It's OK to Talk to Strangers for Career Growth
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Networking is important for career growth. The document provides tips for effective networking, including suggestions for finding tech events, overcoming discomfort when talking to strangers, best practices for maintaining relationships, and a networking practice activity. Suggestions include attending meetups, using social media to find connections, following up with new contacts, being intentional but not robotic, and helping others in your network. The goal is to grow one's network through meeting new people at events and maintaining new connections.
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It's OK to Talk to Strangers for Career Growth
- 1. It’s OK to Talk to Strangers Networking for Career Growth Cassandra Faris @cassandrafaris cassandra.faris@gmail.com
- 4. Why Is Networking Important? • Assistance • Credibility • Learning • Career Growth
- 11. Suggestions for Finding Tech Events • Friends & Coworkers • Social Media Connections • Google & Google Groups • Meetup.com • Eventbrite • Reddit • LinkedIn
- 12. Amy Fontinelle “Four Career Networking Tips That Work”
- 15. 1. Introduction 2. Initiation 3. Continuation • Curiosity • Listening 1. Ending
- 16. Overcoming Discomfort • Group size • Group purpose • Location • Buddy system • Practice
- 19. That awkward moment when… Source: Carvermedia
- 20. Follow-up is the beginning of relationship maintenance
- 21. ?
- 22. Best Practices • Be intentional • Don’t be a robot • Mix it up • Limit negativity • Approach controversy carefully
- 23. Get out from behind the screen!
- 24. Professional Relationship Protips • Be patient • It’s not all about work • Scheduling is your friend • Help others • Ask for help
- 25. 1.Pair up with the closest stranger 2.Ask each other: • Name • Job • Hobby • How you learned about CodeMash 1.If you’re near someone you already knew, introduce them to your new acquaintance Networking Practice
- 26. Take this. It’s dangerous out there.
- 27. ? ! QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Don’t be shy
Editor's Notes
- Goal: help you learn why & how to grow professional network Networking not just for sales & managers. Devs often use networks to grow jobs. Amanda: Desktop support, but wanted to become a developer. Self-learned code. Started going to UGs to learn. Met people. She’s referred to company & gets job Dave: Programming job from job board Skills stagnating, no growth Told friend & gets job at friend’s company Point: Growing & developing professional relationships benefits all tech pros Network reduces risk & pain of finding new jobs & team member
- Lots of definitions w/ shared characteristics Interactive: 2 people talking Information Exchange Common Interests: Basis of professional networks Develops & grows mutually beneficial relationships Intentional Creates professional opportunities Full Source Info: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31065898@N08/8220970905/
- Assistance: Can give or receive advice, mentoring, sales leads, or volunteers for a nonprofit you’re involved with Establishes Credibility: Helps you become known & eventually respected Learning: Especially in our industry, networking events often revolve around learning Career Growth: Job leads, referrals, free lunches.
- 2012 Jobvite Hiring Survey Looked at candidate app & hiring data by source to find how it affected hiring rates & employee satisfaction & loyalty 7% of applicants are referrals from existing employees 40% of referrals are hired Nearly twice the number of website applicants hired Why are referrals effective? Easier to find job leads/team members Job boards: time-consuming & frustrating Jobs not publicly advertised Better job leads/team members People who know your experience & goals can help you find jobs that line up with them Companies like referrals from good people Referrals viewed more favorably (source: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/infographic-employee-referrals-hire/)
- More survey findings Referrals have greater job satisfaction Nearly half of people who are referred stay in their positions for over 3 years Less unknown variables for referred jobs Know person giving lead More honest feedback on opportunity Insider knowledge of company culture *(source: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/infographic-employee-referrals-hire/)
- Networking is a process Follow steps of process for it to be effective Grow a network: Find events, attend them, & meet people at them Know how to handle networking situations: Event prep Talking with new people Maintain network: Follow-up to help relationships evolve on & offline Relationships lead to opportunities
- Step 1: Meet people. How? Daily life Friends & coworkers Attend events
- Start with Tech Events - Advantages Familiarity Mutual interest Learning Choices Events that focus on something known or used in daily life Events that focus on something you want to learn Makes networking events more comfortable
- When I first got into our industry, I wanted to learn more about common technologies & the people who use those technologies. Asked developer friends what events they attended Google, Meetup Showed up Keep an eye on other event sources Easiest part of process
- Attend Non-Tech Events: Why? Long-Term Career growth, possibly away from dev work Leadership opportunities Cool new startup idea Business problem you can solve Connections based on things other than work are stronger Attend Non-Tech Events: How? Suggestions for non-networking specific groups Nonprofits & volunteering Hobbies Sports Educational Spiritual or Political Start your own group
- Getting Ready for Events Have a goal Talk to X amount of new people Learn a new thing Find a follow-up event Attendee Research Learn if there are other ways to interact with attendees before & during event Twitter Hashtag Tweet: “who will I see at #event? Share insights Comment on something interesting someone said Business Cards Professional May not have one Contact info tied to employer Personal Contact info is your own Include name, email address, title, blog/Twitter info Print through a service or office supplies store so they look professional
- Not everyone naturally inclined to be outgoing with new people Skill that can be built Gets easier over time Right mindset helps Be yourself – Don’t “play a part” based on expectations Be confident If you’re doubting yourself, remind yourself of things you’re good at & can contribute to a conversation “Modesty is not a career-enhancing trait” – Patrick McKenzie, Don’t Call Yourself a Programmer Be energetic Not hyper. Energy you project influences others & your interactions Select events at days & times when you’re most energetic *(Source: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-programmer/)
- “The 11 Laws of Likability”. Focuses on the value of forming good relationships to advance yourself and your business Michelle Tillis Lederman lays out how conversations work at networking events 4 phases: Introduction, Initiation, Continuation (curiosity & listening), & ending Introduction: concise, clear, interesting way of introducing yourself boosts confidence. It should tell people: Who you are What you do Why you’re at the event Initiation Necessary, but can be scary Once you get them going, most people love to talk, especially about themselves Conversation-starters Compliments Questions ID someone who is alone, introduce yourself, & ask what they think of event Protip: Food/drink lines are great places to start conversations
- Why initiating conversations may be difficult & how to make it less scary Shyness Lack of experience Fear of rejection Being selective about events will make conversing with strangers at them much easier. Group Size: Not comfortable in crowds? Choose a smaller group Group Purpose: Something you know, want to learn about, or enjoy Mutual interest makes people want to converse Location: If you don’t like bars or outdoor events, don’t attend events in those venues Buddy System: Invite a friend or coworker to attend an event with you. Practice: Treat communication like any other skill.
