Networking Findings Thus Far

Initially the objective for our blog, Networking: Not Working was to formulate a better understanding of “which type of networking is most useful, face-to-face networking or online professional networking?” However, after intense research our project took us in a different direction. We discovered that trying to answer this question would not provide the most benefit to our peers because it is not necessarily which method of networking is best. Instead, we found it most beneficial to explore a combination of both methods because together their unique attributes provide the most use to you, our intended audience, and reaching your career goals.

There are many benefits to online professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and Google+. One benefit is utilizing weak tie networks (i.e., secondary networks or networks of people that are not your family and closest friends). You are more likely to obtain new career information and opportunities from a weak tie. Since this person is outside of your strong ties immediate circle he/she is more likely to bring in and present new information for you and/or about you to potential employers. In addition, online networks allow you to market yourself to many people at one time, which may be dispersed globally. Further, many potential employers are able to view your profile simultaneously. Thereby enhancing your opportunity to showcase yourself and increase your chance of receiving interviews and/or job opportunities.

On the other hand, face-to-face networking has the ability to leave a longer lasting impression. It allows for improved communication for both parties. For example, communicating face-to-face allows for personable eye contact, as well as physical touch such as, a handshake which can provide more tangible cues in which to base one’s impression on. Such cues are unavailable when relying on computer-mediated communication. Another perk to networking in person, especially for perspective employees, is that you can observe nonverbal cues and use them to help to decipher a more in-depth understanding of what an employer is communicating.

We also found that even using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be beneficial if used with caution. As long as you take precaution to monitor what you allow employers and others to see and take care to portray yourself in a positive light, these sites can be beneficial as secondary networking sources.

Although we have found different benefits for each form of networking, we have reached the conclusion that the best option for those of you (men and women ages 20-30) looking to start and advance your career, would be to use (and manage) as many modes of networking as possible. It is important to get your name out on the market in as many ways as possible, but don’t forget that “it’s not just who you know, but who knows you and knows what you know.”

For More Info:

You may find it useful to reference the below books and websites as additional resource as you look to perfect your own networking techniques and learn more about the benefits of networking.


Books:

• Understanding Careers: Metaphors of Working Lives by Kerr Inkson
• Networking is a Contact Sport by Joe Sweeny
• Guerrilla Marketing Remix: The Best of Guerrilla Marketing by Jay and Jeannie Levinson

Websites/Web Articles:

• Professional Networking Made Easy: Priming the Pump by Matthew Moran
• It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know by Nardi, Whittaker and Schwarz
• Social Network Sites and Society: Current Trends and Future Possibilities by Ellison, Lampe and Steinfield

Through the Eyes of a Professional- V

Name: Jany Dempsey

Occupation:  Vice President of Bancorp South Bank; Financial Sales Representative

Member of Professional Networking Site: No

  


1. From your own experiences can you please tell me about a specific instance or general stage in your career where you found networking to be either beneficial or detrimental to you getting a job or promotion? 

I have been in banking since 1969 and in 2008 I was offered a higher position at another bank.  I was able to get that new job because of my network of customers and colleagues that I have built during my banking career.

2. To what degree do you feel building a network is important for your career field in comparison to other careers?


Being in banking, you have a greater range of networking opportunities than other career fields, because you come in contact with a lot more people.  A customer base is built from customers referring other customers to you.  Being active in the community is a very good way to network.

3. Do you feel that online networking is becoming more important than face-to-face networking? Why or why not?


No, face-to-face networking is a better way of networking.  A firm handshake and eye contact works much better than an email or online activity. 

4. From your own experience and the experience of friends and/or colleagues which form of networking provides job-seekers with the best opportunity to market themselves?


Traditional Networking because face-to-face contact, personal interviews, and references seem to be more successful.

5. What advice would you give soon-to-be college graduates entering the professional world regarding networking?


I would tell them to establish a good line of connections now that can help them in their future, when they are seeking a job.  I would also tell them to use all three types of networking to market themselves.

Networking Methods: No One Size Fits All

Although networking can be beneficial for individuals who find ways in which to utilize the strength of relationships, while working toward career success, the ways in which each individual utilizes networking and/or the ways networking is found to be most valuable, often varies.

