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

Lunch may not always come with a networking session, but if you
can make it happen, you should take advantage of it. There is value
in meeting people face-to-face if the opportunity presents itself. It shows
a more human side and builds deeper connections. I’ve found a large
number of people sympathized with my situation and offered to take me
to lunch. You don’t have to ask me twice. In addition to getting out of
the house and escaping the monotony that sometimes comes with job
hunting, those lunches gave me an opportunity to meet new people and
hear interesting stories and propositions. The power of an actual handshake
in building trust and establishing deeper connections is also not
lost. Interestingly enough, most of the in-person meetings had very little
chance of leading to a job, but served to further emphasize the need to
have a wide range of people and professions within my network.

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

Keep all options open and cast a broad net. You may think you know what you want. In fact, I started this book telling you to make sure you know what you want. I wasn’t lying, but I’m also realistic enough to know that that isn’t always easy. It’s acceptable to keep a somewhat narrow focus based on what you want or need, while at the same time keeping an open mind. In some cases, options may be restricted based on your established limitations, such as location. As you pursue these wide-open options, keep a narrow focus so that you’re not drifting aimlessly, as that wastes time. For example, I had some conversations with companies in Boston, which is almost four hours away from my home. A commute would not be feasible for me, but I kept the conversation going until the companies said that there was no option to work remotely (work from home). Continuing down that path would have wasted precious time and energy. However, it was only after I confirmed the company’s corporate policy that I gave up on that possibility. I include this example because I heard about another company that didn’t allow people to work remotely. After doing some digging, I found that wasn’t true. The ability to trust but verify, is an important tool in your arsenal. There is a difference between working desperately and working smart.

In casting your broad net, it’s very important to market yourself to align with the specific job you are applying for based on the job description, the information provided on the application/job posting, and the details obtained from your due diligence. For example, as a speaker, trainer, author, coach, and banker, it became too difficult for prospective employers reading my information to decipher what role I really wanted when I applied to a new company. Although my answer was, “just about anything,” that did come across as a bit desperate. I didn’t feel desperate at all, but on paper it looked that way. I have always been able to find a way to enjoy my job and maintain a positive attitude, regardless of what I was doing. Over the years, I have learned the importance of being accountable to change what I don’t like in my life or my work. But, how would anyone be able to get all that from my résumé? In some cases, even talking through it, I would laugh at how ridiculous it sounded without context. I might as well have just said, “I’m a people-person,” and left it at that.

To avoid that kind of confusion, I had to align what I wanted with what I was going after. For example, I had recent experience overseeing banking risk. I know that the business of risk in banking is very important after the economic downturn in 2008 (or even earlier in some cases). My success in this type of role depends on my ability to be strong enough to come in with an objective point of view to push back, persuade business partners, and communicate effectively to identify and mitigate concerns. I made some changes to include more risk-based language on my marketing plan and résumé. I also built up the ways in which my side interests in speaking and training strengthened my ability to influence others when I had no direct power, while simultaneously refining my written and oral communication skills.

Although I had specific risk responsibilities with my former employer, I did cast the broader net to include operational risk, business controls, and even audit and compliance when applying for new jobs. My immediate goal was to get my foot in the door with prospective employers so that I could demonstrate how my diverse background would enable me to have an impact in the future of their company. I was able to do that enough to determine that the business of banking risk went beyond simply identifying issues, and was more about building strong relationships. Even though I had known that from past experience, I’m not sure how quickly I would have used it in networking sessions and interviews if I hadn’t been dabbling in the other areas that weren’t part of my direct expertise.

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

I soon realized that my chances of getting a job increased exponentially
when I utilized LinkedIn as a tool. The use of LinkedIn may not be the
best course of action for everyone. For example, if you are looking only
at small businesses locally, it may be easier to go into each specific organization
to set up an appointment. However, even with this example, it
is prudent to at least glance at LinkedIn to see if the owner has a profile.

LinkedIn has become so important as a networking tool that business-savvy
individuals pay content experts to assist them in creating the most effective
LinkedIn profile. A friend of mine, Donna Serdula, does this professionally
and has written LinkedIn Makeover: Professional Secrets to a Powerful
LinkedIn Profile, a great reference book to help ensure that your own profile
is the best it can be. If you’re looking for specific strategies for making an
impact on LinkedIn, I recommend checking out Donna’s book.
By going “all-in,” I mean doing more than replicating your résumé.

