MABLSA Law Camp | Baltimore, MD October 22, 2009
Melinda Hightower, MBA Chapter President & National Vice Chair National Black Law Students Association University of Virginia School of Law
Decide to Network
1
Talk to people.
2 Prepare for your end goal.
3
4 Achieve your opportunity.
• Define
what networking is and isn’t.
• Commit
to networking effectively.
To
be an effective networker, you must:
Know Meet Act
a lot of folks. the CEO.
like a salesperson.
Effective networking occurs when an authentic conversation about a common interest that results in an information exchange.
• Map
your networks.
• Plan
your search and networking.
Ways
to Connect with Others
Direct
Connections: Talking to people within your networks
Indirect
Connections: Talking to people you’re introduced to by current connections.
Cold
Connections: Talking to total strangers.
Your
Total Network =
Direct
Connections +
Indirect
Connections
Your
Total Network is everyone who will accept a call from you.
Cold
connecting is selling not networking.
Connection Active:
Strength
Contacts you talk to regularly
Dormant:
regularly
Passive:
Contacts you used to talk to
Connections not yet activated.
Mapping
by the Numbers
1:
Identify your networks.
2:
List folks associated with each.
3:
Note any passive connections.
Perform
a self-assessment and create a search plan. Professional
Objective: What type of opportunity do you want next?
Target
Market: Who is most likely to give the type of opportunity you want?
Core
Message: What you will say about yourself?
• Talk
to contacts and exchange info.
• Keep
records and inform people.
Inner Circle Active Contacts
Middle Circle Quasi-Active Contacts
Outer Circle Dormant or Passive Contacts.
Your
networking goals are to:
Make
your networking partner comfortable.
Get
the word out.
Gather Get
info to refine your search plan.
introductions to new contacts.
Inner Circle Decision Maker
Middle Circle Peers in Target Organization
Outer Circle Not in Target Organization
Start
with the obvious
People
or organizations you have in common
The Move Big
event you both are attending
to broader topics
discussions on safe topics (e.g., economy, sports, cars, food, performing arts, travel).
Narrow
and close the conversation
Talk
briefly about your goals.
Ask
for contact info.
Follow-up!
Follow-up! Follow-up!
Be
interesting to people in the outer and middle circles by sharing info about: Industries People Best
and organizations
in those organizations
practices in your profession
Show
interest in the opportunity to people in the inner circle by conveying: Knowledge Specific
of the organization
reasons for your interest
Show
interest in the opportunity to people in the inner circle by conveying: Knowledge Specific
of the organization
reasons for your interest
• Meet
decisionmakers.
• Follow-up.
Melinda Hightower, MBA Chapter President & National Vice Chair National Black Law Students Association University of Virginia School of Law