My last post was on Networking for Introverts – and I refered you back to the FIRST technique that EVEN INTROVERTS can do. The Reverse Interview. In addition the the post – here are the videos that discuss the reverse interview. UAB interview, The first video I did on the subject (I think).

Trust me – these REALLY work. I continue to hear from people who have tried it – so why don’t you?

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Second Method – Be a Hero

Another method to network is by using organizations. Yes I know – this is exactly what you have done before – and you end up meeting another person looking for a job just like you – and that is all! gonig to professional organization meetings is what they told you to do in school – and you HATE doing this. I get it!!!

………………….But here is the rest of the story!

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First, like always, decide what you want. There are millions of organizations and associations. You need to know where your efforts should be placed. Why go to a software developer meeting when you want to build homes for a living? Who cares where you are today – where do you WANT to be? Go hang out with those people!

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Second, use your contacts from the Reverse Interview. Since you have already done this (you have – right) you already KNOW they right people in the right organizations. Now instead of showing up blind and walking into a room with panic in your heart – not knowing what to do next – you go straight to your contact and say hello. Guess what they will do? Introduce you to people!! And – introduce you to the RIGHT people. Remember to also go and meet the head of the organization – if you have not met them already.

To take the pressure off the first time – contact the new person in your network and ask if they will be going. Ask them to introduce you! Also, email or call (I know – you will email) the organization president or leader and tell them you want to come check them out. Then go in and introduce yourself saying “I am the one who emailed you about checking this out.” This will lead somewhere – trust me!

Remember to not talk about yourself too much – let other people talk. You should become skilled at asking questions.

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Third, take action. Every volunteer organization, no matter the size, struggles from having a lot of takers and very few givers. The people who are the decision makers in a 1000 person organization can likely fit around a small conference table. They are the ones who give their time and actually do something. So your trick is to find out where they really need help and then lend a hand. The result is that you will not be a nameless figure, instead everyone will know you AND that you can get something done.

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Fourth, do it. People are ALWAYS watching and judging – so the character you display within the organization is what people will always assume is you. And they are right. If you show up and do what you said, they will think highly of you. If you do not, you would have been better off to have never joined. Remember the adage Under Promise and Over Deliver.

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Results Count

I will say again – this works. It may take a little courage to do this – but you can quickly go fro a nobody to a rock star! I know – I know several people who are TOTAL introverts who I used to introduce to others at meetings. Now they introduce me! They are still introverts – but introverts in charge!

Dale Callahan is a contributing writer for the IEM Blog. Dr. Callahan is the IEM Program Director for the Information Engineering and Management Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His thoughts here represent the types of topics covered in the Entrepreneurial courses he teaches the clients of the IEM Program at UAB.

Thanks to DaleCallahan.com for this article.

Are you an introvert? Many technical people are introverts – and many struggle to network because it feels uncomfortable.

Do you remember when you were trying to get your first job? Remember the advice and maybe even a class on writing a resume? Did anyone teach you HOW to network?

When I was in college they taught me to write a resume – but they NEVER taught me how to network. What they did tell me about networking seemed to have limited success.

• advice – Go to professional meetings to meet people.
• result – Ended up standing around knowing few people or meeting people in the same situation I was in.
• advice – Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job.
• result – Limited success. I did get to meet some people who were the hiring managers – but it seemed my own network was not enough to get me in the doors I needed to get into.
• advice – Use the college career fairs and career counselors.
• result – Again, limited success. Problem is I was limited to those companies looking for people like me. Instead I was looking for something else.

Playing the Game

After many years of “playing the game” in job searches and having many jobs I have made some other observations.

• There are more opportunities than you can chase. Most people are looking for just one, but so many people see none!

• People with a network have more opportunities. Let me state that again People with a network have more opportunities.
  

• People hire people – not resumes.

• Resumes are an after thought for many companies. My last few “jobs” did not really require a resume. In fact, more than once it came up that the resume was needed from me AFTER the decision was made to hire me. One company told me to forward my resume to HR since they needed on file – weeks after I was hired.

• Networking is a skill most people do NOT have. Perhaps this is why my professors never taught me how to do it – they did not know either.

So what works?

I am going to give you some tips in the next few post which will tell you HOW TO NETWORK. These are networking skills that REALLY work – even for introverts. And I mean the REALLY work – powerfully!!! But you can start by using one of the tools I have already blogged about – the Reverse Interview.

Note: These post are part of my upcoming book on taking control of your career!
So let’s get started on building your network! Yes – even if you are an introvert!

Exercise: List the people in your network.

• Who do you go to lunch with?
• Who can you call on if you are looking for a new job or opportunity?
• What group do you hang out with which presents new opportunities to you on a regular basis?

Dale Callahan is a contributing writer for the IEM Blog. Dr. Callahan is the IEM Program Director for the Information Engineering and Management Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His thoughts here represent the types of topics covered in the Entrepreneurial courses he teaches the clients of the IEM Program at UAB.

Thanks to DaleCallahan.com for this article.