In a study using Dartmouth College seniors, the use of peer networks and social networks in the search to obtain their first job was explored (Marmaros & Sacerdote, 2002). Through the use of self reports and employment outcomes researchers were able to gather the unique effects that gender, ethnicity and intended job field have on networking. The results reflected the following:

• Men are more than two times as likely as women to use fraternity contacts
• Nonwhite students are less likely to utilize both fraternity and relative contacts
• Law and medical students are more likely to rely on relative members as contacts rather than fraternities or professor contacts
• Finance Students rely heavily on fraternity and professor contacts within their networks

**Below you will find a chart which illustrates the type of network used by Dartmouth College seniors and each method's respective average salary outcome.

It is important that each individual identifies the methods and types of networking that are best suited for their own needs. After all, every person is equipped with a unique set of skills/tools, which can either work to their advantage or disadvantage when looking to obtain a job, dependent upon the proper use of networking methods. As if to attest to the need of unique methods, Joe Sweeney, author of Networking is Not a Contact Sport, devotes  two chapters to providing networking advice specifically tailored for women and minorities (2010). The tips and experience provided in these sections take into account not only general networking rules, but other unique elements and obstacles that the aforementioned groups may face. Furthermore, books such as Networking for People Who Hate Networking, Confessions of an Introvert, and Some Assembly Acquired all target specific groups of individuals such as introverts and women, as the authors give tailored networking advice and tips. 


Overall, survey results and experience gathered from various individuals make it clear that in order to network successfully you have to go beyond the basics. You must take into account all elements of networking including, but not limited to: ethnicity, gender, intended job field, and personality type. By doing so your networking attempts will more likely be successful in both the short term and long term. In other words, avoid using networking methods which are ill suited for you. Instead you should commit to practicing methods which best help you meet your individual goals and align with your skill-set. 


Source: Marmaros, D., & Sacerdote, B. (2002). Peer and Social Networks in Job Search. European Economic Review 46, 870-879. doi: 10.1016/S0014-2921(01)00221-5

A Peek Inside the Cover: "Networking is a Contact Sport"

     For many of us, the classic definition of networking is something similar to “the process of establishing beneficial relationships with other business people and potential clients and customers, or a way for like-minded confederates to exchange information, ideas, and support” (Sweeney, 2010, p. 12). However, author Joe Sweeney uses his book, “Networking is a Contact Sport,” based on personal experience as a successful business man and his love for sports along with the analogies that can be drawn from such, to reinvent how one views networking. Built upon the communicative focus of building and maintaining genuine relationships over time and presented as “an opportunity to give, not to get”, networking is approached from a new angle (Sweeney,2010, p. 12). More specifically, Sweeney explores networking from an angle which continuously highlights the reciprocal nature of the networking process. As each chapter takes the reader through different aspects of networking and doing so effectively, Sweeney presents several examples from his own experience and how he has made networking work for him and his business as well as personal relationships. Covering everything from the basic dos and don’ts of networking to the pros and drawbacks of social media as a networking tool there is a little bit of something for every individual.


     Within the book, there are several twist on the traditional view of networking, but two ideas and strategies really stand out as innovative. The first strategy is what Sweeney calls the “5/10/15 program”. This plan is a way for individuals to implement general networking strategies in a strategic manner that holds them accountable from day to day. Encompassing 5 encounters/meetings, sending out 10 pieces of correspondence, and making 15 phone calls a day, Sweeney’s plan emphasizes how establishing a network is only the beginning and to maintain these contacts one must put in a little work. In addition, Sweeney (2010) shares the importance of having what he calls a wingman or “someone who’ll fly by your side, prepared to watch your flank and see things you don’t see…a sounding board, a strong listener who’s available at any time to dialogue with you about what’s happening in your life and what you’re feeling” (p. 101). According to Sweeney (2010), the importance of having such an individual in your life is paramount not only in making sound business decisions but also to your overall wellbeing. Overall, Sweeney’s emphasis on these two strategies seems to directly attest to the importance of relationships as he focuses not only on how to build, but how to maintain relationships and make networking work for you long-term. Sweeney provides practical strategies of handling what otherwise may seem to be a daunting task for those just getting a hang of the networking process.


