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TOP TIPS

10 Tips for Career Success
By Alvah Parker

1. Find ways to learn continuously.
2. Find ways to improve whatever you do. Be willing to incorporate the new ideas that you learn in #1.
3. Do your work completely and with pride.
4. Be true to your own values.
5. Clear up those irritations (energy drains) so that you can devote your energy to your work.
6. Practice self-care so that you feel good about yourself.
7. Keep work in perspective so that you have time for other parts of your life (family, friends, hobbies, volunteer work).
8. Listen carefully to everyone. Managers need to walk around and talk to employees and customers.
9. Network within your company and outside.
10. Delegate tasks when appropriate and empwer those doing the work to do it their own way.

© 2005 Kennedy Information, Inc., a BNA Company.

OPTIMIZING YOUR NETWORKING PLAN, PROCESS & RESULTS
Wendy S. Enelow, CCM, MRW, JCTC, CPRW
President - Career Masters Institute
wendyenelow@cminstitute.com, www.cminstitute.com

Creating a structured plan and process is vital to any successful venture, whether launching a new business, orchestrating an organizational turnaround, or managing your job search networking campaign. It is critical that you clearly identify your market (your network contacts), develop a personalized networking marketing plan, and build an administrative process to manage it all. In this article, you'll learn how to create your own 2-tiered networking system that is appropriately prioritized, efficient to manage, and a successful catalyst in delivering the results that you want.

Before we begin, remember the MOST IMPORTANT concept underlying the networking process …

Ask your network contacts for their HELP; not for a job! People are delighted to help you; very few will have jobs to offer to you.

TIER #1 CONTACTS

Contacts: Hottest prospects and people you know best (e.g., other executives and senior managers, current and past colleagues, current and past managers, vendors, consultants, recruiters with whom you have an established relationship, bankers, venture capitalists).

Process: More often than not, your initial contact with these individuals will be via phone … a quick call to announce that you're in the job market and would certainly appreciate any advice, assistance, recommendations, referrals, and the like.

Follow-Up #1: At the end of each conversation, tell your contact that you'd like to send a resume for them to have on file, and ask if they prefer mail, fax, or email. Immediately forward your resume with a brief and "friendly" cover letter, thanking them for any help they can offer and mentioning the types of positions and/or industries in which you are interested.

Follow-Up #2: If you have not heard back from a contact within three weeks, give that individual a quick call and inquire if they've had a chance to review your resume and if they have any recommendations.

TIER #2 CONTACTS

Contacts: People that you know casually and with whom you may or may not have an ongoing relationship. This list will largely fall into the same categories as outlined in the Tier #1 contacts; it's simply that you do not know these individuals as well. This tier may include commercial realtors and developers, local newspaper publishers, attorneys, accountants, investors, Chamber of Commerce directors, state licensing personnel, and others who know what's happening within a particular business community and/or may have clients who would be interested in your talent.

Process: Your initial contact with these individuals will most likely be 50% by phone and 50% by mail/email, depending on your level of comfort in these relationships and ease in connecting with teach individual. Obviously, whenever possible, it's best for the initial contact to be via phone, allowing you to establish a more personal relationship. However, if that's not possible, mail or email contact is fine. Your "conversation" will be a bit more formal than with your Tier #1 contacts, but your objective is the same - quickly communicate that you're in the job market and you would appreciate their help.

Follow-Up #1: If you've called a contact, follow-up immediately by sending a resume. If you've mailed or emailed to a contact, include your resume. Be sure to also forward a cover letter including the types of positions and/or industries in which you are interested and two or three of your most notable achievements.

Follow-Up #2: If you have not heard back from a contact within three weeks, give that individual a quick call or follow-up email to inquire if they've had a chance to review your resume and if they have any recommendations.

MANAGING THE PROCESS

Once you've developed your list of contacts and determined how you are going to initiate contact with each individual, you'll then need to set-up a "paperwork" system to keep track of all of our calls, contacts, follow-up commitments, and more. Referred to as your "Networking Management System," it can be PC-based, on paper, or a combination of both.

Here's a tried and true method … Make an 3x5 index card for each contact that you make, noting how the contact was made (e.g., phone, email, mail), what information you provided (e.g., resume, cover letter, project listing, executive profile), any follow-up commitments you've scheduled, and their COMPLETE contact information. Then, IF you hear back from a specific contact, you'll then set-up a page for them in your "Active Lead" 3-ring binder where you record any and all communications, referrals, and actions related to that particular contact. Obviously, this system can easily be adapted for your PC by using ACT, Access, or any one of a number of other contact management systems.

Be Forewarned:
No matter how sharp your memory, if you do not control the paperwork flow during your networking campaign, you will get lost in the process, forget important commitments, and potentially lose a great opportunity.