As part of your homework, it’s critical that you know with whom you
are talking—not just his or her name and title. Do you know their
interests, their past roles, their accomplishments? If it’s not an interview
but a networking session, it may be a slightly different conversation since
you’re not restricted to protocol about interview boundaries. I wouldn’t
recommend being too casual, but I suggest being more creative in your
approach about topics to discuss.

I suggest keeping things professional; however, you do have more latitude
to talk about potential common interests and connection points.
For example, you can talk about running marathons or how many kids
he or she may have in their family, when it makes sense. Conversely, try to
understand what topics are taboo. I once asked a contact how his wife was
doing, as I knew the couple when they used to live nearby. He mentioned
their recent divorce. I couldn’t have gotten every bit of information in
advance to ensure the conversation went smoothly, but I could have been
more attentive to the fact that he was only talking about his kids, and not
pressed the question about his spouse unless it came up more naturally.
It made the discussion awkward for a little bit. We recovered, but it was a
good lesson in the importance of a better awareness of the surroundings
and situations. As much as personal connections will enhance the relationship,
I’ve learned to do enough homework to be sure, allow others to
bring subjects up first, or to stay away from personal topics until a deeper
relationship is forged.

What do you know about the audience with whom you’re interviewing?
Look for more than personal facts, especially in an interview, since
the dynamics are slightly different from a pure networking session. Do
you know the person’s style and personality type? Does the person you’re
interviewing with like humor? Are they “down-to-earth;” are they shirtand-
tie-type where everything stays extremely professional; are they looking
for past history or go-forward dialog? Stay true to yourself in the
interview but when you know how to adapt, it can be a key factor to
making the most of the conversation.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

In addition to SWOT Analysis and multi-generation plans mentioned in previous blogs, it’s imperative
that you do your homework prior to meeting with people from
any company—even if it’s not an interview. Homework goes far beyond
a company’s website. Doing your homework includes using LinkedIn
individual profiles prior to networking sessions and engaging in group
discussions on pertinent subject matter. Just because it’s not an interview
doesn’t mean you can go in and wing it. You need to be ready to be engaged
in a dialog rather than simply begging for a job. During a networking
session, I once asked the individual how to get actual interviews with
some of her peers whom I had already networked with in the past. Her
response was, “You already had the interview when you networked.” That
was a powerful statement that has remained with me: every conversation
is a potential interview.

If you are fortunate enough to get an official interview, you must start
digging in even further to gather more information. You can start by going
on the company website—the operative word is start. In your effort to
be seen as unique among the masses, understand that going on the website
is what everyone else does, too. It’s important to understand the company’s
mission and culture, but that is only surface information. How do
the mission and culture come alive? Who do you know working there or
who previously worked there? Do you have anyone in your Facebook or
LinkedIn contacts? Can you look at current employee or alumni groups
on LinkedIn, looking for people you may know or can connect with prior
to the interview? Do you know people at a career center who may have
contacts? Look for HR connections though LinkedIn or group discussions.
If you have Twitter, look for how the company is sending out their
regular messaging. Look for news features or articles about the company
to get a holistic view. It’s vital to do more than read the company’s mission
statement.

Homework may also include role playing, mock interviewing, or
bouncing ideas off your mentors in preparation for job interviews and
networking. You can read the “Practice Interviewing” chapter for more
tips.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

Your résumé should tell your story based on your set of experiences.
Although you must manipulate your résumé to match the job requirements,
it’s important that you feel good about the product you’re
putting in front of people. One version of my résumé was described as
“wordy,” which was an accurate assessment. I did need to cut it down,
but I was still judicious enough to know that it might be scanned and run
through algorithms that would be picked up online. I took some chances
in assuming that those formulas were looking for specific words, not word
counts. The reason I noted that I still needed to reduce the total number
of words is because, anecdotally, most people give your résumé no more
than a thirty-second look. An economy of well-thought-out words became
important over time—but it had to be done within my own story
framework.

As for my story, I was told to remove a “Personal” section from the
bottom. I know that interviewers aren’t allowed to ask personal questions,
such as, “How many children do you have?”, unless it’s relevant to a specific
job. My “Personal” section included, “Married with three children…
Excellent health; runs 20+ miles per week…Published Two Books.” In
a split second, a reviewer will know that I’m stable (on paper at least),
won’t miss work, and probably know how to communicate effectively.
Although a pessimist may say that you will miss work because of sick children
or school obligations, I was willing to show pride in my family and
courage to be just a little different. In the many years I’ve asked training
groups and experts what they thought when they read it, it was very rare
that anyone saw anything but positive signs. I chose to keep it because it
distinguished me from the crowds and was my story. Remember: sameness
and conformity are not okay unless you have a reason for them.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