     Not only does Sweeney do a great job of taking on a new and fresh perspective of networking, but he is able to tie these new ideas into an age old perception of networking and relationships. More specifically, he does a thorough job of addressing the concept of  career as inheritance. Inheritance, as introduced by Inkson in his book "Understanding Careers: The Metaphors of Working Lives", is seen as a set of predetermined factors (i.e., race, gender, and socioeconomic class) which make it “possible to predict aspects of our career in advance” (2007, p. 28). Keeping this in mind, one thing I really appreciated about this book is that although as a white Irishman man Sweeney has not experience the implications of race and gender, within networking, he recognizes that such implications exist and he finds individuals well suited to speak on these issues within their respective chapters. Two chapters, networking isn’t all Black and White and Networking as a Women, give great insight into how individuals can combat obstacles that may arise from their “inheritance” and find a networking strategy that is tailored to their specific needs and allows them to succeed in Corporate America. Furthermore, in addition to his exploration of inheritance, there is a continuous yet subtle mention of how networking and one’s career can be seen as a journey as the author calls on his own personal experiences, from the age of eight to the present, and the different roles such as businessman family man, “wingman”, and mentor that he has fulfilled throughout the years.


     Although it is packed with a plethora of useful information, the book does have its shortcomings. For one, the examples provided throughout the book are based almost entirely on Joe Sweeney’s experiences. Such a narrow scope of experience, unfortunately, does not lend much credibility to the success rates of presented strategies because as we all know what works for one individual may not work for the next. In addition, though the tips and strategies Sweeney provides may prove to be useful to many other individuals similar to Sweeney, majority of the book, with the exception of one chapter, focuses on strategies more suited for the individual who has already begun his or her career. Unfortunately, the resulting audience, able to benefit from Sweeney’s advice, is narrow and isolates what could have been a broader group of individuals and encompassed those such as college students who have yet to make the initial steps in the networking process.


     Overall, I found the book to be an interesting and easy read. Written in a way which truly engages the reader while providing clear and easy to follow examples, the book is one that I believe almost any individual can benefit from reading as they try to grasp the ins and outs of networking. Whether or not the particular strategies will prove successful for all or even most individuals, I am not sure. Yet, by recognizing and using Sweeney’s advice and strategies as not a full proof plan, but a basis for building one’s own networking strategies, which are best suited for each individual needs, I believe much value can be obtained from the book. Because it is not always easy to start from scratch, especially in a situation which you are unfamiliar with, I do believe Sweeney’s advice is a good start to anyone interested in becoming a player in the networking game.

Source: Sweeny, J. (2010). Networking is a Contact Sport. Dallas: BenBella Books

The Keyword is Effectively...

"Meeting with people, talking on the phone or exchanging email is
more likely to get you noticed than simply sending your resume
to a generic address. Connections you make today can
help you in the future even if they don't produce
immediate job leads (Chan, 2009)."

Source: standfordbusiness (2009, May 20. Network effectively. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=phVKyTSvSAY&feature=related.

Through the Eyes of a Professional- IV

Name: Avis LaFrance 
Occupation: Image Consultant 
Member of Professional Networking Site: Yes, LinkedIn  


1. From your own experiences can you please tell me about a specific instance or general stage in your career where you found networking to be either beneficial or detrimental to you getting a job or promotion?


Networking has proven to be beneficial on numerous occasions. Most recently, I attended an event where I met a number of professionals that provided possible leads for job opportunities.  


2. To what degree do you feel building a network is important for your career field in comparison to other careers? 


I feel building a network is essential to my career as an image consultant. Many of my clients have been referred to me through workshop participants or clients I have previously serviced.


3. Do you feel that online networking is becoming more important than face-to-face networking? Why or why not? 


I feel that online networking is beneficial, however, it does not lend itself to the credibility of face-to-face networking.  


4. From your own experience and the experience of friends and/or colleagues which form of networking provides job-seekers with the best opportunity to market themselves?


I believe face-to-face networking provides job-seekers with the best opportunity to market themselves. I think verbal and non-verbal communication are essential in having an accurate assessment of an individuals.


5. What advice would you give soon-to-be college graduates entering the professional world regarding networking? 


Networking is the key to the professional world... get busy building your network immediately, your success depends on it.