The document provides tips and strategies for effective networking. It advises the reader to think about their career goals and interests to develop a clear networking objective. Additionally, it emphasizes creating a concise personal pitch to make a lasting impression and maximize opportunities. The document also offers guidance on selecting who to meet with for exploratory conversations and how to decline opportunities while maintaining positive relationships.

1. NETWORKING!
It’s not just free beer and pizza
Sunday, 23 October, 11

2. NETWORKING
The Game Plan
• Why are you here?
• Pitching yourself
• Matchmaking
• Exploratory coffee
• “If” & “When” are powerful synonyms for “No”
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3. What Do You Want?
Develop A Networking Objective
• Have you thought about your career path?
• Wanna be a CTO? VP of R&D? Co-Founder?
• Who are you?
• Fortune 500 or a startup person?
• What kinds of projects/problems do you love?
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4. Your Personal Pitch
A Reason To Remember You
• You have less than 2 minutes to make a
lasting impression. Remember:
• Passion Speaks
• Experience Proves
• Ideas Intrigue
• Make people want to reach out to you
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5. It’s Who You Know
A Cliché For A Reason
• Opportunities come from various sources
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6. Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Should You Have Coffee With This Person?
• Speak with many people. Meet with a few
• When deciding if you should network with
a peer, ask yourself:
• Could I work with this person?
• Do they share my vision?
• Can I learn something from them?
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7. Headhunters!
Do You Want To Be Caught In Their Net?
• When deciding if you should network with
a recruiter, ask yourself:
• Do they work with interesting companies?
• Are they a specialist or a generalist?
• Do I feel comfortable speaking with them?
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8. Sometimes It’s Just a Coffee
Exploratory Conversations Open Doors
• Meet with recruiters & hiring managers to
• Make contacts with the right people
• Learn something new about your industry
• See if the grass really is greener
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9. Sometimes It’s Just a Coffee
How To Play The Field
• Manage expectations
• Keep it casual
• Choose your meetings wisely
• Keep an open mind
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10. Say No & Stay Friends
• Decline offers & inquiries in a manner that
creates future opportunities
• Use your pitch & talk about timing
• Let them know what you want
Example response to a recruitment email:
“Thanks for your interest. This does look like a great opportunity. However, my team is in the middle of
an important product launch and I couldn’t leave for at least 6 months. Also, while most of my
experience has been with enterprise level Java apps, I’ve actually been using Objective-C
recently and am loving native app dev. Ideally, my next move will allow me to build on my mobile
experience and/or move into more of a leadership role.“
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11. NETWORKING
• Think about who you are and what you want
• Learn to articulate your selling points
• Know who you know & who you should
• Have coffee with the right people, even when it’s
the wrong time
• When declining an opportunity, state what you’re
ideally be looking for
Sunday, 23 October, 11

12. My Shameless Plug
If you’re a startup person and want to reach me:
Email: alex@laudi.com
Linkedin: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/
alexstobe
Twitter: @alexStobe
Looking for a ‘foot in the door’ opportunity?
REDJR.CA
Sunday, 23 October, 11