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Keeping Your Back Away from the Wall

August 21, 2010 By

One of my practices for effective networking: Keep your back away from the wall.

Why? It’s one of the best methods to minimize your distractions.

There are two reasons why I’m writing on a topic that most people would think is pretty obvious: minimize distractions. The first reason is important.  The second reason is just killer.

FIRST: Because distractions can repeatedly sneak up on you during a meeting, it’s not always obvious for the candidate.

Most of us out networking spend a fair amount of time in coffee shops.  It’s a natural part of the experience to take in your surroundings, watch interesting people, etc.

It happens almost every time I meet a fellow candidate, they don’t even realize their gaze has wandered. I’m talking about total professionals with impeccable resumes, references, etc. – yet several times during our meeting their gaze is elsewhere.

SECOND: When speaking, the candidate’s eyes are fixed on me, because they are focused on their pitch. Their gaze wanders when I’m speaking. Ouch.

After awhile, it becomes difficult to tell if I’m a total bore or are they oblivious to their level of distraction.  I have to admit I’m relieved to hear the candidate mention what they are looking at so intently.  At least it makes me feel less of a bore.

In my view, each meeting represents your one and only chance to make a sale.  Don’t let some odd looking fellow get the way.

The ability to make the sale is most often judged by your ability to show that the meeting is truly a ‘networking’ meeting.  If can achieve that, it sets you apart from the other people who have networked with the same contact.

You just cannot get there if you are not focused on the person – especially when they are sharing their insights with you.

Face the wall.  Take notes. Keep eye contact at all times (though don’t make it a staring contest).  Do whatever it takes to keep your focus.

Next time you go to coffee with a friend, face the wall.  See how much more you focus on them and count how often they look elsewhere and when.

This is a lesson from the networking trail, where the obvious is not always so.

Good luck today.

Mark

Filed Under: Networking, Networking efficiency

Moving to a smaller firm – getting ready for success

May 17, 2010 By

A frequent conversation I have with fellow candidates is the desire to seek employment in a smaller firm due to expected greater, ability to influence the outcome and generally less office politics. (Bonus: If you are in a start-up, you can add the expectations to wear jeans and use an Mac vs. a pc).

Having myself both worked in a 60,000 employee firm and a 4 person firm, there is truth in that you have more influence on the outcome.
To help you get prepared for possible networking/interviews, here’s a few of my lessons.

One: You have to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. My colleagues learned what I was good at and what I was not in quick fashion, and I did the same with them. The sign of a good team is that you figure out how to compensate for one another.

Two: You do not have a big team to back you up. As CFO, I have gone from designing our chart of accounts to pitching for $2 million of investment in the same afternoon. I’ve also designed pages on our website and developed our initial social media strategy. You just need to be ready to work above, at, below and alongside your title.

Three: You need to think like an owner. In a small firm, business gets down to the bare essentials: Client needs, sales levels, spending and available cash/capital. You have to watch each like a hawk and understand what drives each one.

Four: The good news: A small team that talks often. The bad news: You talk often. You need to keep up your outside network to make sure you get an unbiased opinion of your strategy, etc.

Like all my posts, consider my ideas as a place to start. If you start looking at a smaller firm, sit down with a few colleagues who have made the transition to help you prepare.

Good luck this week.

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com – Tools and Advice from a Candidate’s viewpoint to help get past job search roadblocks and keep your spirit strong. Please take a visit.

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Filed Under: Interview Prep, Moving to smaller firm, Networking efficiency

The Art of Managing Downtime

March 9, 2010 By

A last minute call cancels a networking meeting. You have an extra hour on your hand. Now what?

When we are employed, there is generally a well-stocked backlog for any extra time. When unemployed, we can adopt a less urgent focus on time, as we seem to have all day.

A colleague of mine, Tom Kulikowski, once remarked “He stayed ruthlessly organized” during his search.

The ruthless organization was as much for eliminating unnecessary work as it was for keeping your weekly search time under 40 hours a week. It is easy to occupy 60+ hours a week, but after 40 hours, both your productivity and effectiveness drop off like a rock (trust me, I know).

These extra hours happen. In fact, they happen more than you like. So use them to your advantage. Time is your most precious resource in search.

Here were my most effective ways to use that extra hour. My primary tools were my calendar for the last month and upcoming two weeks and my Targeted Company list – which I always carried with me.

One: Upcoming meetings – Have you determined what you want from the meeting and how you can offer your contact something to make you memorable? Try this networking meeting checklist: http://candidateschair.com/?attachment_id=604

Two: Empty Spots in Your Calendar – Using my Targeted Company list, I would figure out who I needed to meet either within the company or to get me in the company – then started to get out invites to meet. Here is an example of a Targeted Company list if you don’t have one: http://candidateschair.com/?attachment_id=402

Three: Follow-up to past networking meetings – Follow-up is what takes networking meetings from interesting to relevant. Your follow-up on commitments and reminders of theirs is critical – especially demonstrating action on your part.

These three were generally enough to fill an hour. On that occasion you are caught up, then I recommend enjoying a large coffee and get ready for your next meeting.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

Please feel free to visit my site – www.candidateschair.com – built on my own experiences from being in transition. It’s job search, from a candidate’s viewpoint.

Candidates Chair LinkedIn Group:

http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2328268

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Filed Under: Networking efficiency