Do you want to overcome your networking fears?
Every bit of job search advice to executives and technology leaders tells the six figure income candidate to network. You know the statistics say 87 percent of jobs are landed through some form of networking, yet you just can’t seem to pick up the phone and ask for what you need.
The simple truth is, networking is very hard; even some successful sales executives find it difficult to ask for help with their job search. Often, when someone does overcome their fear of networking, they still don’t get what they need.
Wendy Gelberg, in her very readable book, The Successful Introvert, recognizes the problem and offers sound advice. She states, “The purpose of this book is to present strategies used by successful people – including numerous celebrities – in managing their introversion or shyness while becoming successful in professional endeavors.”
Gelberg includes solutions for meetings, interviews and telephone outreach. She recommends an approach that reminds the reader networking is all about sharing information. I especially like her advice to people reluctant to ask for help to ask for advice instead.
She also reminds the reader that an interview is not an interrogation, it is a conversation where you are the consultant asked to help determine if you are the person to hire. And her best advice, for shy folks as well as extroverts, “Ask not what the company can do for you, but what you can do for the company.”
I couldn’t agree more with Gelberg when she reminds the reader, shyness is neither good nor bad; it is simply another way to be. Once you acknowledge you are an introvert, it is a straight path to managing your style to succeed with networking.
My best advice to anyone reluctant to network for what ever reason is to understand, people want to help, they just need to know what help looks like. Read Gelberg’s book for details on how to overcome your shyness.
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Themocracy