Work 101 by Elizabeth Freedman

Author:Elizabeth Freedman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780440336914
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2007-04-03T00:00:00+00:00

The layering principle: Think onions

When it comes to this style of “new” networking, think of an onion. Like the aromatic onion, your networking strategy works best when you peel back a layer at a time to get to the heart of what you’re looking for. If you stop at the first layer, you may not get what you need, so part of this process means having conversations with people you don’t necessarily know—yet.

A “layer” is really just a group of people in your world who share something in common—for instance, your “marketing coworkers” might be a layer. Your “alumni from college” might be another layer. As you peel back a layer at a time, you get farther away from what is very immediate and familiar to you while moving closer to the center—in other words, as you “work your layers,” you’ll start meeting more and more new and less familiar people along the way. Don’t let meeting new people stop you from networking. Far too many people shy away from the practice because they just aren’t comfortable reaching out to people they don’t know. But I urge you: Don’t skip this step. A stranger today might be a wealth of contacts or knowledge for you tomorrow, so don’t stop peeling back your onion at the first or second layer.

What could your layers look like? Here is one example:

• LAYER #1: Tell friends, family, and friends of friends and family about your goals/objectives.

• LAYER #2: Reach out to coworkers, clients, and other current business associates to learn more about your industry and their work.

• LAYER #3: Reach out to alumni from undergraduate and graduate programs who work in fields that interest you.

• LAYER #4: Contact a former supervisor and old coworkers from your previous job to update them on what you’ve been doing since you last worked together.

…And so on.

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