Networking for Everyone: Connecting With People for Career and Job Success

Networking: The Most Important Skill in Your Career
It's true: You have to know "someone" to get ahead.... The best way to get a job, advance your career, or succeed as an entrepreneur is to network. But what does that really mean and how do you do it? In this book, I debunk the myths and misconceptions about networking, showing you how to cultivate and maintain rewarding professional relationships in a way that doesn't require using people or being a pest. As the most comprehensive networking book on the market, Networking for Everyone is a true handbook that can guide you through every stage of the process - all with an eye toward networking techniques that fit your own personality and communication style. In other words, you CAN be yourself and be a good networker.

My book also features special advice for introverts, students, and anyone else who might not feel like a natural-born networker. In fact, I wrote Networking for Everyone because I, myself, am anything but a networker by nature. I'd really be happiest just doing my work and not having to "schmooze," but that attitude doesn't cut it if you're trying to build a career or business. So, I've learned the secrets to mastering the skill of networking and now pass them onto you in this book. In addition to the how-to advice, you'll also find lots of helpful worksheets to make sure you actually put the principles into practice and to keep you on track. And, the appendices are packed with useful resources such as hundreds of professional and trade associations (including their Internet addresses), websites, books, and software to enhance your networking skills.

Whether you're looking for a job, a career direction, a promotion, or clients for a business, networking can work wonders in helping you reach your goals. It has worked for the thousands of people I've counseled in my career advising practice and as a host of Monster.com. And, it's worked for me, which means it can work for anyone! So, I hope you'll find that Networking for Everyone can work wonders for you, too. Enjoy, and feel free to email me with any comments or suggestions.

Networking for Everyone - Table of Contents

Ch. 1: THE WHATS, WHENS, WHERES, AND HOWS OF NETWORKING -- A New Definition of Networking; The Psychology of Networking; When to Network; Networking in Choosing a Career; Generating Career Options; Networking in the Job Search Process; Networking and the Career Management Process; Networking in the Business Development Process; Where to Network; Networking Methods

Ch.2: PLANNING YOUR NETWORKING STRATEGY -- Establishing Well-Defined Goals; Setting Objectives to Reach Your Goals; Creating a Plan to Meet Your Objectives; The Serendipity Factor

Ch.3: DEVELOPING YOUR NETWORK -- Taking Stock of Your Network and Potential Network; Taking a Closer Look at Your Network -The STARS System

Ch.4: PREPARING TO BE AN ORGANIZED AND TIME-WISE NETWORKER -- Keeping Track of What You Know; Keeping Track of Your Networking Activities; Finding the Time to Network

Ch.5: PREPARING YOUR SELF-MARKETING TOOLS -- Preparatory Steps to Effective Self-Marketing; Marketing Yourself with a Personal Pitch; Assembling Self-Marketing Materials; Putting Your Self-Marketing Tools to Good Use

Ch.6: COMMUNICATION DOs AND DON'Ts -- Content - How to Say the Right Thing; Delivery - How You Say What You Say; Rapport - How You Connect with People; Communicating by Phone; Public Speaking; Written Communication

Ch.7: FACT-FINDING MISSIONS: NETWORKING TO MAKE DECISIONS -- What Are Fact-Finding Missions?; Where to Find People for Your FFMs; Where and When Fact-Finding Missions Take Place; How to Prepare for a Fact-Finding Mission; Protocol and Strategy for Fact-Finding Missions; Facts to Gather During a Fact-Finding Mission

Ch.8: STRATEGY SESSIONS: NETWORKING TO REACH YOUR GOALS -- What Strategy Sessions Are; Questions to Ask During Strategy Sessions - Job Search; Questions to Ask During Strategy Sessions - Career Management; Questions to Ask During Strategy Sessions - Self-Employment; When to Conduct Strategy Sessions; How to Find Strategists; Where to Hold Strategy Sessions; How to Prepare for Strategy Sessions; Strategy Session Protocol

Ch.9: REFERRAL MEETINGS: NETWORKING TO DEVELOP BUSINESS -- Referral Meetings in Action; How to Prepare for Referral Meetings; Protocol and Agendas for Referral Meetings;

Ch.10: PLACES TO NETWORK: CONFERENCES, JOB FAIRS, AND OTHER GATHERINGS -- Structured Networking Events; Unstructured Networking Settings; The Serendipity Factor;

Ch.11: DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE AND SURVIVING STICKY SITUATIONS -- Difficult People; Difficult Situations

Ch.12: NETWORKING FOR INTROVERTS: 25 PAINLESS TIPS -- 25 Networking Tips for Introverts

Ch.13: IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START: 25 NETWORKING TIPS FOR STUDENTS -- But Isn't School a Time to Learn, Not to Schmooze?; 25 Networking Tips for Students

Ch.14: DOING UNTO OTHERS - THE ART AND SCIENCE OF GIVING BACK -- Ways to Show Your Appreciation; Gift Giving to Show Appreciation; Performing Random Acts of Kindness; Developing Others

Ch.15: YOUR ACTION PLAN - THE KEY TO NETWORKING SUCCESS -- Goal Setting; Defining Objectives; Making Networking an Ongoing Part of Your Life; Some Final Tips; Keeping it All in Perspective

Appendix A: The No Excuses List-You CAN Track Down Anyone in Any Field!

Appendix B: A Sampling of Professional and Trade Associations

Appendix C: Where to Find Experts to Help with Your Networking

Appendix D: Books and Software to Enhance Your Networking

Index