Pack your Bags and your Briefcase: Six Essentials you can’t Afford to Forget

Have you ever packed for a road trip, loaded up the car, driven away, and then remembered all of the things you forgot to bring? Networking can be like that, too. “We had a good conversation. I sent a LinkedIn invitation. We’re getting together for coffee next week… Uh oh! Did I send a thank you?” So many times, it is easy to forget the little things when it comes to networking. And these are the little things that can go a LONG way. Here’s what should be on your mental “do not forget” checklist.

Things you might forget:

Forgetting your toothpaste can make you shy away from any conversation. Unfortunately, that timidity, when not from a lack of brushing, can yield missed opportunities. If you’re at a networking night, and [company] is only recruiting for their marketing department, do not write them off. This particular person might work in the marketing department but might know a good contact in the department you are interested in. If you make a good impression, they’ll probably pass your name on. In other words, you are always making an impression, so make it a good one.

Have you ever been on a road trip where your GPS has failed? When you don’t provide context for your connector, they’re forced to bust out the old-school map; it’s possible but not preferred. When you are asking someone to reach out to a contact to you, make it easy for them! One of the best ways you can do this is to write your email explaining exactly what you want. For example, “Hi Megan. I saw you are connected to John on LinkedIn. I’m extremely interested in [industry] and would love to get in touch with him to talk about [topic]. Would you consider introducing me to him?” By using this format, Megan is able to forward the message with minimal effort to connect you with John. Bonus: John sees you’re prepared and intentional about why you want to speak to him.

The planning and effort you put into your itinerary make the trip run smoothly. While networking, the ask clearly outlines who, what and when. A word of advice: when you’re requesting someone else’s time make it as simplistic and clear as possible. If they have to work to get time with you, you’re already starting off on the wrong foot. Make suggestions to take out any extra steps. For example, rather than email back and forth about times that would work, acknowledge their time is precious, ask for an allotted amount of time within a larger time window (i.e. Would you be available for a phone call between 3 and 5 pm this Friday?).

Without your confirmation number, all you can do is hope the hotel got it right. Print your confirmation number in formatting your follow up. In The Two Hour Job Search, Steve Dalton gives many great pieces of advice, but one of his best pertains to the follow-up. The template given in the book is as simple as this:

“I know time is a resource, so if we are unable to connect by email, I will try to reach you next week to see whether that is more convenient.”

By structuring your follow up this way, you give yourself an opportunity reach out (next week) if you haven’t heard anything back within a certain time. And, you know what? You’re actually showing the recipient that you’re accountable. You said you would follow up in 1 week, and then you do!

Just like forgetting to pay the tab from your vacation can damage your credit score, don’t let forgetting to send a thank-you damage your reputation. Although sending an email to thank them for their time will protect you from damaging your reputation, does that convey how valuable you consider their time? One effective but often forgotten art is that of the handwritten thank-you note. While this doesn’t replace the email for the sake of a timely follow-up, it does speak to the receiver and sets you apart.

Your cell phone charger is just a small piece of equipment, making it the easiest but arguably the most important thing you can forget. Without your phone charger, you’d be cut off from the outside world (and Google maps which would be a disaster on a road trip). When you leave your connector in the dark, they might feel cut off, too. Someone you know generously agreed to tap into their network for you, something they were absolutely not required to do. (But luckily most people are super great and love helping others out.) Here’s the kicker – they want to know about what happened after they helped you out. Did the contact they set you up with work out well? Awesome! Let them know. Was it kind of a dead end? That’s too bad it didn’t work out this time. Still, tactfully let them know. Regardless, make sure they know you didn’t take their contact or effort for granted.

There you have it – six things to add to your mental networking list. Talk to everyone. Make it easy. Define the ask. Maintain control. Send a thank you. And give updates. These seemingly small changes might just have the biggest impact.

This is the first in a series of blogs entitled The Career Life Cycle. Join us every other week as we cover a different aspect of the cycle. Stay tuned! Our last post includes a chance at an exclusive giveaway with one of Kelley’s certified graduate career coaches.