It’s important to stay away from descriptions on your résumé that simply
show you were along for the ride with respect to job responsibilities.
For example, supported and assisted don’t show your leadership skills.
Avoid words that make it sound like you simply did what was asked of
you. Although that’s a good trait, it’s also expected. It’s important to use
strong and active words that clearly define the type of work that you
executed. For example, enhanced, exceeded, formulated, generated, implemented,
increased, and influenced are just a few power words that grab the
reader’s attention. The list can go on forever. The Internet and a thesaurus
are great resources to find strong, active words that can help shape your
résumé. If you are applying at larger organizations or online, there is a
high likelihood that your résumé and cover letter are being scanned for
many of these key words. Even though I’ve stressed being unique and
differentiating yourself, some conformity is important to ensure that your
résumé stands out.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

When thinking about networking, many professionals are too narrow minded. We often keep our various circles segregated.  Sometimes, this is wise, but other times it is not. When I lost my job in June 2013, a meeting of the minds of my blended networks helped me build my confidence, came up with a creative–and diverse–game plan, and pointed me in the right direction.

Circles of friends and colleagues often differ. We have a circle of friends with whom we may like to talk sports, others may discuss politics, and others may be strictly about business. There may be some overlap, but we sometimes build protective cones around many of our circles. However, blending these circles can mean benefits for you and others. Your network is only as good as the work it is doing for all participants, so if there’s an opportunity for crossover within some circles, take advantage of it. You may create the introduction for someone within your own circle to meet someone in your extended network. Or, you may ask if someone you are talking with knows someone in a particular field of interest that’s outside the immediate circle.

The web of a network should have key members in it. When discussing networking, we often think of going straight to the top. Instead, it’s important to make sure we are connecting with various levels within an organization. When we cross-pollinate our network and are not narrow minded in our approach, that network becomes more balanced, including friends, co-workers, former colleagues, doers, leaders, support staff, and even some fun personal network contacts.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Even if you’re deep into the job search, it’s still not too late to put
together your recommendations. You may have to make up some
ground, but keep the effort moving forward. If you’re poking around to
see what’s available on the job front and you’re not on a full-blown job
search, or you’re simply looking for a promotion that needs character
validation, now is the time to figure out who will recommend you. You
don’t want to be in the middle of filling out an application and get to the
section about recommendations or referrals and be stopped cold because
you don’t know who you plan on selecting. I had several people in mind,
but in some cases, it had been awhile since we last interacted. If you don’t
know the answer to the question, “Do I know who will endorse me?”
then it’s time to start writing out the list immediately.

After you finish the list of names, send a note or call the potential
group of at least three to five people and ensure that they know they may
be contacted. This may seem obvious, but I found that I didn’t have complete
contact information for a couple of people I wanted to use. I might
have had an email address or phone number only. On some applications,
name, address, email, and multiple phone numbers were requested. Be
prepared. If you’re building an online profile with a company that’s general
in nature, it may be okay to stop the process here.

As you start to narrow down the positions you are seeking and get to
a point where a recommendation may actually be used, help the person
providing the recommendation by giving them specifics about the job
and the individual or types of skills the company may be looking for.
A targeted approach with the person doing your recommendation can
potentially help the employer gather more meaningful information about
you.

Finally, the personal and professional relationship you have with
someone isn’t the only criteria you should pay attention to when making
a selection. Do you have connections that are brutally honest in all of
their assessments? While that can be a great quality, you don’t want all
your strengths and weaknesses laid out on the table for your prospective
employer. The person you select for a recommendation is an important
part of the job search process; that person shouldn’t spend the majority of
the time talking about your less desirable qualities. A balanced approach
is good, but you need to know ahead of time what’s coming. Coach that
person, if needed. I once went through a 360 feedback process where
I included direct reports, managers, peers, and business partners in my
feedback process. I was able to select them myself, so I picked the people
I was closest to, thinking they would only sing my praises. In actuality, I
had picked the people who knew me the best and were looking out for
my best interests by providing critical feedback. Although this is not a
direct correlation, understand that the people closest to you do care the
most about you, but also know you the best. Additionally, it’s important
to be cautious about seeking recommendations from people who can only
provide personal character responses. You want a balance of character information
with business accomplishments.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Friends and family are obviously strong connections—at least most
of the time. Did you notice I didn’t include colleagues? I have separated
them because your strongest professional connections will change
over time. Ask yourself who those connections were five or ten years ago.
Chances are many names are not the same. When building your network,
it’s important to understand that fluctuations happen—players change
over time. How important each one is to the other will also change over
time. You need to either accept that reality, or make every effort to work
on the relationship to ensure that it stays productive for both parties.
Inevitably, some relationships may not stand the test of time, and that’s
all right.
In the meantime, you need to know who your most reliable connections
will be, regardless of the business cycle. When the world’s crashing
in, who will pick up the phone for you? This section is very important
to me because I made some assumptions about people who proved to be
more fleeting network connections than the stable rocks I expected. To
avoid that, I should have invested time building a deeper relationship
with the people I wanted to be among my strongest connections. I had
to imagine the receiver of my phone call or message when I absolutely
needed something. I needed to be convinced that the call would get answered
and the support would be there. If there was any question about
the strength of that connection, I had some work to do.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

