Job Networking After 50: Pay It Forward and It Will Pay You Back
You’ve gotten your termination notice, you don’t have a job, you need income, so now it’s time to start a job search. It’s no secret that the most ineffective way to get a job is to look for job postings online and submit your resume, along with hundreds of others who, like you, have just been voted out of the cubicle. It is possible you haven’t updated your resume for years, and why would you? You assumed the hard work and loyalty you’d given to your employer would translate to job security. Sadly, so did thousands of others. No matter where you are in your career, your resume should always be current and reflect your skills and accomplishments. Your resume is a sales tool; a tool to help get you noticed. If you don’t know how to make it zingy, find someone to help. That someone could be a friend, family member, colleague, or professional resume writer. Make sure that whoever assists knows and understands you, and also recognizes the importance of quantifying your accomplishments. There are hundreds of resume writers who will promise to make your resume brilliant; some are better than others. Spend money cautiously, but do get help if you can.
What, you may ask, does your resume have to do with networking? Read on. If you had progressively climbed the career ladder, it is probable that any promotions you received were based on your proven experience and the quality of your work (not on your resume). Now, you find yourself in a pool with numerous others, looking for a job where recruiters and hiring managers don’t know a thing about your work, so they will look at your resume (or LinkedIn profile). Telling them you have a “proven track record” is as useful as saying you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. No matter how brilliant your resume is, you are an unknown commodity. On the other hand, if someone at the company you are targeting passes along your resume and says, “I worked with Emily and she was a star, always delivering work on time and on budget. She is a creative thinker, very innovative and works well with diverse teams,” that’s likely to land you an interview. According to our research, well over 80% of jobs are attained through networking and many of those jobs are not actually even posted. The right network can help you learn about jobs created for your unique skill sets.
Being unemployed without a pending prospect is not a picnic, but many of us have been there at some point. Every bit of career advice you get tells you to “work your network.” If you don’t have a network, start building one right now. It is ideal to start growing your network while you are actually working, but it's never too late to start. People like to connect with colleagues who work for other companies for a variety of reasons (e.g., they may be interested in making a move or they are genuinely interested in knowing what their acquaintances are up to). Once you are already connected, it’s easier to reach out when you are looking for help. No matter how happy you are in your place of employment, always stay in touch with former colleagues. LinkedIn is a great place to do that. Professional and alumni organizations are another. Obtain your college or university’s alumni directory and attend local alumni events whenever possible (even while you’re still working). Read and engage with posts on LinkedIn. Congratulate people in your network on promotions, new jobs, work anniversaries, or other work and life events. Let your network know you are in the market for a new opportunity (much better word than “job”). Vulnerability is okay; desperation is not. Stay positive and have faith in yourself. Maintain your sense of humor. There is no shame in being laid off in the current economy. You are in very good company. You’ve had a job before; you’ll get one again (if you want one). Networking shouldn’t stop when you retire. Many people worry about losing meaning or purpose in their lives after they retire. Staying in touch with other professional colleagues will help you to stay connected, even after retirement. Who knows when one of your contacts could lead to an interesting opportunity.
When you are actually job hunting, work the network you built to help you in your search. Dedicate some time to requesting informational interviews or just inviting people out for coffee or lunch. When available, get yourself some Starbucks gift cards at Costco - you can typically purchase gift cards worth $100 for about $80. Take your former colleagues out for a nice Starbuck’s coffee (or the coffee brand of your choice). If you do go to Starbucks (or any coffee shop), please tip your barista. They rely on tips to supplement their income. In fact, you may want to consider learning how to brew a good cup. After all, you, too, could be a barista! The word on the street is that most of the chains offer great benefits, not the least of which is the ability to take home a pound of your favorite blend. If anyone you know pops in, look around furtively and whisper to them, “shhhh…. undercover boss. Don’t tell anyone.” They’ll be wildly impressed that you are the CEO of a national chain of coffee shops.
You never know who might give you your next opportunity. It could come from the person next to you on that spin cycle or treadmill at the gym. It could be the person standing in line behind you at Costco while you are buying the Starbuck's gift cards. It could be your hairdresser or barber. We know someone who once got an interim gig researching and writing through a referral from her therapist. She ended up co-authoring a study that was published with her name on it. It wasn’t her field of expertise, but it kept her from losing her home during a year-long search for employment after a start-up went belly up. We know someone else who got a job because he was outside painting his house and started a conversation with a passerby.
Almost every job I have ever held has been as a result of networking. My favorite story is what I call networking by paying it forward. I was working for a large organization that was a significant employer in my city. One day, I got a phone call from someone who had obtained my contact information in an alumni directory. He requested an informational interview to learn more about the company. I scheduled a 20 minute call, learned all about his background and shared mine with him. I spoke positively about the company I worked for (which one should always do), and described the hiring process as well as the corporate culture. I then forwarded his resume with comments to a hiring manager, and he was interviewed shortly thereafter. The job never came about because of a lack of funding. However, I had helped him out while also assisting the hiring manager. Months later, the candidate sent out a communication announcing his new, very impressive position. I immediately congratulated him and said, “if you hear of anything that matches my experience, I would be interested.” A few weeks later, he reached out and said, “there is a new position that has your name written all over it. Send me your resume as soon as you can.” I quickly updated my resume and sent it to him. Within two days, I heard from the recruiter. Several weeks and interviews later, I got an offer. The job was a significant promotion and salary increase. I remained in the job for six years, and was able to leverage the additional experience I gained into other positions that I also obtained by working my network. Networking is a two way street.
Always help others. Pay it forward and it will pay you back.