Almost everyone has asked another person to suggest a good auto mechanic, a great restaurant for the best pizza, or a reliable plumber. This is networking in everyday clothes. Networking is basic: it is asking for suggestions, advice, and referrals. Networking in job search mode is mandatory, since the vast majority (60-70%) of new positions are secured through networking, and 100% of unadvertised jobs are uncovered exclusively through networking. So, make a list of everyone you know,...

If it's been a while since you have reached out to people with whom you used to work and you feel a little awkward about it, you're not alone.  The first call is always the worst, but once you successfully complete that conversation, your awkwardness will soon disappear.  Just follow these five simple steps:

1. Start with your low-risk contacts first.  Choose the people with whom you had good relationships and will almost certainly take your call.  I used to begin my calls with a very...

Although interviewing and hiring decisions may slow down during the year-end holidays, it is a great time to network.  People are usually in a pretty good mood, they are talking and mingling and eating and travelling; so there are lots of chances for informal and social networking (the old-fashioned kind of face to face social networking).  Take advantage of the holiday mood and spirit of congeniality to make new contacts and revatilize relationships that may have gotten stale or have been...

Among job seekers one of the more frequent reactions to the onset of summer is that it's not a great time to find a job because 'everyone is on vacation'.  In some ways I wish it were true, since the notion of everyone being on vacation at one time, as long as that includes me, is pretty enticing; but it's actually not accurate.  Certainly there are days or weeks when specific individuals are out of touch, but neither the business world nor academia shut down when the weather gets warm and...

We have all heard the saying "You only have one chance to make a first impression". I am not completely convinced that it represents an absolute truth, but it seems a reasonable guideline to keep in mind when preparing to network with a potential contact for a job lead. Notwithstanding all the factors such as being appropriate in attire and deportment (since visual elements contribute significantly to the experience) the actual words we use to introduce ourselves are worthy of some serious...