- Intro & initiation done. Next: Continue conversation Curiosity is your friend. Ask questions. Answers help you find commonalities. Shared connections, interests, viewpoints, & life experiences are important because they put people at ease. When people are at ease with you, you’ll form longer-lasting, more authentic, and more helpful relationships. People trust people they know & can relate to. They’re more likely to help those people out. Types of Questions: Avoid yes/no Open-ended (what, how, why) Generic personal (What do you do? Where are you from?) Ask opinion - if it’s related to something you want to discuss When you’re asked what you do, respond with “for work or in my free time?”
- Curiosity is great, but only part of conversations Listening is also necessary for good conversations Listening is active, not passive Types of Listening (from 11LOL) Listening In: Relate what they’re saying to your experiences & opinions to establish commonalities “I like corgis too” “I’m also a .NET developer” Listening Out: Relate what’s said to something you know to facilitate back & forth conversation Why do you like designing mobile apps? You seem really good at test engineering. How did you learn it? “Me too!” & ask for details of event/project/app they’re building Listening Intuitively Watch body language & listen to tone of voice to understand what’s not being said as well as what’s being said. This helps people feel heard.
- Tricks for ending conversations that help lead into follow-up & relationship maintenance Curtailing the Conversation Invite another person into conversation Change of scenery or activity: ex. grab a snack or check out a display Invite to mingle Ending the Conversation Leave the person feeling good. “Nice to meet you” If relevant, “thank you” Create a follow-up opportunity
- It’s rare to leave an event with a new BFF, a mentor, or awesome new job lead. Event conversations are the ground work Follow-up is key – it leads to those things Ways to follow-up that will help start growing a relationship with a new acquaintance “Nice to meet you” Tweet LinkedIn connection request with “nice to meet you” or brief note Email followup on an interesting conversational point Invite to coffee, lunch, happy hour, or another event Follow-up actions quickly begin to overlap with network maintenance
- Social media Great follow-up & new relationship supplement Can’t always take an hour to grab lunch or coffee. Can nearly always take a few minutes to check social networks. Following people online yields great conversation-starters for in-person meetings Social Media Platforms Facebook: Can be closed Good way to find points of similarity outside of work LinkedIn: Subscribe to weekly network update email to see job promotions, new jobs, & company news. Join & participate in group discussions Twitter: Most open Can be purely informational. Treat it like a conversation Content-Driven & Tech-Specific Sites like Stack Overflow & Github: community-driven with a focus on content, projects, collaboration, & sharing knowledge.
- Social Media Best Practices: Be Intentional: Think about what you share before you share it Don’t Be a Robot: No one likes twitter accounts that only post event announcements, Xbox achievements, Untappd check-ins, etc. Mix It Up: Professional & personal updates, hobbies, pics, articles, & interesting stuff you find online Limit Negativity Approach Controversy Carefully: internet arguments go downhill
- Online is a supplement to relationship maintenance, not a replacement for it Meet with people in person. In-person meetings allow more in-depth conversations & better way to get to know one another The better two people know one another, the more effectively they can help each other
- Putting effort into network maintenance is crucial to forming good, long-term professional relationships. It also requires you to keep a few things in mind. Be Patient It takes time to build relationships & establish credibility It’s Not All About Work Ask people about their lives & interests Congratulate people on personal accomplishments Scheduling Is Your Friend Everyone is busy all the time I used to feel weird about this, but realized that lunches & happy hours never happen if I don’t actually schedule them into my day & treat them like any other appointment Don’t forget to spend time with existing friends & colleagues Help Others Don’t always expect to get something out of helping people. People remember who helped them in the past & are more likely to help those people in return Ways to help If you can help someone yourself, do it. If you can’t, but know someone who can, make an intro (Austin example) Introduce existing friends & acquaintances to new people in a group. Invite others to an event you think they’d enjoy Share interesting info & articles Ask for Help Reach out to your network to ask about job leads or people they think would be good for your team
- Pair Share Stand up Pair off with someone you don’t know Learn their name, job & skillset, favorite hobby, & how they first heard about CodeMash If you’re near someone you know, introduce your new acquaintance to them
- Putting it together Finding new jobs & hiring new people is risky Only 14% of those who found jobs on job boards stay at companies for 3+ years Lots of mismatches. Network helps reduces mismatches Taking a job based on knowing someone at a company gives you better company insight than that of a recruiter who found your Dice resume Adding a new team member based on referrals from good people increases likelihood of making a good hire Networking should be done proactively, even if you’re happy with your current job Attend events, meet people, & follow-up Building good relationships takes time & effort, but doing so will benefit you and your career Networking is a skill that can & should be practiced