This is a guest post by Dr. Rae Taylor
I originally moved to America for a job, assuming I probably wouldn’t be staying very long. But after deciding to settle in America and to move on from that job, and in fact that entire career path, I had to think about what I would be doing next and how I would get there. I think we all know by now that the vast majority of the job hunting process is actually networking. The first step of networking is talking to people you know: old school mates, old college friends, people you worked with on a Saturday, or really anyone in your history. But what if your history is 4,620 miles away? Then you have to learn to network from scratch, like I recently did.
One thing people never told me is that I’m naturally very good at networking. People are astounded when I make comments about not knowing how to network. The reason for this is simple: I am an introvert and like many others, tremble at the mention of “networking.” The idea of a networking event fills me with horror and an overwhelming need to make excuses, both believable and the incredibly unbelievable, as to why I can’t attend. But at the same time, I have found myself networking many times on behalf of others. It’s simple. I talk to a person, they tell me about the things they like to do, what hobbies they have, their travels, favorite foods, car, family, and inevitably career. I do the same with other people. Then one day something slides into the conversation about wanting/needing to move on, and I connect the two or more relevant people.
That’s networking. It really is as simple as that. But people never tell you it’s that simple. When I talk about my overwhelming fear of networking, not one person says to me, “Oh, it’s just having a chat with a person, and you find people interesting. So just do that.” No, we give it a formal name and have contrived events.
When I found myself moving to a new state, one in which I knew no one and yet still needed to find a job, I was reminded of the dreaded “networking” that had to be done. While breaking into a sweat talking about it with a friend, she told me to make sure I had over 500 connections on LinkedIn. She said that it looks better when people see that on your profile. True or not, I took the advice, channeled my hidden inner extrovert, and started madly messaging people and grasping at any connection I had. It was tough. I knew that I wanted some help in getting a job, so my efforts to connect felt a bit contrived. So I remembered what I had done in the past, and I talked to people to see what they are up to now and where they went along the way. I was surprised at how many replies I got, and all so nice. People were genuinely interested in how they could help me. I received some really good advice on resumes, my LinkedIn profile, and books I should read that might help in my job search.
It wasn’t until I read those messages that I realized I am good at networking. Well, I’m at least average.
I do most of the right things:
- I don’t hide in the corner with my phone
- I listen to people, and I’m genuinely very interested in what they have to say
- I ask questions
- I talk to anyone and everyone at a company, not just the CEO or hiring manager
- I almost always follow up
- I’m always positive (at least publicly)
- I offer to help, as I don’t think networking is a one-sided process
- I always … well almost always … OK, sometimes … fine, absolutely never sell myself
Now it’s coming to the end of a global pandemic and many people I know are looking for a new job, which means networking. Instead of freaking out about it, people just need to remember that networking is simple and should really just be called chatting.
On the other hand, selling yourself is an art that needs to be learned and practiced, and may be a subject for another blog post.
About the Author:
Rae Taylor is an Engineer with extensive experience in advanced techniques for materials characterization. She received an award-winning Ph.D. in Materials Science, which focused on the analysis of microstructures using electron microscopy. Prior to her research in Materials Science, she worked in the clean and wastewater industry. Over her career, Rae has gained extensive experience in project management and lab management, including team building, process engineering, construction oversight, safety management, and quality assurance. She has over ten years of experience designing, developing, and testing experimental procedures. Rae is team-oriented and has extensive experience teaching and tutoring, both in the work environment and in the classroom. She has presented her work to a wide variety of audiences, ranging from academics and industrial specialists to the general public and holds a particular interest in the development of resilient whether it is in materials or infrastructure as a whole.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s post by guest author Rae Taylor. If you’re interested in your firm possibly joining the Civil Engineering Collective, please contact us here or call us at 800-920-4007.
I hope you’ll join us.
Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
Photo Reference: EMI Founder Anthony Fasano, P.E. Speaking on Networking for the ASCE Austin YMG in 2016
