Comments on: Don’t confuse a networking event with a job search meeting. Act accordingly.

By: Molly Wendell

Molly Wendell — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:40:57 +0000

The offers came after I changed my approach – which was about 1 year and 9 months into the search. Maybe I was a little slow!

By: Dave Meg

Dave Meg — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:22:00 +0000

Help me understand how you were ‘in transition’ for 2 years yet you were offered the job 90% of the time you used this technique?
Frankly, I think honesty and sincerity is the best approach. If you act desparate and tell your sob story to everyone you meet, surely you’ll scare most people off. You’ll also turn people off with anything less than sincerity. Time the ‘pitch’ or request for a contact name for when the timing is right – that time may be another day – over coffee with the person you’re talking with.
My 2 cents…

By: Molly Wendell

Molly Wendell — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:09:35 +0000

All I can say is that in the 2 years and 3 days I was in transition, virtually every time I told someone I had just met that I was in the job search, they got nervous and wanted to get away from me. But, when I would avoid the question, I found that it bought me time to build the relationship. I eventually shared with some people that I was looking…but only when I thought they liked me enough to not try for a quick getaway.

Why don’t you try it yourself? Next time you go to a party, tell everyone you meet that you don’t have a job. See how they react. I bet after the awkwardness (despite the fact that you “smoothly” followed up with a good question for them), you’d change your approach too.

By: Wolf Heim

Wolf Heim — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:27:32 +0000

I quite agree with the jist of this post (focus on getting to actively know your networking acquaintance by asking good questions….not on your “joblessness”). I do, however, have to disagree with the counsel to flat out avoid telling anyone that you’re in transition. If not played smoothly, this can easily come across as evasive and possibly even deceptive.

If the ‘what company do you work for’ question comes, I believe the job seeker should have a focused, concise (and even confident) answer that identifies their transition/search. Don’t dwell on it, but put it out there. THEN I would be immediately prepared to turn the question/discussion back to the other person. If they want to help or have an idea, they’ll come back to your job search.

The thing is, when I go to a networking event (I’m currently employed), I really do want to know how I can help the people I meet. If someone I meet is in transtion and “hides” that fact from me, it limits the help or value I can give.