Networking 101

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