The Secret to Networking

I attended a workshop recently, something I like to do often to recharge my brain, and gained a lot of valuable tools and insight. Some of the most interesting learning though came from the conversations I had in the breaks with my fellow participants.

One key insight came through a conversation about the great networkers we've all met and watched in awe. You know the type, you attend an event with a friend and realize they know almost everyone in the room or you watch another friend have a conversation with a perfect stranger that has the quality of one between life long friends. As I chatted with the workshop leader about these phenomenal people he mentioned this gem, one of his great networking friends said it all came down to four words: Be interested not interesting.

Eureka! There is no better way to say it. I think we can all remember a time when we've walked away from a conversation at an event thinking "What a nice person" and realized you didn't really learn much about them but they learned tons about you. That is what the great networker does, they ask questions, paraphrase and generally make you feel like the most important person in the room. They are interested and that makes the person they are interested in feel great. Not only that but they now have great material to follow-up on with you and continue the relationship. Next time you are out there meeting new people give it at try!

Career vs. Job

Someone said to me recently that they wanted a career not a job. That got me thinking about what exactly the difference is between a career and a job. Some would say that a career is a series of jobs, others would say that a career involves actually having a titled profession.

The dictionary defines career as:

1.	an occupation or profession, esp. one requiring special training, followed as one's lifework.

2.	a person's progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking.

A job is defined as:
1. a piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price.

2.	a post of employment; full-time or part-time position.

I know what this person meant was that what they were looking for was something that fulfilled them, that offered something more than just a pay cheque but also came with some status, a title and the opportunities for progression. A noble aspiration of course, but my fear is that we can get lost in the language and the expectations. Sometimes a job turns into a career when we least expect it. After all careers are made up of a number of jobs! Someone who claims to be looking for a career is likely unsure of what they want to do and would benefit from trying on a job or two to see if they fit.

From the definitions above jobs are the building blocks of a career. Overlooking that great job for the labeled career may mean passing up the first block that will ultimately build your career. So many success stories start with flipping burgers or sorting the mail. At face value these starting points are just 'jobs' but when viewed from the other end of a career they end up being catalysts for great careers.

Counting the little things

In an earlier post I mentioned the J.R.R. Tolkein quote "Little by little one goes far." Everyday we are taking small steps toward attaining our goals. Throughout this process it is key that we recognize the inches we move forward and not just the feet or miles. This is a point that Seth Godin made in The Dip as well. Being able to recognize even the small steps forward ensures you are not leaving an opportunity that is beneficial to you. Inches add up to feet and feet add up to miles.

Even if you are not working directly in the field that is your goal, you can focus on the transferable skills you are building in order to reach that goal in the end. Transferable skills are those things you use in any job, be it waiting tables or answering phones or running an accounting department. Skills such as communication, conflict management, organizing, decision making, creative thinking, etc... While you work towards your ideal career keep your mind open and aware to all the little things you do and learn. The number one issue I see with clients is that they sell themselves short and ignore all those things they have done that are not only tangible but transferable.