Types of Networking

Informal Networking uses your existing network of friends, family, neighbours and other acquaintances to help develop employment opportunities. It may involve a casual conversation at a social event or an everyday encounter with a friend.

During your job search, you may want to direct your conversations by asking questions and listening for useful information about potential employment opportunities.

Keep your conversations casual and don’t feel pressured to turn everything into a job pitch. If someone looks like they might be a good contact to pursue further, ask how you can keep in touch.

An informational interview is a brief meeting with someone who is employed in your field, position or organization of interest. Informational interviews may help you:

• Get a personal perspective on occupations and organizations of interest
• Obtain advice and information that may help you target your job search efforts
• Practise interviewing and networking skills
• Hear about opportunities before they are posted
• Broaden your network

An informational interview is about information and advice. It is not about calling someone up and asking them for a job.

Although not all requests for information interviews are successful, many people respond very positively to the initiative and courage it takes to ask for an information interview.

More advice on getting and preparing for informational interviews:

Cold calling involves contacting organizations of interest and attempting to meet with the person who has the decision-making power to hire you. A cold call is a telephone call to someone you do not know, even though the employer has not advertised a job opening.

Cold-calling prospective employers can seem scary, but career experts say it can be a powerful tool.

Some people prefer to make initial contact by sending a letter of introduction first (also known as broadcast letter), followed by a telephone call.

How to Prepare for and Make a Cold Call

• Prepare a list of companies to contact through company research.
  (Tip: Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library has a great collection of Company Directories which are a good source of company information)
• Find out the name of the hiring manager by making a preliminary phone call to the company to obtain this information
• Have an outline of key points you want to discuss with an employer before you make your call
• Have a copy of your resume and any information about the company that you are contacting in front of you
• Always state your name and the purpose of your call
• Keep the calls brief – less than 3 minutes is best
• Tell the potential employer about your qualifications first, this way you are giving them something that they can value
• If the manager seems interested, ask if you can meet to discuss possibilities in more detail.
• If the manager can’t meet with you, ask if you can send in your resume.
• Whatever happens, thank your contact. Send a thank-you note and re-state your interest in working for his/her organization.
• Keep the information on your contact and his/her organization. You never know when you might need it again.
• If you get turned down, do not take it as a personal rejection

Further advice on cold calling:

Social networking websites are valuable tools that can help you increase the number of professionals you meet and connect with. Some of these tools include:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• MeetUp

For more information on social networking see the separate guide: