you find employment.

Effective networking is seeing an article or an interesting Web site about one of Joe’s interests or even a joke you know he’d enjoy and taking the time to send it to him. Or picking up the phone occasionally – once a year – to play catch-up. It takes only five minutes (if that) to stay in touch and let someone know you’re thinking about them. Doing this over time builds a relationship and dare I say a network.

I love the term Jason coined “Microwave Networkers”. There is no 60-second answer to building a network. It takes time. And cultivating long-term professional relationships takes effort. It requires you think about someone other than yourself occasionally and take action on those thoughts. Five, ten minutes a day, over several years and you’ll have a solid, helpful network established. And better yet, people tend to reciprocate, so the energy you put out is sure to come back to you.

Networking is an effective way to learn about new opportunities. But, you’ve got to have a network in place LONG before you’re laid-off or considering a career change. Yes, networking works, as long as you make it more than handing someone a business card with the hope they’ll remember you in five years when you need their help.

And on another note, no matter the holiday you celebrate, make it extraordinary this year. I, personally celebrate Christmas, so want to share a plate of Christmas cookies and take a moment to wish everyone

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I recently read Gayle Howard’s blog post about how Web 2.0 is affecting company communications and in the long run, operations. (Gayle’s an Australian resume writer and fellow PARW member.)

It ties in nicely with what I’ve discovered about this whole cyber-networking thing. Building on her post, there’s another side to Web 2.0. From a company perspective, they now operate in a “fish bowl” – there are no secrets. From a job seekers perspective, that fish bowl is an open resource to lots of information, from untold sources, not available as recently as two or three years ago.

As I wrote in my comment to Gayle’s post, “There is no excuse for a job seeker go into an interview unprepared.” And the more time invested (yes, invested, not frittered away …) in networking, the easier it is to get the information needed to prepare for job interviews. Need a contact name? Ask. Someone is bound to know. Need the skinny on a company before you go on an interview? Inquire. You’ll get more than you ever imagined. (Obviously, discretion is needed when using a public forum to support a career change, but there are ways to gather information without tipping your hand. But that’s a topic for another day.) Taking it a step further, with a solid network and a history of give and take, you can prepare for just about anything. You’ll be amazed at how willingly people share valuable information about any topic. It’s a knowledge and information exchange at hyper speed – a bit overwhelming at first, but quickly manageable.

Add to networking the ability to set-up a Google Alert for ANY topic and there’s no reason you can’t speak intelligently about the company during a job interview. You’ll know the company CEO won the charity fishing tournament last week because the article containing that information came to you in the form of a Google alert – straight to your inbox. Knowing an interesting tidbit, not readily found on the company’s home page shows you did your homework and positively sets you apart from the rest of the interview pool.  

Since I started spending a little time on Facebook and Twitter everyday, I’ve found, if you ask a question in cyberspace, someone will answer it or at least head you in the right direction. People are grateful for your offers of assistance and advice too. (There’s the give and take.) Plus by participating in the knowledge exchange, you’re building a positive reputation as an expert in your field, in your industry. Doesn’t sound like frittering away time to me. 

As a businessperson and writer, I’ve only scratched the surface of what I can do and what I can learn with Web 2.0 interactions and the networking opportunities out there. As a job seeker, those same opportunities await. The #1 way to locate new opportunities is through networking. Be prudent in postings and the network you build and generous in your sharing. The world is now, literally, at your fingertips and it comes to you, anywhere, with the click of a mouse or the push of button on a desktop, laptop or mobile device.

Twitter Tweets? Facebook posts? RSS Feeds? LinkedIn connections? Blogging? Web 2.0? Google Alerts? If this is all foreign to you, Google it. Dig, learn and jump right in. It’s a whole new world, waiting to be explored.

PS – if you’re of a certain age and think this is for the twenty-somethings … you couldn’t be more wrong. A little time; a little thought; a little tenacity and you’re communicating with brand new audience in a very effective way. (I only look young in my pictures. <wink>  )