Deciding who to talk to

Networking can’t begin until you decide who you want to talk to, and what type of information you hope to gain from this communication. Once you know this, it’s time to begin developing a list of contacts.

The best place to start developing a network is with your friends. Most people, however, call their friends and just say, "I'm finishing my course in July. Let me know if you hear of any vacancies." The friend says, "Sure." And that's the end of it. The phone never rings because the friends aren't sure of the help the person is looking for.

A much more effective strategy, on the other hand, is to tell them what you want and to ask for specific advice and ideas. For example, you might say, “I want to work in a small company where I can take on a lot of responsibility and get a wide range of experience." Then ask, "Would you mind looking at my cover letter and résumé and giving me some honest feedback?” Or ask, “Would you be able to suggest someone at XXX that I could talk to?" The key to being able to ask for specific information is to have engaged in enough self-assessment and research before seeking help.

Of course, talking with your friends is useful, but the larger your network is, the more likely you will be to find the information or job that you need. You need to involve people outside of your immediate circle of confidence. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds – you just need to broaden your definition of “friends”.

The checklist below is a good starting point for constructing your list of people to network with.

Friends checklist:

  • Family (include uncles, aunts, cousins, distant relatives)
  • Your partner's family and relatives
  • Close personal friends (yours and your partner's)
  • Clients
  • Fellow classmates
  • University professors
  • School teachers
  • Your friends' parents
  • Organisational groups
  • Professional associations
  • Social groups or clubs
  • Church groups
  • Church leaders
  • Current and former employers
  • Fellow employees (if you already have a part-time job)
  • Friends of your parents (and your partner's parents)
  • Professional contacts including: Doctor, Dentist, Lawyer, Vet, Accountant, Hairdresser, Financial Planner, Psychologist, Real Estate Agent, Builders, Plumbers, Electricians
Activity Activity

Make a list of the people you can network with regarding your job search. Use the Friends checklist from this unit as a starting point.

Record all of the names. Don't pre-judge anyone. You never know who will be able to help you! Go back as far as secondary school, or even primary school. List your old classmates. Look at your Christmas card list.

Write down names until your mind goes blank then stop and begin again later. Sometimes, this activity really helps you to sort out who your friends are! Usually, what you find is that if you make contact with all of the people on your list, you will get a positive response from some of your friends - which is a good ego boost if you're feeling down - and that help often comes from the people whom you least expected to be able to assist!