Networking is a mix of science and art, where the balance lies varies on you and the contact.  Laid out below is a model – you must adapt it to suit your own personality and style or it will feel false and uncomfortable.

Remember, less the lucky few this cannot be left to chance and must be viewed as full time work.

• Start with 10 names of people who you know in a geographical area and/or sector.
• E-mail all 10, I would advocate an e-mail consisting of 3 paragraphs – not everyone is comfortable with the third paragraph to start with, so use your judgment and only to be used it if you deem it to be appropriate:
  • Paragraph 1 - Who you are, what is the connection and a request for advice and guidance.
  • Paragraph 2 - No CV as not looking for a job, but a profile to provide a point of reference.
  • Paragraph 3 - Do you have any other contacts who might be able to assist me?
• You must maintain a contact list and monitor its progress.  Use OA Scotland to assist in building your network.
• The people that are networking with are by their very nature busy and you need to ensure that you remain at the front of their minds.  The 7 in 6 rule is a guide as to how often you should be in touch – 7 times in 6 months works out about once every 27 days.  Remember each contact does not have to a full 3 course lunch; just a quick e-mail or telephone call will suffice.
• Realistically you should try and have a maximum of 3 job applications in at any one time.
• Don’t underestimate the utility of websites such as Linked In.
• You must be positive and proactive – every meeting & phone call is an interview – it is therefore vital that you think through your interview technique at this stage.
• Say/write/e-mail thank you.
• It’s just become a harder market to break into, so the ‘weighting’ of this networking has increased.