Lisa Virtue:

Welcome to HerCareer Studio. I'm your host and career coach Lisa Virtue. Here we live by the mantra thrive at work so you can thrive in life because we know you are more than your day job.

Each episode includes actionable tips and often mentor stories to not only boost your professional success, but also enhance your personal well being. Join me as we explore ways to ensure your career uplifts your life as you strive to achieve work life harmony. Head to hercareerstudio.com for free resources and coaching services to help support you during career transitions and challenges such as when you are looking to find and land that next ideal job or promotion or are leading a new team. We're here to support you. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and please hit the thumbs up or leave a five star review if you are finding the content useful. This helps us keep going in our mission to help women in their careers. Thank you so much for your support.

Lisa Virtue:

Hi there and welcome back to the Her Career Studio podcast. I am so sorry for the delay between episodes. I got that flu this winter and just kept coughing and having a hard time recording. So I'm back and here we go. Let's talk about how to unlock career opportunities through nurturing relationships. In other words, how to cultivate your network. Ick that word network. Nobody likes it.

It just feels schmoozy, doesn't it? Well, today we're going to explore the challenges of networking, why it's essential for your job search and how to do it effectively without the feeling of this ick when we hear that word or when we go about it. As always, I want to remind you that HerCareer Studio has a wealth of free resources available to support your job search. From resume templates and cover letter guides to AI powered tools like the ChatGPT resume brainstorming partner. We've got you covered, so be sure to visit hercareerstudio.com after the episode to access these valuable tools. And remember, we've got you in mind as a woman in mid career looking for support and on a budget. All right, let's start with the challenges of this word networking or nurturing relationships with colleagues with people that could potentially unlock opportunities for you and your career journey. I have heard it all. As a career coach, networking is awkward.

I don't know what to say. I'm afraid of coming across as using the other person. Networking has not produced results for me. It feels like a waste of time. My network says they will help, but then I never hear from them. What the heck. But here's the thing. Networking is not about schmoozing or selling yourself.

It's about building genuine connections and nurturing relationships over time. This is a long game, folks. It's building your reputation with the people in your world that want the best for you. And where there feels like a mutual benefit, you can help them with something, they can help you with something. The other thing to note here about building relationships, especially when you're in the thick of a job search, because that's when it tends to be awkward. But it also is the time we really think about it, and we think we should do it more than we have been maybe during our work history. The thing about building these relationships is that that's exactly what it is. It's building a mutually beneficial relationship with another person that knows how you work, what it's like to work with you, even what kind of human you are, so that you build that social capital.

So when you're not there, you're not in the room, people are giving you referrals, they're talking about you. But the most important thing I want to talk about today is how to tell your story to those people within these relationships so that they understand what your goals are and they can quickly connect dots and help find those opportunities for you. Or if nothing else, it'll be a seed planted. And when they see an opportunity pop up, sometimes even years later, they're going to think of you because you specifically told them what your goals were. This is where I find most clients and job seekers. I talk to the ones that don't even become my clients. But we're having a conversation. This is where they have the hardest time.

It's not that they don't have a network. Everybody has a network. Some of you might be thinking, oh, I don't think I really have a network network. And I'll give you an exercise for that to unlock that limiting belief that you're having. Everybody has a network. We all have relationships in our life. Now, you might think you don't have the right relationships or you're not there yet. That just means that you're not there yet, but it means it will happen.

You can be intentional of building out the type of people that you want to work with and getting those relationships. But the number one challenge is not even that. The number one challenge is being clear and concise in what the next steps are that you're looking for so that those relationships and those people in your life understand it and can see the clear picture. And then they can help communicate it for you as well. It's like tentacles going out. This is why it's called a network. Branching out. It's allowing other humans to also utilize their networks to find you those opportunities.

But if they don't know what you're looking for or it's really vague, they'll either make it up themselves and not realize. You know, I've heard this from clients. They're talking to you and they think you're more junior than you are, for instance. And they send you opportunities. You're like, these are not aligned with my experience level. These are not aligned with what I want to do with my life. What the heck are they thinking? That is because you most likely failed in telling your story clearly and quickly. The other scenario I hear from a lot of people is the ghosting, right? Oh, people said they would help me find my next opportunity.

I haven't heard from them. So being proactive in these relationships, making specific asks when there's something they can help you with, those are going to be the key to unlocking those opportunities. And remember, again, it's a long game. So why am I dedicating an entire episode to just this concept of networking and building relationships? Well, first of all, we know that numerous studies have highlighted this critical role that networking serves in securing employment. Sometimes it's called nepotism. Sometimes there's referrals that people get or bosses that bring their whole team from another company. Those things happen. We're not going to talk and highlight that and what's wrong with this? We're just going to highlight the fact that this happens.

And so it's really important for people to understand what you want to find opportunities to help you. Because it's social proofing. People want to work with people that have proven skills and proven relationships that are positive. That's just life. That's how humans are wired. So there's a few research studies that have been done around this. For instance, the Journal of Applied Psychology examined the impact of social networks on job seekers behaviors and outcomes. And the research revealed that the individuals that had the larger networks and stronger ties dedicated more time to networking activities which correlated with improved employment outcomes.

