We all know the importance of networking both for developing potential new business and also for strengthening our own career prospects. However, according to Melanie Curtis, many of us forget the basics and so damage our prospects.
In this day and age with a plethora of communication tools it should be easier than ever to stay in touch with former business associates, clients, colleagues, friends – and recruiters! In practice, many of us are our own worst enemies and, as a result miss out on rewarding career and business opportunities.
At Spindler we maintain databases of people, which we consult whenever we need to identify potential candidates for senior executive jobs. Despite our own efforts to keep these contacts up to date, many able individuals miss out on great career opportunities simply because their email address or phone number has changed.
Melanie has put together some tips for staying in touch:
1) Aim to keep the same mobile number. If you do need to change your network it is generally possible to have your old number transferred across. There may be a small cost but this is outweighed by the potential benefits.
2) Retain the same personal email address. By signing up to a free web-based email service such as Google Mail or Hotmail it is possible to maintain your email address even if you decide to change your internet service provider.
3) If your contact details do change, notify all your contacts, including recruiters. This can avoid you missing out on a dream job or business prospect at some point in the future.
4) Social networking sites are increasingly used as a way of contacting people. LinkedIn is emerging as a powerful networking tool and is strongly business- focused. It has already helped Spindler re-establish contact with a number of outstanding candidates.
“When it comes to staying in touch, continuity and consistency is key. Think of your contact details as your own intellectual property and ensure that you manage and control them.”
Melanie has one final suggestion, “When people create their own personal email address they often don’t consider how it may look on a CV or, an e-mail received. Opting for a light-hearted, humorous address may be fine for family and friends but can look foolish and unprofessional on a CV. If necessary create a separate personal email address for business/career contacts”.
