Networking for a Job at the Holidays
Posted November 11th, 2013
Will Santa bring you a new job in your stocking this holiday season? He very well could – if you take advantage of networking opportunities that the December festivities tend to bring.
You heard that correctly: use the many networking opportunities available to you during the holidays.
Most people feel that business slows down in late November and throughout December. And that may be true.
But one that does increase at this time of year is the number of get-togethers that crop up. They crop up with your family’s holiday dinner (when non-family guests are invited). They crop up at your company’s holiday party (and your vendors’/clients’ holiday parties). They crop up when your neighbors invite you over for some eggnog and dessert.
They’re everywhere!
All you need to do is take advantage of each and every invitation, present yourself as a professional (as in, don’t drink too much and don’t dress as if you’re going clubbing) and you can subtly network your way into a new position.
Read more below about how to use holiday gatherings to further your career.
- First, accept just about every invitation you receive. Even if you think it will be boring and that no one—absolutely no one! – of any interest to your career will be there. You never know who will be at a gathering. Or who knows someone who knows someone. As you mingle, describe briefly what you do, ask your conversation companion what he or she does and then start to ask some more questions. Your companion won’t mind – he or she will think you’re charming. But if you feel an opening has presented itself (and you’ll know it when it arrives), don’t be afraid to ask for more information, or another meeting, or even an introduction to someone your conversation companion mentions whom you feel can help further your career.
- Make sure you bring your business card to these gatherings, even if they’re taking place in your sister-in-law’s home: she may have invited a new colleague or client of hers.
- Don’t be shy about offering your business card to people you meet. And don’t forget to follow up with an e-mail (or even a phone call, if you felt you connected on a more-than-passing-friendly level) and say you’d love to get together soon.
- If you find the number of gatherings smaller than you’d like, consider hosting one of your own. Why not gather some friends and others for a caroling session? Or helping a local church with a food pantry? The possibilities are limited only by your imagination
- If possible, remember to give. Does someone you meet need help finding work herself? See if you can arrange a meeting with someone you know could help her. Remember: the holidays are meant in part, as an opportunity to give to others. Networking events provide you with a great chance to do so.
The point is to not let the holidays derail your plans to find better work – or work, period. Positions still need to be filled. Filling them during the holidays usually takes longer, but the competition tends to be a bit smaller because most people give their job hunt some slack at this time of year.
Bayside Solutions can help you find work any time of the year with some of the Bay Area’s best employers. If you are looking for engineering jobs in northern CA, contact us today.
