Gathering Career Information via Networking

We`ve all heard the adage "it`s not what you know, its who you know." Moving to a new area has seriously put a huge hole in my job finding network, so I`m putting my cold calling skills to use to make new connections. I`ve even had the chance to help other job seekers learn cold calling and networking (both online and offline) skills. I am a helper at heart and I enjoy teaching others the skills I`m proficient in. My main goal is not to find work necessarily but rather figure out what I want to do next! I want to be really smart with my next career decision and although the Internet has lots of information, it lacks the personal touch.

There are so many ways to meet people who are willing to inform you about their industry. The information a person gathers from direct contact with another individual is very valuable and beneficial. Associations and Networking groups offer an organized approach to meeting people in the same industry or the industry you are interested in. Friends, neighbours, colleagues, associates, and anyone you meet in line at the grocery store might be a lead to someone else, a new contact, and new information.

Facebook and Linkedin are full of people wanting to manage their contacts and stay in touch. These online tools are very valuable for keeping in touch but they don`t replace real world relationship building. The Internet makes it so easy for us to hide behind a screen and pretend that we are building quality relationships, but it can`t replace the connection a handshake provides or the communication that body language portrays. The Internet fools many of us into a feeling of self confidence that isn`t really there and when faced with the real world networking tactics we sometimes fall short.

Part of the job searching course I`m enrolled in is networking to make connections and uncover the hidden job market. Most of the attendees are non sales people and have never made a cold call in their life, let alone attended a formal networking session. Since I have extensive experience I offered up lots of advice during class and found myself helping others formulate their scrips and qualify their leads. I really enjoyed training those who were really interested in making calls and making connections with people in their chosen fields. No surprise there, I always love putting my 2 cents worth in.

My problem with this exercise is not making the calls or the connections, its figuring out what industry or career I`m looking for. Advertising, Marketing, Marketing Research, Event Management, Training, or do I go back to what`s comfortable - Sales? So my goal is to contact various industries, various departmental managers and make a solid decision about where I want my career to go.