Use more space to make a visual impact on your LinkedIn profile. You
should make the assumption that recruiters and hiring managers will be
looking for your profile after you have made contact—this assumption is
a pretty good bet for many large employers today. If they don’t find a profile
for you, or find a quickly-put-together profile, that tells them a story.
What story do you want told about you? Among the many candidates
applying for jobs, a quality LinkedIn profile is a must to set yourself apart.

The basic free-service of LinkedIn is a great starting point and is often
sufficient to meet most people’s needs. LinkedIn does have Premium
paid-membership with benefits that include a more advanced search fea-
ture, seeing who has viewed your profile, and allowances to send more
messages. I will leave it up to your individual preferences and needs to
determine if the investment is worth it to 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

The traditional “Rolodex” may not be the same as it used to be, having
been replaced in large part with new tools like Facebook, LinkedIn,
Outlook, Google, and other social media platforms and repositories of
contact information. That doesn’t mean maintaining—or even starting to
build—that contact information is any less important now than it ever
was. If you currently have a job, start or continue to build your network
now, using all of the aforementioned tools at your disposal. If you’re currently
unemployed, it’s time to play catch up. Watching multiple unemployed
people just starting to build their network in desperate times may
exacerbate your own anxiety on the road to employment. It’s important
to realize that the process is not insurmountable. The tools available to
facilitate the information-gathering process are critical to your success,
and make it easier than ever to begin the process of networking. It’s time
to build your “Rolodex.”

I had several traditionalists say they wanted face-to-face meetings and
phone calls. Those are fantastic if you can get them, but don’t depend
on them. Networks are built in many different ways today. There is no
set formula, but social media and email often are the most convenient
ways for the recipients of your requests to connect. It’s important to get
to know what the people you are depending on are using as their own
“Rolodex,” whether it’s LinkedIn or something else. If you need to create
new social media profiles, then do it. It’s important to adapt to new technologies
and networking practices if you’re not already there. While I’m
not typically a conformist, my own circumstances meant that I needed
to go with the easiest means of connecting. If the people I was trying to
connect with preferred one method over another, my goal was to make it
as easy and convenient as possible for them. In this case, I recognized that
if everyone else was doing it, there had to be a good reason why.

On a personal note, I know how time-consuming social media can be.
I think it can become habit-forming and has the potential to keep you
from developing real relationships. However, I can comfortably say that
more than eighty percent of my time using social media was on LinkedIn,
or working with the contact list that I’ve maintained over the years in
Microsoft Outlook. I considered this invested time crucial to setting up
the meetings that would become real conversations. The time-consumption
the question is really about productivity. How productive are you when
you’re using it? It wasn’t as important for me to view a post of what someone
had for dinner last night as to better understand what was going on
in his or her career and industry.

As you continue to reach out to people, build your Rolodex by capturing
contact information through incoming email signatures and other
means such as business cards, websites, and letterheads. Most professionals
have some type of email signature that often includes their phone
number and address. I significantly increased the number of times I was
able to capitalize on new leads by taking down the information in those
email signatures. I even found valuable opportunities with administrative
assistants’ contact information when it came to setting up networking
sessions, interviews, and meetings.

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

I’ve had numerous sympathetic conversations with people saying, “I
wish there was something I could do for you.” I tried my best to be
gracious and thankful for the thoughts and support. Then, I let those
people know that they could help simply by forwarding my résumé and
marketing plan to anyone and everyone they felt might benefit from it. I
surprised myself with how broad I allowed others to reach for me. Broad reaching
is not the same as desperation. I was anxious to get a job, but
more importantly, I was open to taking chances with other industries
where I may have had less experience. It opened me up to companies that
had creative and innovative cultures receptive to individuals who could
make a difference, regardless of that individual’s background.

By taking a specific action, your support system does more than just be
there for you. I had numerous unexpected business prospects come to
light because someone knew someone who knew someone else. I’ve always
been thankful for this type of assistance, but I often waited passively
for it to happen. I had to start asking directly for assistance to have someone
pass my information on to others. I was putting those who cared the
most about me to work—and it was worth it. In reality, I knew it wasn’t
really too much effort to send a quick email or make a simple phone call
to connect us together. I had learned that I was passively making assumptions
when I really wanted action taken. As previously stated, hope isn’t
going to make my needed connections. I learned to make it clear what I
wanted. When done professionally, I didn’t feel I was pushy—I was just
moving along someone’s “wish” that there was something they could do
for me. Conversely, I knew how much better they felt about themselves
for being an active part of the team effort. Helping to facilitate the future
direction for someone should make them feel good. As noted in the acknowledgements,
I am so appreciative of my entire support system.