The question of all questions that must be asked in every networking
session is, “Who else should I meet?” Think about the math. If
you ask this question of three people and you get three names from each
of them, you’ve expanded your network to nine. This easily turns into
twenty-seven new connections, and the growth continues to expand. The
opportunities are endless if that question is asked every time.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

In previous writing, I noted that we may be too close to our inner circle.
We must reach beyond our inner circle and immediate colleagues so
that all our eggs aren’t in the same basket. We can maximize our network
and strengthen our prospects by broadening and diversifying our reach.
The most effective individuals also engage and target family and friends,
along with professional groups, social circles, and even parents of children’s
friends, when possible. We want a sound and expansive platform
from which to work, but there are inevitably whole populations of people
we overlook in forming that platform. For me personally, I know I have
blind spots and so must sit down and consciously think about who has
been left out as I work to create the most far-reaching network possible.

Where are your blind spots? It’s not an easy question, so ask the people
in your circles specific questions about how to expand your network
if you feel that it is too narrow, or you’re missing people who should be
included. Here are just some of the many potential questions to ask:

• Have I reviewed all of the business cards I’ve accumulated over the
years?
• Have I gone through all of my current email contacts in detail?
• Are there people you know you’ve run into but can’t remember his
or her name, but remember someone who will know?
• Have you asked, “Who else should I connect with?” at the end of
each conversation?
• Have you made your business colleagues and partners aware of
your situation?
• Have you reached out to past mentors and mentees?
• Have you contacted current and past groups of interest? Personally,
I instantly scoured my Toastmasters International and National
Speakers Association contacts.
• If you have children in school, have you contacted the parents of
their classmates? How many times has one of my kids come home
and mentioned a job of one of their friends’ parents. School directories
and local phone books may be at your disposal.
• Review your social media contacts in-depth; review the recommended
connections and start making requests to build your network.
• Do you have access to past meeting notes or to other communications
(e.g., emails, memos) that may include the names of key contacts
of people you’ve dealt with in the past or subject-mater-experts
that may benefit you by setting up a meeting?

Even this tactic may not be as fruitful or productive as you expect if
you are only asking the question of your immediate network—they too
may be too close to you to see the big picture. We surround ourselves with
people like us, which can be a blind spot in and of itself. There are more
questions that you must ask:

• Are there ways to diversify your network? For example, have you
found yourself talking to mostly men?
• Do you associate primarily with people in one industry?
• Have you stayed local in your networking efforts? Even if your desire
is to remain local in landing a job, it shouldn’t hold you back
from talking with people outside your geographic area in order to
gain a fresh perspective and expand your network.
It may be time to analyze what is missing from your own network.
In addition to normal brainstorming techniques, I suggest putting your
name in the middle of a piece of paper and from there jotting down
streams of people you want to meet, asking the questions mentioned
above. In addition, take a good look at your personal marketing plan to
determine whether you have connections that align with your goals. If
you don’t, there is work to do to achieve your networking goals. Work
is opportunity waiting to be unleashed. It’s time to invest the time and
effort to allow it to blossom and do some work for you.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

When we talk about networking, we instantly think in professional terms.
However, I believe we should reframe that to include our inner
circle and the people we hang out with the most. Adam Grant in his
book “Give and Take” and Keith Ferrazzi in his book “Never Eat Alone” both
reference the fact that our inner circles may be too close to us and too
similar to us for us to depend on them solely to land us the Big Job. We
often surround ourselves with people who have the same interests, have
like-minds, have an emotional connection, and live geographically close.
I found the same thing was true for me. However, that doesn’t mean we
should avoid social situations and stay in our cave until we find a job. If
we feel comfortable enough with those in our social circle, that translates
into more in-depth conversations that may give us valuable insight
into our situation going forward. In addition, our inner circle may not
give us direct contact to get us the job, but I truly believe in the “Six
Degrees of Kevin Bacon” theory, where a friend of a friend of a friend,
and so on, will finally connect the dots for us. These types of conversations
from within your social circle balance your approach and become a
good starting point for your job search, while simultaneously providing a
solid home base and support system, as needed.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com