Another study by the Institute for employment research or IAB found that approximately 30% of jobs are filled through personal recommendations. This makes so much sense. So many companies have referral programs because they want to hire similar work ethic, similar people with similar culture and values. Two, they're stellar performers. Also, there's numerous studies that show that having friends at work benefits Everyone, including the employer. So bringing a friend in that can do the job really well actually can benefit not only you and your friend, but also the company. Now, the strength of your connections also plays a pivotal role. So there's also research that suggests that acquaintances or weak ties can be more instrumental in job searches than close friends or family.

Isn't that fascinating? This is because acquaintances often provide access to diverse information and opportunities not available within your immediate circle. Think about that for a second. Have you had an opportunity that came up because of a referral or someone telling you about an opportunity that you would have not otherwise known about? How has this played out for you in your career journey? Most of my clients have had this at one time or another, or some of them have had it their entire career, where a boss knew of their work, called them up and said, hey, I'm hiring for this role. Are you interested? Or a colleague of theirs said, hey, my new boss is hiring for this role and I know you're stellar, I'd love to recommend you. So how has this played out for you? Maybe even one of your first jobs? A friend of the family was hiring for an entry level position, or you knew your local coffee shop and they hired you for your first role. This happens a lot. There's some people that say 80% of jobs are filled by referrals alone and by having networks. So nobody knows the actual statistic because nobody's reporting on this.

Typically the 30% I quoted earlier there was reporting that was happening for the Institute of Employment Research. That's how they got that 30% of that study. But it could be much higher. We don't know exactly how much, but we do know how important it is. So thinking back to that network you have, if you are feeling like your network is not robust enough or you don't know who to contact, I want you to start with this simple exercise. I call it the list of 21st. You're going to write down in one column a list of 20 people that want the world for you. They support you, they've got your back.

This can be anyone in your life. Friends, family, then of course, colleagues, former bosses, current bosses, if you're employed or not, anyone that you can think of that you have a good rapport with and you know they would advocate for you if that opportunity arose. And I do want you to include family and friends, even if it's like an extended family member that you don't have a lot of one on one FaceTime with. But maybe you see them at home, holiday events all the time and you know that they're supportive of you. Write them down. So start with a list of 20. Keep going. If you've got more than 20, most people end up having more.

But just don't put a lot of pressure on yourself. Start with 20. That first column, you're going to write their name. Second column, you're going to write your relationship to them. How do you know this person? Third column, when is the last time you spoke to them? One on one, had a personal conversation? Next column, do you know what they do for work? Do you know what kind of connections they have? Yes or no? Next column, do they know what you want next and what your goals are? Yes or no? Now this is going to start to show you a plan of action, where to get started, who to reach out to, the reason why it's so important to be building and nurturing relationships when it comes to your career. When you're in the job search, when you've been laid off, when this is on top of your mind, after you're listening to this podcast episode, especially when you're working to cultivate those relationships is so important during a job search because a, it's going to feel really lonely. You're going to feel very vulnerable. You're going to put yourself out there only to get shot down.

You're going to put yourself out there only to get ghosted. This is how the job search goes. When you're doing a lot of blind applications. I call them blind because it means you don't have a referral. So cultivating these relationships is going to be good for your sanity, not just for opportunities. All right? The people that you're close to that you just want to make sure you're cultivating relationships with. The next step is to just do that. Just ask them how they're doing, what's up with them, not bring up your job search until it becomes natural part of the conversation or the dialogue.

One good way to reach out to former colleagues is to say something like, hey, let's say Sally. Hey, Sally, I was thinking of you the other day because you literally are. That's authentic. I was thinking of you and remember the time when give her an example. Or I just remember always loving our coffee chats when we worked together at XYZ Company and so I wanted to reach out and see how you're doing because it's been a while. What's going on with you now? How should you reach out to them? Like, which platform should you reach out on? A couple thoughts Here, a lot of people just want to go straight to LinkedIn, to all their networking on there, which is a great platform for this. However, so many people are not active on it. You'll probably have a lot of people that just simply don't respond and they might get it months later if they're not in the thick of a job search or they're not a recruiter, recruiter doing a business on LinkedIn.

A lot of people just have their profile and they kind of let it sit. You might have done this until they're in the thick of a job search and then they're on it, like pretty much every day. So LinkedIn might not be the best option of reaching out. If you have an old work email, their phone number to text them something a little more personal. I recommend that first, if they are active on LinkedIn, you see them posting, you see them reacting to things, and there's just this active dialogue going on. Yeah, go for it. Reach out on LinkedIn, but just know you might have to follow up. Okay, next step.

You've got a list, you've got your connections. You're starting to form a plan. Start with people that you really want to connect with and build those meaningful relationships with. You're not making an ask, you're just seeing how they're doing. When it becomes natural in the conversation now you can bring it up. If they ask you, how's work going for you and you've been laid off, well, obviously you're going to answer. You'll say, unfortunately, I was part of a layoff recently, so I am looking for my next opportunity. Then if they continue the dialogue on that topic and say, oh, yeah, what are you looking for? Or, oh, I might know somebody.

