Networking: The importance of asking for help

In my coaching practice, I often work with successful executives who find themselves suddenly out of their depth when trying to navigate one of the most common career challenges: the job search. One major obstacle that many of my clients face is that they are uncomfortable or unaccustomed to asking for help.

I believe that generally people want to be helpful. In a recent webinar, I shared the example of having someone ask you for a restaurant recommendation. It feels great to be able to share your favorite hidden gem dining spot or to recommend a unique dish. We all know the joy of having someone reach out afterwards to rave about what a great experience they had at your recommended restaurant. The same thing happens in the job search. Asking someone to refer you to a role/person, getting recommendations on companies to investigate, or asking for insights in an industry are all part of the networking process. People love to share their expertise and networking is an expected part of the job search. There are a few things I recommend my clients keep in mind.

1. Almost everyone has conducted a job search. Unless you’ve chosen to work for yourself or won the lottery, you’ve probably had to go through the challenging and sometime frustrating process of a job search. People will empathize with you through this shared experience and can probably share stories of their own. We all remember that person who helped us connect to a great role or took the time to give an overview of a company or industry. Give people the opportunity to be that resource for you.
2. People like to share their expertise. We all love to be experts in our fields and one of the easiest things to ask someone to do is to share their opinion. You’re reaching out to them because they have the knowledge you need. Asking someone about the company they work for, the career shift they made or the industry they work in is an expected part of the job search process. You’re simply asking for some time to share their insights live or over an email exchange.
3. You need to ask for what you need. Be specific in what you’re asking for. Is it an introduction to someone, advice on an industry, referral for a role? If you are asking to be referred to a specific job, send along a link to the job posting. Most people are not aware of every open role at their companies, so let them know what role you are interested in. If an introduction would be helpful, briefly explain why you want that introduction. It could help someone think of other people in their network you might want to meet. If you are interested in industry advice, make sure you have done your homework and have specific questions you want them to answer. ?
4. Make it easy for people to help you. If you are active in the job search, share your resume when you reach out to people. Even if they don’t have time to speak with you, they could pass it along to someone in their network. Always have the link to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature so someone can learn more about you quickly and easily. If you are asking for an introduction to someone in their network, send a brief bio and/or offer to draft the email for them to use. If it just takes someone a few minutes to help you, they will be more likely to do it.
5. Don’t let a no or a lack of response impact you. We have all been completely swamped with work and forget to respond to non-critical emails. It is not necessarily a rejection when someone doesn’t respond right away. I recommend to my clients that they try reaching out to someone twice and then if they don’t receive a response, send them a quick note with a request to connect on LinkedIn. You never know what someone is going through so best to move on to the next potential resource.
6. It really is a numbers game. It’s best not to rely on a small number of people to help you with your search. If you are interested in a company or role, reach out to a few people who could help you make that connection. If you are doing cold outreach to people outside of your network, it might take more attempts than to people within your network. You want to be making new connections each week which requires reaching out to more people than you think you need.
7. Remember to be grateful throughout the process. If you are asking for a networking call, make sure to come prepared and be respectful of the person’s time. Ask if there is anything you can help them with at the end of the call. If someone can’t help you, still thank them for responding to your message. When you have landed in your next role, make sure to reach out to anyone who helped you throughout the process. It will encourage them to help others and let them know that you are open to helping them in the future.

Renee Begy is a Board Certified Coach and the Owner of Principal Talent Group, an executive coaching firm where she leverages her 20+ years of talent experience to help executives navigate career transitions. Please reach out at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about her coaching services.