My number one priority was to find a job. As the book title says,
my job was to look for a job. It is hard not to get frustrated when
people you’ve networked with or sought assistance from don’t return calls
and messages within your timeframe, but a colleague of mine put it in
perspective for me: “When you’re done talking with them, they go back
to their job.” As painful as it was to hear at the time, she was right that
my priorities may not have directly aligned with those of everyone with
whom I was speaking. My goal shouldn’t have been to change their priorities
to match mine. The goal should always be to keep the process flowing
and build a relationship strong enough that it can be further developed
over time.
When setting up networking sessions, if you are waiting for something
from someone, gently nudge things along with a reminder. If someone
requests a reminder, give it. In fact, be proactive enough to ask if it’s okay
to follow up if you don’t hear from someone after a certain deadline. You
must maintain your own priorities, but be conscious that they may not
match someone else’s primary focus. Understand that after you hang up
the phone, your network contact goes back to work. Don’t take it personally,
but do take the steps necessary to remain professionally relevant.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
- Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
- Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
- Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
- The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
- From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
- The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com