Someone recently wrote to Career Solvers asking how to best approach a school alumni they found on an on-line networking site to inquire about an open position with that person’s current employer. Here are some tips for building a quality relationship without asking for a favor or creating expectations that make the other person feel uncomfortable or unwilling to help.
- When you contact the person, remind them of the affinity relationship. Alumni from the schools you attended are a powerful affinity group. Even if you didn’t know the person while you were at school, or you attended the school during different decades, there is still generally a stronger bond between people who attended the same school.
- Let the person know that you noticed they work for a company that you are interested in learning more about. But state very clearly that you have no expectation that they can help you secure an interview with this company. Let them know, however, that you have identified the company as one you are interested in learning more about.
- Ask if they would be willing to speak with you about the company so you can learn more about its culture and their experiences there. Stress that you don’t expect them to give up a lot of their time and that you would make the meeting very brief.
- If the person agrees, plan for a 10-20 minute conversation that includes a brief introduction of who you are and what your professional accomplishments and future goals are. Follow with an open Q&A about them. Ask questions about what they do professionally, what their role in the company is, and their thoughts about trends they see in the company and the industry.
- Ask for recommendations of other people they suggest you talk to or other ideas on how you might get closer to your professional goal. If you know of a particular opening at their company, ask what would be the best way to get closer to the decision maker (without asking them to refer you).
- Thank them for their time, ask them if you can help them in any way, and offer to reciprocate information on a topic of interest to them.
- Create a strategy for staying in touch periodically, either through a social or business networking tool or general emails or meetings if appropriate.
As the person gets to know you better, they may be willing to share information on contacts and even introduce you to some key decision makers. But keep in mind that networking is a process and it takes time to grow trusted relationships. Build authentic relationships that position you as a giver rather than a taker and build in consistent “touchpoints” with your network to build the relationship and keep it strong. The more trusted relationships you build and the more frequently you find legitimate ways to connect, the more likely you are to find people who can help you reach your career goals.