Monday, December 26, 2005
Develop a Networking Plan
I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas! After a few days off, I'm back on this blog.
A few years ago, when I was in a period of career transition, I was a client of outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison. One of the things that I learned was the importance of developing a one-page "marketing plan" for your job search. In the plan are a few key bullet points about how you can contribute to any potential employer, the types of positions are you looking for, and your geographic preferences. But most importantly, the plan includes a list of your target companies. These are the companies that you want find the right hiring managers for, through networking. I found this "marketing plan" to be a great tool in setting up informational meetings. People would look at the plan and say, "I know someone at this company", or "Have you thought about this other company not on your list? I know someone there".
Recently, I used the "marketing plan" as a template to develop a "networking plan". It contains information about how I can help others in networking, the groups that I'm a member of, the alumni networks that I'm active in, etc. It also includes the types of professionals I'm looking to reach. In addition to describing my target industries, it also lists some specific companies. I find that having such a plan helps me in my networking discussions.
Email me if you want to see a sample of a job search "marketing plan" and/or "networking plan", and I will send you a copy. If you are either in active job search mode or networking mode, I would highly recommend it.
-Josh
A few years ago, when I was in a period of career transition, I was a client of outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison. One of the things that I learned was the importance of developing a one-page "marketing plan" for your job search. In the plan are a few key bullet points about how you can contribute to any potential employer, the types of positions are you looking for, and your geographic preferences. But most importantly, the plan includes a list of your target companies. These are the companies that you want find the right hiring managers for, through networking. I found this "marketing plan" to be a great tool in setting up informational meetings. People would look at the plan and say, "I know someone at this company", or "Have you thought about this other company not on your list? I know someone there".
Recently, I used the "marketing plan" as a template to develop a "networking plan". It contains information about how I can help others in networking, the groups that I'm a member of, the alumni networks that I'm active in, etc. It also includes the types of professionals I'm looking to reach. In addition to describing my target industries, it also lists some specific companies. I find that having such a plan helps me in my networking discussions.
Email me if you want to see a sample of a job search "marketing plan" and/or "networking plan", and I will send you a copy. If you are either in active job search mode or networking mode, I would highly recommend it.
-Josh