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

Of course, we all have our usual social circle. Many times, I found
myself too tired or unmotivated to catch up with them while I
was unemployed. It’s easy to come up with excuses after a significant life
change like being laid off. You may not be feeling sociable, or maybe
you don’t want to spend unnecessary money. I agree with the importance
of paying attention to the budget, but when you’re invited to a friend’s
house, I suggest going if you can—even when you don’t want to. You
need a social support circle as much as a professional network at this time.
This is less about having people feel sorry for you, and more about having
a needed break or distraction. You may even find a few fresh ideas coming
from those who know you best.

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

Although I had revisited older contacts occasionally over the years,
my own job search made it clear how essential it is to keep those older
network contacts alive. In routine networking sessions, I’ve gone back
to past colleagues, for example, to “reinvent” myself if they had a negative
perception of past work. However, the number of contacts I had that I
hadn’t been in contact with, in some cases for over ten years, was a wakeup
call. I realized that merely having names on a list was not a network. I
needed to keep old connections alive, so I started to go back and rebuild
those relationships. I didn’t want a snapshot from over ten years ago—or
even just a couple of years—to be the lasting image we had of each other.
I found rekindling the professional relationship created some great memories
and was an easy transition into getting to know each other again.

How do you go back to someone you haven’t worked with or spoken
to in years and say, “I need you”? First, reframe the question: is it really
about need, or is it about want? I started by thinking I needed to speak to
people to help me in my pursuit of a new job, but quickly realized how
much I wanted to catch up with those people. Even if an old contact is
in a different business field or a different company, the phone call can
still be made. When I was talking with colleagues from the distant past,
I found people had selective memories. The conversations tended to lean
toward the good times or the progress we’d made since we last talked,
versus some potentially rocky times we may have had. By restoring past
professional relationships, I found I was improving personal relationships
and enhancing dormant ones. The process of reinvigorating the network
was a great exercise in reformulating opinions about my former colleagues
and myself and infusing old relationships with mutual trust and respect.

How do you go about sending that out-of-the-blue email or making
the potentially awkward call? This is no time to be hesitant. It is only as
awkward as you make it. Avoid phrases like, “Sorry to bother you,” or, “I
know we haven’t spoken in over ten years…” It’s important to clearly state
your objectives, and one of them is to reconnect with past colleagues—or
business partners, clients, etc. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable enough to
share what’s happening to you professionally and what you hope to glean
from the networking session. You shouldn’t be looking for sympathy, but
you should be straightforward. A recurring theme throughout this book
is the understanding of the importance of knowing the wants and needs
of others you’ve crossed paths within the past. If you don’t know, it’s
alright to ask the question directly, “What can I do for you?” In the most
selfish of situations of needing a job, thinking of others can be a mutually
strong tool for long-term success for both of you. You shouldn’t intentionally
be looking for reciprocity. Instead, every conversation should be
a mutually flowing conversation of genuine interest in which these former
colleagues and contacts have been since you last connected. It’s alright
to be a little nervous until you get comfortable. You will find that these
conversations happen each day in business and after a couple of sessions,
you’ll gain confidence.

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

Interestingly enough, some people I would have bet my new job’s salary
on as most likely to respond to my request, never sent a note back or returned
my call. I learned not to be surprised, for a variety of reasons: people
may have been scared for their own jobs; people may not have known what
to say, so they used silence; I might have had the wrong contact information
(e.g., I found typos in some of my contact information); people were on
vacation or out of the office; or people didn’t always keep up with updating
their own contact information on social media sites (e.g., LinkedIn). In
all cases, I hold myself fully accountable for not having established a more
predictable relationship during the networking process. I needed to follow
up more often, and maintain stronger ties to ensure contact information
remained current. Networking is not a check-the-box exercise. Like any
strong relationship, it takes ongoing work and maintenance. The work becomes
harder if you are making up for lost time. I stopped being surprised
when I didn’t get return calls, and instead set in motion action plans to get
more creative in my attempts to contact people—meaning I didn’t rely solely
on emails, I tried contacts at different times, and I followed up.

It’s important to understand that you are not stalking or annoying
people in your attempt to contact them. However, by holding myself
accountable, I was digging down deep in questioning how accurately I
understood my own network. We get too comfortable, at times, in our
dependence on our network by thinking it truly is a net. It is a net only
if we weave it properly, using people we can depend on. Stop making
assumptions about your own network and start being an active part of it.
You will build mutually stronger and deeper relationships.

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