Make sure it's very clear what you're looking for. This concise storytelling that we've talked about in other episodes, having what a lot of people call an elevator pitch that you can say quickly in an elevator while you're going up a few floors with someone else. Okay, less than a minute saying the title, if it makes sense about a title or the problems you solve. Here's a for instance, Sarah is a marketing professional, so here's what she could say when one of her former colleagues or bosses is asking her what she's looking for, she could say, you know, I've really found over the years that I am passionate about creating compelling brand narratives that connect with their audiences. So I'm currently seeking a leadership role in marketing where I can guide teams to deliver measurable business outcomes. Here's an example for Maria, who's a software engineer with five years of experience. So I'm a software engineer with experience developing user friendly applications and streamlining systems. I've really enjoyed working in tech, but I'm now eager to apply my technical skills to support mission driven organizations.

I'm passionate about using technology to improve communities, so that's the kind of role I want next. Notice how both of these examples were straightforward and concise quick elevator pitches that did involve titles to give kind of an illustration of the level that they're at, but it also talked about what their passion is and where they would like to go next. So it leaves it open slightly for interpretation for the end user, but also giving them a glimpse into what you really want. For instance, if someone in your network knows a mission driven CEO or founder that is looking to build their startup out and they need tech support with that, they're going to probably put you in touch with them if you are Maria. On the other side, if somebody knows a brand founder or a CEO or VP of marketing or anything in that world that needs someone that can help with their branding within marketing, they're going to think of Sarah now and she mentioned leadership. So it wouldn't be like an entry level individual contributor role. Sarah's clear that she wants something in leadership. So be clear, be concise, come up with your compelling elevator pitch that involves the title you're looking for, but also your passions.

And you can go another step further. If you only want to work at a startup next or you only want to work at an established company because you've been in the startup world and that's not for you, be clear on that as well so that your network has a very clear glimpse of what it looks like to work with you and what kind of work you're doing. And then those opportunities will come your way, people will see them, they'll connect the dots quickly because you've planted that seed for them. There is so much information out there in this space of networking. I just want to leave you with this last thought to keep this episode concise and really focused on what you should do next. Spend at least one third or one fourth of your time building and nurturing relationships during your job search. What do I mean with this? I mean that if you're a technical individual contributor, someone that has tech interviews, then it's going to be 1/4 of your time. One fourth of your time should be cultivating relationships.

Another fourth of your time is going to be on those technical skills or Technical mock interviews. To prepare for those technical interviews, the next fourth of your time is going to be on the job search. Research, finding opportunities that you're going to do more cold applications to and then the other fourth is going to be actually applying to the job. Now if you're not a technical person, then it should be cut into thirds your time in the job search. So it's going to be one third of your time should be dedicated to networking and relationship building. Are you doing that? Be really real with yourself. Set timers. Do things that make sense.

Ask people for virtual chats. Go out of your way to build and nurture those relationships. It can also be networking events, it can be connecting with new people. Whatever it is, the intention should be the relationship build and the long game. And how can you help the other person? It's not just about what these people can do for you, it's about offering to help them, unblocking opportunities that they're looking for. And by the way, if somebody helps you and helps you with a referral, let's say, then what's to say you're not going to give them a referral once you're in that role? So think of it as a two way street. You're not using people, you're building relationships and connection. And people want to help, but they need to have specific ways to help you.

So I've got two YouTube videos out there that I want you to go check out if you want to dive deeper into this and get some more tangible advice and things you can do and even scripts for getting referrals. There's two different YouTube videos. We'll put the links in the description. One is around the referral hierarchy. I call it. This is something I've come up with. It's unique to her career studio. There's different kinds of referrals out there.

There's a hierarchy to it. So go check that YouTube video out. It'll probably open up thoughts and brainstorming that will unlock these opportunities for you. The second YouTube video is around blind referrals. So you can get access to that YouTube video at hercareerstudio.com. Fill out the blind referral guide prompt and the free resources page and you'll get access to that. And that comes with scripting to get blind referrals, which just means you don't have a direct connection in a company to a to ask for a referral for. But there's ways to get your name seen. And this is one of those.

You could call it a trick one of these guides that can potentially get you seen more in the job search even if you don't have a direct connection. Okay, that's it for today. Thank you so much for being here and I hope to see you soon@hercareerstudio.com talk to you later or talk atcha. But I hope that you send me notes too. I would love to hear from you. So supportcarestudio.com, please send me a note. Let me know what you'd like to hear in future episodes and any questions you might have from episodes that are live now. Talk to you soon.

Bye.

Lisa Virtue:

Are you currently in the job search or looking to make a career transition? Her Career Studio has you covered. Hi, this is Lisa Virtue, the career coach and the founder of her career studio that is dedicated to bringing you free resources. So head to hercareerstudio.com and get your free cover letter template, the Guide to How to Write it and your free resume template. Keep it simple and use these tried and true resume templates that are also ATS friendly and in Google Docs so they're easy to edit and keep track of. This will build out your career story in writing so that you can get those interviews and ultimately land that ideal job. You got this. Good luck and best wishes.