Happy Friday! Today we are continuing our 30 days of connecting challenge! If you missed Days 1-5 (click here) and Days 6-10 (click here).
The more you can get into the habit of taking opportunities and preparing to network, the easier it will become. You never know what possibilities, relationships and opportunities are waiting for you unless you go actively find them.
One of the things that I have gained since starting the 4 X 4 Networking Challenge (click here for details) is confidence and clear direction. In the beginning, I had to write out all the questions I wanted to ask. I rehearsed my elevator speech five times before each informational interview. I am now more confident when speaking to people I don’t know and am immediately ready to go when they call me. By talking with others in different fields about my future goals and dreams, my career path has become crystal clear and I now know exactly the steps I need to take.
Ready for some confidence and clear direction as well? Here are days 11-15 of the 30 days of connecting challenge!!
- Day 11: Research professional organizations and sign up for one this month. If you can’t think of 4 people that you don’t know to meet with this month, do some research online to find the best professional organization in your area for your industry. Go to a meeting this month and find someone at the meeting that you enjoy talking to. Follow up with this person and do an informational interview after the event. (P.S. Many organizations have discounts for new members and students, make sure you check into it!)
- Day 12: Go out to lunch with a co-worker you don’t really know very well. Never forget the people that are right in front of you every day! Sometimes we get so busy with our work that we don’t have time to make great relationships with the people we spend 40+ hours a week with! Ask a co-worker to lunch and learn more about them.
- Day 13: Call a family member you haven’t spoken to in awhile. When was the last time that you spoke to your great Aunt Gladys or your Grandpa Harry?
- Day 14: Follow companies you are interested in on Linkedin and see how you are connected with employees. Find your favorite companies and stay connected! You may notice that you Linkedin network includes people who work at your favorite company. Email them and ask them for an informational interview.
- Day 15: Update your Linkedin page and ask others for recommendations. Do some work today to clean up your linkedin profile. Add a professional photo and ask people that you trust to write a recommendation for you. But, whatever you do, don’t keep asking them if they are going to write it for you. You want them to spend enough time on it to make it great. If they don’t write it, it might be their way of saying that they don’t really want to write one for you. Instead, find people who want to help you succeed!
“When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.”
- Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”
-Anais Nin
Please share in the comments if you are trying 30 days of connecting! What connecting tips do you have?
(Photo by InspireKelly )
