10 Networking basics for unemployed people

We all listen to talk about the Anglicism Networking and if we are asked about it, we would not know how to define it with accuracy, as its meaning may change depending on the context.

A basic approach to the concept of Networking could be the following: Group of constructive interactions with other people with the objective of developing  and promoting our professional activity.

On the context of unemployment it is more important to do an effective and active Networking process. Many of you may think that the contest to perform this activity is when you are active-and it is true-but unemployment it is a context in which we can implement a process of Networking which is closest and more related with the activity that really fits our real personal motivations.

Therefore, here I dare to suggest some basics of Networking for unemployed people:

1)  Think about it and analyze your vocation. Be sincere with yourself, both with your abilities and interests.

2)  Select your references. References are both people and companies. We all have our/the ideal company that we want to work in.

3) Self-determining. Write in a few lines what you can offer to your possible new company and analyze the strengths of your resume.

4) Establish a strategy. It is important before starting the Networking action to establish a communication strategy: what, how and when. This implies writing a very personalized letters of motivation where the motivational factor is very important and explanation of your skills. Select to contact the appropriate people. In fact may be it is not appropriate to write a person in a very high position in the company. It is important to start it with someone in the recruiting department, not forgetting to follow the recruiting guidelines of the company as it is explained on their website.

5)  Be clear about the speech for the company. It is essential to organize a speech in order to be able to explain without any doubt your motivations to hold a job position. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Why am I interested on this company/business?
• What can I offer them?
• Is my profile suitable to work with them?
• What aspects from my previous job are useful for the company?

6) Firstly contact someone neutral from the company. It can be a friend, someone you know, a Linked In contact. You can establish that contact throw a short face-to-face meeting in place nearby the office and make some consistent and important questions about the organization and the company. The success in these meetings in Spain is usually limited.

7) Be persistent but not insistent. Contacting the company does not mean that they are going to answer automatically. You have to be different and create attraction for your profile, taking care of your curriculum, photo, motivation letter, references, etc. Always register yourself on the website.

8) Offer yourself for knowing the company/organization closest freely. It consists on collaborating for free for a week and if they accept they will be able to know your interests, team working capacity, your knowledge on the area. It is a way of confirming your preconceived idea of the company or also, may be to discard it.

 9)   Have a wide knowledge of your possible new activity. Try to know all the companies in the sector. Get to know data of their international activity, their financial situation, news. This means spending long afternoons on the Internet analyzing the webs of the companies.

10) Give image of active attitude. If you are unemployed and you have possibilities to have an interview with the company you wish to work in or with someone related to the new activity that you want to carry out, it is both important to communicate enthusiasm and also be able to create an image of activity during your unemployment time. Explain all activities you are involved in: training, volunteer, other activities.

All you know, we are in a context that allows us to contact other people easily. The important fact is to generate interest in other people and you only get that by an original and consistent proposal of your possible collaboration with the organization, company, etc.

 Spanish version available here:

http://spainforemployment.com/2012/12/04/556/