"Use your network!"

If you're on the job search, you've probably heard that you need to "network" to get seen and land more interviews.

But without a clear plan, even a large network can be useless for helping you accomplish that.

The biggest hurdle most people face when trying to leverage their network for the first time is either knowing where to start or what to ask.

When reaching out to close friends/colleagues/connections, the most significant thing you can do is make it EASY for your network to help you by asking very specific questions and requests.

Here are some examples:

1) "Can you tell what my strengths are by looking at my LI profile for 30 seconds?"

2) "If you glance over my resume, is it easy for you to understand what I do?"

3) "If you read the summary section on my resume, what positions would you think I am qualified for?"

4) "I'm interested in working at [company name]. I see you're connected to [name]. Can you make an introduction?"

5) "I'm pursuing a role as a [job title] in an organization that [describe ideal situation]. Do you have any connections that would be valuable to me?"

6) "[Company name] has an open role as a [position title]. Since you've worked there before, who would you recommend I reach out to?"

We want to be extremely specific with our ask. The easier we make things on our connections, the more likely they are to help.

Define your company and job targets first, then examine your network. Before reaching out, ask yourself: "How can this person best help me based on their position, their network and their experience?"

Your requests should differ from person to person.

Remember, your connections are busy people, too. Make it easy on them by requesting one simple task from them that is easy to understand and easy to help you with.

Be INTENTIONAL with your network, and it will pay dividends.

Does the though of networking put a bad taste in your mouth?

Have you been trying to network to no avail?

It’s probably time to dig deeper into your approach and optimize it so you can land more interviews. That’s where I come in…

My Powerhouse Networking process can help triple your interview rate by helping you stand out and connect with more decision-makers.

We’ll have a face-to-face call where I’ll walk you through an effective networking strategy step by step.

You’ll also get resources such as:

• Networking Strategy Checklist to give you a super simple system to follow and build consistency with your networking efforts

• Referral Tracker to track all of your applications and connections in one place

Then, we’ll have your Networking Checkpoint Call two weeks later to review your progress and adjust the strategy to deliver optimal results and help you secure more interviews.

Want to discuss it first and see if the Powerhouse Networking strategy is right for you? I’m happy to chat!